| Summary: | This essay responds to the dissatisfaction of some philosophers with traditional Western solutions to the problem of evil in religion and it offers an alternative solution, which is inspired by the Eastern philosophy of advaita to a great extent. According to the critics, traditional theodicies do not solve the following aspects of the problem of evil: problems with the extent and distribution of evil, suffering of animals and eternal damnation. Three elements of the Eastern philosophy combined with some traditional strategies do solve these problems. The first element is the idea of universal salvation, the second is the theory of karma nand reincarnation and the last one is advaita and lila. These elements can be accepted in various forms and combinations, some of which are more compatible with the traditional methods than others. The final solution is hypothetical and should be understood as a sketech of several ways in which the problem of evil can be solved. This essay is not merely an application of Eeastern concepts to a Western problem, but rather a mutual interaction. That is why I do not hesitate to work with Western new age literature and use Eastern concepts creatively myself. Even though my solution is based on the Indian philospohy of advaita, I criticize its usual implication, according to...
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