Good is not different from Bad? In the book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, I read the following statement:


  This is the basic teaching of Buddhism. Pleasure is not different from difficulty. Good is not different from bad. Bad is good; good is bad. They are two sides of one coin.


How does this make sense? Does this mean that every good action (for example trying to reduce suffering) is somehow also bad? Or at least destined to fail?
From a Theravada perspective, there is absolute good and absolute bad. The 2 can exist mutually exclusively.

Suffering is absolutely bad and the mind states that lead to suffering are absolutely bad. 
Nibbana is absolutely good and the mind states that lead to Nibbana are absolutely good.

There is no suffering in Nibbana and there's no Nibbana in suffering. They arise/exist without requiring the presence of eachother.