Karma – 2
The comments to the first post on Karma have raised several issues that need elaboration besides several other aspects that have not been touched upon yet. As Hayden has rightly pointed out the goal of the Karmic principle is not punishment, - how can that be, if the very consciousness that maintains this principle, the Universal Consciousness is compassion and love?
We are born from a portion of this Universe and are therefore the children of the Universe. A loving parent punishes or rewards a child from time to time in order that the child will develop into a better individual and punishment is never so damaging that it causes permanent scars. The goal is progress. The role of the karmic principle is precisely that - To nudge us towards progress into compassion and love.
A way to teach a person a lesson in compassion is to make the person see the other side. Thus a child who hurts others by throwing things may be taught not to do that through explanation. If an explanation does not suffice, he may have to be hurt in a similar way. The principle of Karma works something like that. If we can learn our lessons into compassion in a gentle manner then Nature will teach us that way, but if a harder way of inculcating that learning is required then Nature will do that too. What better way to feel the pain of a poor person, by suffering through an episode of poverty and what better way to feel the headache of another than by suffering a headache oneself. Yet if one is compassionate enough to feel the pain of another without personally undergoing a similar pain then it is not quite necessary to undergo a similar pain. One may like to argue that we are not children any more, but that argument is meaningless when we stand in front of the vast Infinite Intelligence of the universe.
If we have hurt someone and we repent, then it means that it may not be necessary for us to undergo a similar suffering in order not to cause a similar intentional suffering again and we may then be excused a similar reaction. This and other ways that undesirable Karma can be dissolved shall be discussed again in a later post on Karma.
Karma arises from an exercise of our free wills but let us leave that aspect for the third post on Karma. At this stage it is essential to emphasize that the essence of the Karmic principle is love in a Universe where life thrives on the principle of love.
More, Last :
http://someitemshave.blogspot.in/2010/08/karma-3.html
More, Last :
http://someitemshave.blogspot.in/2010/08/karma-3.html
Comments
I grew a curiosity for Buddhism in my late teens to early twenties and it has stayed with me and has become a silent part of me through my small readings, observations, way of living-- entwined with my own Catholic upbringing, which was mostly through observing my grandmother in prayer and action.
You bring me to my back closet and I pull out the book by Walpola Rahula: “What the Buddha taught.” It brings a memory with it. I visited a small Buddhist home/temple—-curiosity and serendipity brought me both there are to a new found job with a Sri Lankan woman and her husband whom were both practicing Buddhists. When I went to temple with them, I was given the book. I did not go back for certain reasons (my intuition told me), but rather followed a path of self-study. That’s the short of it.
The irony is that yesterday I was feeling ‘down in the dumps’ but I read a snippet out of another book that gave me the nudge I needed and then seeing your post reminded me further, and I’m glad it prompted me to get my book because I was able to see what I had underlined and what questions I had at the time.
And along those lines, a thought came to me yesterday of forgetting and remembering. I suppose many authors have played with that idea. But, it really rang true for me how we forget so much of our lives, that it almost seems that on one hand, part of life involves remembering memories and such—remembering who we are—and on the other hand, perhaps losing ourselves to nature and to that stillness and perfection within ourselves—that which is already there.
It’s always nice to visit your blog. It emits such positive light and energy!
Rebb in my knowledge and experience there is nothing better to do than what you have expressed in this sentance. There is inside all of us unbounded joy and we can experience it in that stillness. It does not happen all the time, but it is beautiful when it does.
Thanks Rebb for you nice comments on the blog. I personally do not subscribe to any one religion but believe that they all have something beautiful that we can gain from. That is where my views come from now.
I too do not follow any one set of beliefs. I suppose ways of being has become my core, but I love looking to the world’s wisdoms. Yes, I agree, they do “All have something beautiful that we can gain from.” That’s one of the reasons I love the humanities. It seems to cover it all and so much of the arts, which in a way religion or whichever word one would like to use--is art in action. We are art in action—each masterpieces discovering our own beauty and sharing it.
Everything here is pretty much in accord with what I've been shown in shamanic practice - we are in accord.
At this point in my life I try to have no beliefs at all. I know what I am shown through my practice, all else is up for question. Including this-world 'teachings' of those who help me learn the shamanic approach.
I laughed after I wrote that. My experience is that it's absurdly difficult to get questions answered by this-world teachers. If they deign to answer at all, it's typically with a suggestion of a question we might ask to be shown an answer to during a 'journey' to our other-world teachers.
So again - I try to believe nothing, although I will speculate.