Karma and Reincarnation-Skeptic

[Mathew James]

maybe the path is not how much we put on but how much we remove

"Karma" as generally perceived and spoken of is greatly distorted, and in a transcendental timeless sense there is really no such thing at all.

Karma, in a broad, basic sense can simply be seen for what the Sanskrit origin of the word means: it is action, reaction and interaction throughout all creation. In terms of the "law of attraction" (speaking here of linear time-space reality), it is "You create your own personal reality." And most people largely create unconsciously, or in other words, by "default," not keenly aware of how their mind is constantly creating. In this sense, it is understandable why there is mass victim consciousness in humanity, with beliefs in such things as "fate," "chaos," "revenge," the "need for self-defense/protection," a God or gods that "determine the specific events of the world," the "devil," the "powers-that-be," "random events," etc. None of those beliefs are Self-empowering ones, and were created from a sense of powerlessness. Whereas, as we learn more and more about how perception creates "holographic reality," through self-enquiry/meditation, studies in consciousness, quantum physics, etc., this sense of personal victimhood is gradually seen for what it is: a belief/perception/experience in consciousness, and not an absolute. Through this personal and collective awakening, "karma" is redefined, for neither the word nor the basic concept are being dropped by humanity anytime soon, anyhow. Having an "issue" with karma only reinforces the very thing unwanted, whereas learning to calmly enquire within about the nature of the True Self bypasses the intellect's obsession with details, specifics and the beliefs of others. All beliefs are equally "valid."

Being skeptical about karma is very healthy, in that it opens one's mind up to a greater understanding, prompting deeper inner discovery of one's core beliefs and spiritual Essence. (Hmmm, "Core Beliefs" would be a great thread... )

Blessings
Kar

Kar, I do not believe so many people have 'issues' with Karma, it is possibly with the fact that so many people make so many references to the word.
Many events are merely summed up and blamed on Karma. Used kind-a as a catch-all phrase. Often misleading I am sure.

You know in the West we can screw up original intentions and meanings pretty well.

[Shabda]

Originally Posted by papadan

Kar, I do not believe so many people have 'issues' with Karma, it is possibly with the fact that so many people make so many references to the word.
Many events are merely summed up and blamed on Karma. Used kind-a as a catch-all phrase. Often misleading I am sure.

You know in the West we can screw up original intentions and meanings pretty well.

when karma is used as a blame, its just another word for self...

Originally Posted by papadan

Kar, I do not believe so many people have 'issues' with Karma, it is possibly with the fact that so many people make so many references to the word.
Many events are merely summed up and blamed on Karma. Used kind-a as a catch-all phrase. Often misleading I am sure.

You know in the West we can screw up original intentions and meanings pretty well.

You made good points for this thread, indeed. However, read carefully, I never suggested anywhere that "so many people have issues with karma," my friend. Nor was that the intent. That's your mention. It wasn't aimed at you nor anyone. It was a general idea to contemplate for anyone interested, and you've clearly taken interest in it, which is cool. My post wasn't about issues, but about the healing of the mind. That's what all my posts are about, as for my dominant intent. I use silly subjects such as "Astral Projection" just as wrapping paper, and my stay at this website is a very short one. But shhh, don't tell! I didn't read the above posts of others in this thread, but simply added a post after our friend Windwhistle mentioned it in another thread that she was starting this one. I appreciate how she takes subjects and intelligently expands upon them in this AP Forum, as do you in your posts. My post is just a general suggestion I gave. Also, your assumption is that the West is so different than the East. This is not the case. There really is no polarized "West" and "East" as people like to divide things up, nor a clear-cut "Western thought" and "Eastern thought." "Screwing up" original intentions happens no less in any other place of the world, including the East. Why, I greatly love India, though do you think that the general concept of karma there is what was originally intended? Most humans generally think and feel the same way, no matter external appearances and coverings of religion, culture, and what people say they believe. For example, when two opposing parties fight, they are actually in AGREEMENT, yet each side claims that they are "different" than the other. How is this so? Why, both are agreeing that "war" is somehow the solution. They are the same. Mirror reflections. Playing the same futile game. No one "won" WW2 nor any other war in history. Why, WW2 is still very much alive in the minds of tens of millions, re-hashed and re-told again and again and again, books, movies, TV shows still coming out about it. The same energy, just in another form, although there has been some healing, indeed. This game is being played out universally on the planet, "East" and "West" alike. It's called duality, polarity, separation.

Karma is a "catch-all" phrase in India far more than in the West, and has been this way for many, many centuries! There, it is generally used to explain all manner of circumstances in life. The number of references to karma in India is way above that of the West. The West, of course, is not the predominant Hindu culture, India is. You know that India has a much, much larger population than what is called the West, combined, and by numbers alone the "catch-all-iness" and popularity of using karma to explain things in India far surpasses that of the West, my brother. It is just that in recent decades in the West karma has had a fast rise in certain circles.

Blessings
Kar

Thank you Kar for your reply. You must forgive me the fact that sometimes I make statements to stimulate conversation that brings out further, often in-depth, information for the viewing of others.
Your points are well taken and appreciated.

I would like to apologize to anyone I might have offended in Post#13, this was certainly not my intention.
Simon sent me a message that I had attacked a belief, trying to debate, and had attacked Western culture.
I would not intentionally do this and may be guilty of using improper wording.
I am far from perfect in the use of words and would never intentionally attack anyone's beliefs intentionally.

Again I strongly apologize if I have offended anyone.
Thank you, Dan

[Lazarus72]

I for one wasn't offended and happen to agree with the point made in post 13. I tend to go to what I envisage as the source of the notion of Karma and can certainly relate to the idea that the concept may become diluted through translation.

I would like to offer a link to an article I personally find useful, one that both expounds upon the translation discrepancy and also attempts to offer an exposition of that which the concept of Karma itself refers - comparing it to 'growth', rather than cause and effect.

With regards the OP I think it can be noted that good and bad or negative and positive, also can be seen to be 'qualities' that are retroactively superimposed by the limited and restrictive vehicle of conceptualisation itself.

http://www.unfetteredmind.org/articles/karma.php

[Rah nam]

One of the more valid article on karma I have read.
Growth, as I have said before, creation is all about expansion, growth.
A pure form will not expand. Karma is simply a system that ensures, we move through all the layers of this reality, in order to expand on our level.
On a hypothetical view, if anyone would try to go through this reality without creating any ripples (pure), karma would trough them into the deepest abyss in this reality, with a slow assent.
Once we become aware, at the very end of one's cycle, balancing karma is simple and easy.