Guest guest Posted June 4, 2006 Report Share Posted June 4, 2006 Dear Group, Here is a summary on Karma, Reincarnation & Liberation. Pranam. ******************* Mental Imprints Whenever we perform any action and whenever we think any thought, an imprint—a kind of subtle groove—is made upon the mind. These imprints or grooves are known as samskaras. Sometimes we are conscious of the imprinting process; just as often we are not. When actions and thoughts are repeated, the grooves become deeper. The combination of " grooves " — samskaras—creates our individual characters and also strongly influences our subsequent thoughts and actions. If we anger easily, for example, we create an angry mind that is predisposed to react with anger rather than with patience or understanding. As water when directed into a narrow canal gains force, so the grooves in the mind create canals of behavior patterns which become extraordinarily difficult to resist or reverse. Changing an ingrained mental habit literally becomes an uphill battle. If our thoughts are predominantly those of kindness, love, and compassion, our character reflects it, and these very thoughts will be returned to us sooner or later. If we send out thoughts of hatred, anger, or pettiness, those thoughts will also be returned to us. Our thoughts and actions aren't so much arrows as boomerangs—eventually they find their way back home. The effects of karma may come instantly, later in life, or in another life altogether; what is absolutely certain, however, is that they will appear at some time or other. Until liberation is achieved, we live and we die within the confines of the law of karma, the chain of cause and effect. Reincarnation What happens at death if we haven't attained liberation? When a person dies, the only " death " is that of the physical body. The mind, which contains a person's mental impressions, continues after the body's death. When the person is reborn, the " birth " is of a new physical body accompanied by the old mind with the impressions or " grooves " from previous lives. When the environment becomes conducive, these samskaras again reassert themselves in the new life. Thankfully, this process doesn't go on eternally. When we attain God-realization or Self-realization, the law of karma is transcended, the Self gives up its identification with the body and mind, and regains its native freedom, perfection and bliss. ************************************ ramakrishna1008 <ramakrishna1008 wrote: Everything comes from primary cause and leads to a result. An action in your past life gives you a result in this life. If in this life you do not make this feeling disappear, then it will become cause in the next life there will again be the same result. The name for this is samsara. Many people do not understand this, so they are attached tothe result. Because of this when they are very sad and crying, they suffer. If you understand karma, you will not hold on to the result, so your mind will not be tight and suffering. Crying time is, only cry. When that is finished, it is finished. You must keep clear mind. Then you will make clear, correct karma. So don't hold on to your feelings, don't make anything, don't be attached to anything. Put it all down! Then your mind will become clear and your mind light will shine everywhere. That is called Dharma energy. Excerpt from a letter to Seung Sahn in Only Don't Know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2006 Report Share Posted June 5, 2006 dear Raja Gopalan i have on eissue (just one) it is all the suffering in the world makes me soooooo terribly sad i can t stand to see suffering birds starving, animals abused and tortured, children people, how to deal with this>?? anne > Sun Jun 4, 2006 9:32 pm (PDT) > " raja gopalan " rajagopalancv2003 > > Re: More Karma > > > Dear Group, > > Here is a summary on Karma, Reincarnation & > Liberation. > > Pranam. > > ******************* > Mental Imprints > > Whenever we perform any action and whenever we think > any thought, an imprint—a kind of subtle groove—is > made upon the mind. These imprints or grooves are > known as samskaras. Sometimes we are conscious of > the imprinting process; just as often we are not. > > When actions and thoughts are repeated, the > grooves become deeper. The combination of " grooves " — > samskaras—creates our individual characters and also > strongly influences our subsequent thoughts and > actions. > > If we anger easily, for example, we create an > angry mind that is predisposed to react with anger > rather than with patience or understanding. > > As water when directed into a narrow canal gains > force, so the grooves in the mind create canals of > behavior patterns which become extraordinarily > difficult to resist or reverse. Changing an > ingrained mental habit literally becomes an uphill > battle. > > If our thoughts are predominantly those of > kindness, love, and compassion, our character > reflects it, and these very thoughts will be > returned to us sooner or later. If we send out > thoughts of hatred, anger, or pettiness, those > thoughts will also be returned to us. > > Our thoughts and actions aren't so much arrows as > boomerangs—eventually they find their way back home. > The effects of karma may come instantly, later in > life, or in another life altogether; what is > absolutely certain, however, is that they will > appear at some time or other. Until liberation is > achieved, we live and we die within the confines of > the law of karma, the chain of cause and effect. > > Reincarnation > > What happens at death if we haven't attained > liberation? > > When a person dies, the only " death " is that of > the physical body. The mind, which contains a > person's mental impressions, continues after the > body's death. When the person is reborn, the " birth " > is of a new physical body accompanied by the old > mind with the impressions or " grooves " from previous > lives. When the environment becomes conducive, these > samskaras again reassert themselves in the new life. > > Thankfully, this process doesn't go on eternally. > When we attain God-realization or Self-realization, > the law of karma is transcended, the Self gives up > its identification with the body and mind, and > regains its native freedom, perfection and bliss. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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