Guest guest Posted January 24, 2003 Report Share Posted January 24, 2003 I have both a quesiton about suffering and karma, and some thoughts about reincarnation and karma in general: If people suffer because of past wrong-doing, if we see someone suffering, should we help them? Or let them suffer, so as to burn away their karma? How about in a bigger sense? There have been many examples of the mass torturing of a people by another people or person. (Holocaust, Rape of Nanking, Stalin's Executions) Were all these people suffering because of past sins? If we had the power to stop these evil acts, should we have? Or, according to the law of karma, did these people deserve to suffer? Personally, I believe Karma isn't 100% personal. I believe your past or present wrongdoing can cause suffering which can spread to others. It's like pollution. It harms you, as well as those around you. Like, we're all in the same boat. When one does somethnig wrong, we all suffer. Another way I look at reincarnation. At some part of our cycle of lives, our wrongdoing has caused our souls to be enrusted with spiritual dirt. And the only thing that can gromd that dirt away is to drop the soul into an abrasive atmosphere, that is, life. But the dirt is actually made up of different types of dirt. The dirt of lust, the dirt of gluttony, the dirt of anger, and so on. And each type of dirt can only be ground away by a certain type of abrasive. Maybe by the very wrongdoings they performed in an earlier life. A person who performs violence against others accumulates violent dirt. And this dirt can only be ground away when the soul is dropped in a life where the person becomes the victim of violence. This is why I see different people being of different temperances, having different desires, and subject to different temptations. A person can be tempted by lust daily, but have no temptation to hurt another or accumulate riches. This just means this soul has been cleaned of his violent and greedy dirt, but not his lustful dirt. This view has helped me alot in my daily trials. Previously, when I was wronged by another person, or forced to be in an environment with a sometimes irrational person, I would get resentful. Now I think, their abrasiveness is asctually grinding some of the dirt off of my soul. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 27, 2003 Report Share Posted January 27, 2003 - <wmbbjr2 <Ramakrishna > Friday, January 24, 2003 04:16 [sri Ramakrishna] Suffering, Karma, and Compassion > I have both a quesiton about suffering and karma, and some thoughts > about reincarnation and karma in general:Interesting topics.. Let me share my views. > If people suffer because of past wrong-doing, if we see someone > suffering, should we help them? Or let them suffer, so as to burn > away their karma?If we are able to help and do not help we incur 'bad karma' by not acting. Our choice is made. > How about in a bigger sense? There have been many examples of the > mass torturing of a people by another people or person. (Holocaust, > Rape of Nanking, Stalin's Executions) Were all these people suffering > because of past sins? If we had the power to stop these evil acts, > should we have? Or, according to the law of karma, did these people > deserve to suffer? How the singular act done by a single person interacts with the mass activities of masses is difficult to handle .... the situation is best described as non-linear and too complex to decipher.> > Personally, I believe Karma isn't 100% personal. I believe your past > or present wrongdoing can cause suffering which can spread to others. > It's like pollution. It harms you, as well as those around you. Like, > we're all in the same boat. When one does something wrong, we all > suffer.Again, we act individually as well as in a group hence there can be a leakage of good or bad karma between the individual and society as a whole. There does not seem to be any contradiction in assuming so. > Another way I look at reincarnation. At some part of our cycle of > lives, our wrongdoing has caused our souls to be enrusted with > spiritual dirt. And the only thing that can gromd that dirt away is > to drop the soul into an abrasive atmosphere, that is, life. But the > dirt is actually made up of different types of dirt. The dirt of > lust, the dirt of gluttony, the dirt of anger, and so on. And each > type of dirt can only be ground away by a certain type of abrasive. > Maybe by the very wrongdoings they performed in an earlier life. A > person who performs violence against others accumulates violent dirt. > And this dirt can only be ground away when the soul is dropped in a > life where the person becomes the victim of violence. Yes, in real terms all distinctions and what can be defined as 'good or as bad' are relative terms.. Sometimes the bad we observe is a pre-requisite of something good to happen... How do we distinguish? The way to go about is to say that ideas of 'good and bad' are judged in a relative manner and though they are very real and absolute to the individual in individual circumstances they are in no way absolute. We proceed using relative tools to handle our relative situations but the process is somehow taking us towards something called 'absolute' (towards spiritual unfolding). > This is why I see different people being of different temperances, > having different desires, and subject to different temptations.> > A person can be tempted by lust daily, but have no temptation to hurt > another or accumulate riches. This just means this soul has been > cleaned of his violent and greedy dirt, but not his lustful dirt.> > This view has helped me alot in my daily trials. Previously, when I > was wronged by another person, or forced to be in an environment with > a sometimes irrational person, I would get resentful. Now I think, > their abrasiveness is asctually grinding some of the dirt off of my > soul.That is how we perceive what is right for us and that is how we should act and progress. What else can we do? You seem to have resolved the issues. ........regards jay > Any thoughts?> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 28, 2003 Report Share Posted January 28, 2003 Dear Sir, Can you help someone even if you want, if the other person is not willing to be helped? When you talk about karma, you talk about destiny vs free will. When you talk about free will, there is destiny. Each one runs his race ALONE but with OTHERS. The vyashti and samashti are interconnected in a huge network of options in creation. The best thing is therefore to keep silent or strive to do good. If we get into karma,we should shut up and put up with the world.If, on the other hand ,we get into free will, we should strive on and on with conscious introspection to do good to all. In it bloom the right answers for all questions. Ther is neither karma nor free will for a liberated man.For an Arjuna, there is only free will. Fight on!!! Leave the rest to God!!! Then , Relax and Enjoy whatever Befalls. Love to all . Yours sincerely, Chilukuri Bhuvaneswar --- " Bill Bittner <wmbbjr2 " <wmbbjr2 wrote: <HR> <html><body> <tt> I have both a quesiton about suffering and karma, and some thoughts <BR> about reincarnation and karma in general:<BR> <BR> If people suffer because of past wrong-doing, if we see someone <BR> suffering, should we help them? Or let them suffer, so as to burn <BR> away their karma?<BR> <BR> How about in a bigger sense? There have been many examples of the <BR> mass torturing of a people by another people or person. (Holocaust, <BR> Rape of Nanking, Stalin's Executions) Were all these people suffering <BR> because of past sins? If we had the power to stop these evil acts, <BR> should we have? Or, according to the law of karma, did these people <BR> deserve to suffer?<BR> <BR> Personally, I believe Karma isn't 100% personal. I believe your past <BR> or present wrongdoing can cause suffering which can spread to others. <BR> It's like pollution. It harms you, as well as those around you. Like, <BR> we're all in the same boat. When one does somethnig wrong, we all <BR> suffer.<BR> <BR> Another way I look at reincarnation. At some part of our cycle of <BR> lives, our wrongdoing has caused our souls to be enrusted with <BR> spiritual dirt. And the only thing that can gromd that dirt away is <BR> to drop the soul into an abrasive atmosphere, that is, life. But the <BR> dirt is actually made up of different types of dirt. The dirt of <BR> lust, the dirt of gluttony, the dirt of anger, and so on. And each <BR> type of dirt can only be ground away by a certain type of abrasive. <BR> Maybe by the very wrongdoings they performed in an earlier life. A <BR> person who performs violence against others accumulates violent dirt. <BR> And this dirt can only be ground away when the soul is dropped in a <BR> life where the person becomes the victim of violence. <BR> <BR> This is why I see different people being of different temperances, <BR> having different desires, and subject to different temptations.<BR> <BR> A person can be tempted by lust daily, but have no temptation to hurt <BR> another or accumulate riches. This just means this soul has been <BR> cleaned of his violent and greedy dirt, but not his lustful dirt.<BR> <BR> This view has helped me alot in my daily trials. Previously, when I <BR> was wronged by another person, or forced to be in an environment with <BR> a sometimes irrational person, I would get resentful. Now I think, <BR> their abrasiveness is asctually grinding some of the dirt off of my <BR> soul.<BR> <BR> Any thoughts?<BR> <BR> <BR> </tt> <br> <!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| --> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> <tr bgcolor=#FFFFCC> <td align=center><font size= " -1 " color=#003399><b> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.