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Re: Sin.
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: Re: Sin.
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From: mpt@mail.utexas.edu (michael tandy)
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Date: 22 Aug 1995 19:56:08 GMT
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From news@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu Tue Aug 22 15: 44:00 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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References: <41d0os$s4v@babbage.ece.uc.edu>
In article <41d0os$s4v@babbage.ece.uc.edu>, dwaite@aladdin.co.uk (Dennis Waite) says:
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>mpt@mail.utexas.edu (michael tandy) wrote:
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>
>
>> Let's hypothesize; supposing they are 'liberated' according to
>> your ideal. Should they be subjected to trial and punishment
>> for the laws they break?
>
>I'm not sure I understand what you are suggesting.
I am suggesting a number of things; please read on.
>
>Irrespective of his previous 'sins', if an individual becomes
>'self-realised', *we* would be the only losers if we were to punish
>him subsequently.
Indeed. Here is the problem, though; who will decide who is
"liberated," and for that matter, what "liberation" itself
even is? We see that there are many different kinds of
liberation. Some persons can even be considered "liberated"
even though they aren't, validly. It's a tricky question to deal
with practically. But it is necessarily (remembering my hypothesis)
a legislative decision, and spiritual life can hardly ever be
legislated. We can't decide such things, yet we have to decide,
and we all do.
He would not really be interested one way or the
>other.
This is not absolutely true; it is relatively true. A self-
realized person may in fact be very concerned with the treatment
of his/her body, depending on the Lord's purpose that he/she
serves.
He would be in the position of Christ saying, "Forgive them for
>they know not what they do." The trouble is that, yes, of course we
>would subject him to trial and punishment, or perhaps more likely
>punishment without trial.
Therefore devotees follow state laws.
That seems to be what we do traditionally to
>self-realised men, whether or not they have 'sinned'.
But there is another reason for this; we don't like troublemakers
who disturb the status quo. Conditioned souls are so insecure that
any threat to their comfortable paradigms must not only be wholly
rejected, but in deed, castigated as "evil." This is based upon a
stubborn attachment to existence separate from God. Yet it is God
who periodically sends us these troublemakers, just to disturb our
complacent slumber.
-m
