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Re: Reincarnation? Karma?
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: Re: Reincarnation? Karma?
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From: writecom@ix.netcom.com (Nandini Garud)
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Date: 24 Jun 1995 07:23:17 GMT
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From netnews@ix.netcom.com Sat Jun 24 03: 12:33 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: Netcom
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References: <3rldbl$7dk@ucunix.san.uc.edu>
Regarding Karma and human justice.
Are we to assume that justice handed out by humans is right? Are all
court convictions or all not-guilty- by-whatever-reason verdicts,
correct? If you are like me, you must have speeded sometimes, not
stopped at stop-signs, or parked at the wrong place... Did you get a
ticket everytime?
In Karma, there is the law of cause and effect, an impersonal, but very
straight forward, mathematical law. People have problem with this.
They want someone to forgive them for everything they've done. All
they should have ever to say is a big "I love you Mom!" It's not that
simple. No matter what your religion, you pay. You either pay before
you are accepted in the Lord's court, or you pay after you are accepted
by doing good work.
If the soul comes from one's parents, what happens to the parents'
souls? Doesn't it get diminished? I know a lovely lady who has four
children. Does that mean she has a "half-of-a-half-of-a-half-of-a-half
of a soul left? How about the children? Are they going around with
1/32nd of a soul? Considering most of us are at least 10,000 times
removed from our ancestors, we must have a fragmented soul indeed! How
does the logic of the tradition you are referring to account for
wholesome souls? Also, are we patched up souls, with each half hailing
back to a half a parent? That would lead to children having given
birth to partial parents, brothers marrying partial sisters... I
respect you faith. I am just using this as an example of how all
arguements can be taken to their logical conclusion.
As Raghu mentioned, it is merciful that we forget what we did in the
past. We can start with a new slate! Most loving individuals have
this quality: They forgive and forget what others did wrong. Perhaps
we feel rejuvenated in their presence because we can restart our Karma
again from a new reference point. Karma is not "do unto others what
others have done unto you", but rather to "do unto others what you
would like them to do unto you".
Following this logic you counter hatred with love, war with peace,
ignorance with knowledge. To me, that's the meaning of turning the
other cheek. To forgive is to abolish the other person's bad Karma
with your good karma. Surely, you would fail to uphold the ideal
conduct sometimes, then your accounts are settled with the instances
when wrongs were done unto you. It's like if you go into business,
you try to make money everytime. If you fail sometimes, your past
profits will tide you through. But if you go into business making just
enough to cover every loss you make, chances of your breaking even are
very slim!
-Nandini
Must we compete in spiritual matters too? Give me wisdom my Lord, to
follow my path, and let others follow theirs.
