[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: Hinduism: does it explain sufferings?
In your message you ask if Hinduism explains sufferings, and you take
issue with the idea of an ever-repeating, cyclical life, soul-"life", that
is. It seems in Hinduism, life is neither linear, as in Christianity,
nor is it exactly cyclical, but a combination of the two.
What do you get when you combine a circle and a straight line? You get a
spiral. If you view your soul's "life" as a linear, you get one chance
and one chance only to make good for your end, either in the inferno or in
paradise. And when it's over, it's all over. If you view your soul's
"life" as a circle, ever-repeating, nothing you do either good or bad,
harmful or compassionate, has any significance. If you always start over
in the same place, any progress you make, or improvements in your life
become nullified, so why bother changing anything about yourself, or why
bother following rules, you'll be back. Why live with any moral code
whatsoever? You'll do it all again, and you've done it all before. Rather
pointless living. But if you combine the two, into a spiral, you do
repeat yourself, but a different level. Once, you are in a situation, and
you make a decision that creates great suffering, and regret your rashness
or inexperience. Later, you find yourself in that same situation, now you
know better, and do something else, things turn out for the better. Life
repeats itself, but you grow with each experience and each lesson, and
find yourself on a higher level.
The idea of souls coming back and coming back is ground in this spiral,
spiraling out from the center, higher and higher to total detatchment.
You move from the lustiest, greediest, most loathesome self, through your
lives' lessons, you move to the most compassionate, selfless, unworldly,
non-self, reaching maybe non-entity. Many of the Bhakti poets, like
Basavanna and Mahadeviyakka, while they wailed at being trapped on this
earth, in these tiny, limiting bodies with greedy, impatient and
capricious souls, spoke of moving on. They felt trapped by their bodies,
yes, but they recognized the possiblility for escape, closer to the
All-Encompasing. They know of the souls spiral, and through learning and
experience, freeing themself\ves, they moved on. Through suffering, they
learned how to escape.
namastee
Gilthoneil@aol.com
