Karma - non-astro

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Kuttikkat Chandrabose wrote:

>

> >From one curious reader

 

 

> If the soul is considered to be detached from the the

> overall force that drives the Universe,- call it god, spirit, nature.

> whatever

> you want to call- the concept of karma becomes totally irrelevant.

 

What is Karma at all?

 

> The past karma is the reason why you are here, the present karma, the nature

>of which is the bridge that leads you to the answer that most of us seek, not

> necessarily all of us.

 

Are we here BECAUSE of past karma? This is certainly a -or the most - widespread

ASSUMPTION. The allied assumption is that the soul has to strive for release

from the cycle birth and re-birth - the implication being that living on a

planet or at least on the earth is an unhappy situation. This last part is true

for most of us, life is tough. Maybe the soul is striving for the state of

"nirvana", "moksha" etc.

 

But the fundamental question is, if birth is a result of past karma, the first

birth must have been preceded by some action. Where was this act committed, that

led to the birth? Was this deed inevitable or by choice or accident? If

inevitable, what compelled it?

 

1. If it was a compulsion, the idea of total determinism creeps in: the soul

cannot strive for anything at all, but has to drift from one compulsion to

another.

 

2. If by choice, it was an act of free will. So the free will is not lost after

birth but restricted. Was the first act so dreadful that the soul could not free

itself after one birth? Some say that teleological thinking is wrong, bu the

existence of this planet, which, despite all its "shortcomings" or unpleasant

features, is an extremely well-planned and complex system. Murphy´s Law states

that if anything can go wrong, it will! BUT only at some time, NOT always. We

note the things that are deviations from the standard, but forget how much keeps

to the rules.

 

To me it looks as if the earth was created to accommodate the souls that were

expected to be born there. Karma then becomes not a cause and effect situation,

but a succession of necessary experiences. Since we have an intellect, the

experience is not just to be gone through, but to be mentally analysed and

understood. This analysing is an act of free-will.

 

3. If by accident, it means that alternatives were inherent. The situation is

almost the same as choice. An accident, however, would have been most likely

corredted quickly and simply, without having to create a planet of such

complexity.

 

The lerning process is the only explanation that appeals to me. So "choice"

seems to be the best, but "compelled". Going to school is compulsory, but what

one finally studies is by choice. And not learning the lessons means repeating

semesters. By taking up more subjects one can speed up the learning.

 

Rebirth is then not a "result" of past karma, but a continuation of studies.

After the first semester one goes on to the next naturally, but one cannot call

it the reward or punishment for having completed the first! It is the next

logical step.

 

The purpose of life is to understand the purpose of life!

 

 

regards

Mani