What is Karma

Discussion in 'Religion, Beliefs and Spirituality' started by Uncle Benny, Jun 26, 2012.

  1. It seems that many people on GC believe in Karma. But, I've never heard a definition of karma till I become interested in learning a bit about Helena Blavatsky, who wrote "The Secret Doctrine."

    I always thought karma was some type of tit for tat - you do something wrong to me, and karma will do something wrong to you.

    But, now I'm not sure how to interpret karma - some quotes from Blavatsky---

    "Karma - Physically, action: metaphysically, the LAW OF RETRIBUTION, the Law of cause and effect or Ethical Causation...Karma neither punishes nor rewards, it is simply the one Universal Law which guides unerringly, and so to say, blindly, all other laws productive of certain effects along the grooves of their respective causations. (Theosophical Glossary, pp.173-74)"

    "Those who believe in Karma have to believe in destiny, which, from birth to death, every man is weaving thread by thread around himself, as a spider does his cobweb; and this destiny is guided either by the heavenly voice of the invisible prototype outside of us, or by our more intimate astral, or inner man, who is but too often the evil genius of the embodied entity called man.... When the last strand is woven, and man is seemingly enwrapped in the net-work of his own doing, then he finds himself completely under the empire of this self-made destiny. It then either fixes him like the inert shell against the immovable rock, or carries him away like a feather in a whirlwind raised by his own actions, and this is - KARMA. "
    "(Secret Doctrine, vol 1, p. 639)

    "KARMA is an Absolute and Eternal law in the World of manifestation; and as there can only be one Absolute, as One eternal ever present Cause, believers in Karma cannot be regarded as Atheists or materialists-still less as fatalists. (The Secret Doctrine, Vol II, p. 305)"

    "This Law -- whether Conscious or Unconscious --predestines nothing and no one. It exists from and in Eternity, truly, for it is ETERNITY itself; and as such, since no act can be co-equal with eternity, it cannot be said to act, for it is ACTION itself...Karma creates nothing, nor does it design. It is man who plans and creates causes, and Karmic law adjusts the effects; which adjustment is not an act, but universal harmony, tending ever to resume its original position... (Secret Doctrine, Vol II, p. 304-05)"

    "The ONE LIFE is closely related to the one law which governs the World of Being - KARMA. Exoterically, this is simply and literally "action," or rather an "effect-producing cause." Esoterically it is quite a different thing in its far-fetching moral effects. It is the unerring LAW OF RETRIBUTION. (Secret Doctrine, Vol. I, p. 634)"
     
  2. #2 Uncle Benny, Jun 26, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 26, 2012
    Thanks D man for the PM and links! Interesting stuff for sure.
     
  3. Karma can be translated simply as desire. Your actions are caused by desire and attachment, and so in the future you must work out those attachments through experience or meditation, those are the only way. It's not so much a "kill and you'll be killed" sort of thing, even the Gods do not fully understand the force of karma. Karma, desire, is what keeps you reincarnating, because some desire will draw you back down to the terrestrial plane to be worked out, it could be a good desire, or it could be a bad desire. Whether your chains are made from lead or from gold, they are still chains.
     
  4. Interesting... But can you really say that all your actions are from desires and attachments?

    What about the actions of mother nature and the actions of others that effect you, and cause a reaction through no desire or attachment on your part. For example, your actions would altered if a hurricane hit your home.

    In turn your desires and actions can affect others, true? For example Obama's desires and attachments could have profound effects on millions of people. Is this good? While on the other hand, a monk living in a monastery has almost no effect on anyone. Is this good?

    It seems that the life of Obama has more potential for chains like jacob marley from a christmas carol , while that of the monk should have few chains. Is that right?
     
  5. True karma is when you cheat on your GF and she leaves you. There isn't like some mystic force that's punishes you
     
  6. You know the kind of guy who does nothing but bad things and then wonders why his life sucks? Well, that was me. Every time something good happened to me, something bad was always waiting round the corner: karma. That's when I realized that I had to change, so I made a list of everything bad I've ever done and one by one I'm gonna make up for all my mistakes. I'm just trying to be a better person. My name is Earl.

    I understand it's not like that
     
  7. there are so many karmas, instant karma, and you also have to look at your karma from you r past lives as well. in the end karma's a bitch....what goes around comes around
     
  8. [quote name='"kayakush"']there are so many karmas, instant karma, and you also have to look at your karma from you r past lives as well. in the end karma's a bitch....what goes around comes around[/quote]

    How can.you be judged on passed lives. That's not karma. If you don't know what you did punishment if pointless.
     
  9. I think it's basically saying karma isn't the retribution in particular, it's the idea that the world has to have that to be in unity. It's the biggest law in the universe basically. It's what gives all life meaning and direction.


    Wooooo lots of :smoke:
     

  10. But she doesn't always leave...
     
  11. I believe that "Karma" is a specific group of (possibly Hindu or another similar religion) people's way of connecting to spiritual forces, beings, deities, etc using cause and effect scenario's to 'envision' what might happen if you don't live righteously (ADVENTURE TIME!).
     
  12. [quote name='"Bluntzilla420"']

    But she doesn't always leave...[/quote]

    True. Something inside of her tells her that something isn't right here.
     
  13. Universal Law.

    What you do to others must be done to you
    What pain you put on others to feel must be felt by you
    What joy you bring to people must be brought back to you.

    What negative energy you put out must come back to its source eventually (which is you, who sent it out), and vice versa with positive energy.
     
  14. See that's what I always thought karma was. But, as I read more, I think it has more to do with the impact of your actions in the world, and the natural reactions that nature and people have to those actions. So your actions can be good and have positive reactions or they may be bad and will have negative reactions. But, those reactions to your actions may or may not effect you but may have consequences beyond your comprehension.

    Is it better to be a monk or the president?
     

  15. It is better to be a Monk for President. :)

    The solitary monk is helping others through helping himself, this is why his efforts get rewarded, because after he dies he gets the pleasure of helping people in higher ways.

    A famous figure who affects many people's lives is creating much good by affecting them positively.

    There is nothing wrong with having attachments to people if you love them and are helping them, or at least trying to help them. It is a misconception that one must kill out all attachment in order to advance. However, it is true that one's love must become free and not bonded to only some.

    Even the Masters are karmically attached to certain people, in fact it is the Masters who have the most karmic attachments, because they are constantly helping others. By affecting someone, whether positively or negatively, you create a special bond that draws that same person near you in succeeding lives. It is ok to have golden chains, they're the best chains you'll ever get. :)

    The kindly authoritarian who gives his best efforts to help his people, yet impacts them negatively, will still receive divine gratitude for trying his best, and so will advance himself.

    It is the effort which counts. :)
     
  16. It's an idea that tries to relate causes, apparent or not, with effects.
     
  17. I think string theory might be like karma. Small strings connecting everything together in a fourth unseen spacial dimension.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0UcrGncBTo"]String Theory For Dummies - YouTube[/ame]
     
  18. Karma is what happens (if that.)

    Karma is nothing unless something happens.
    Karma is everything but not necessarily.

    Karma is not subject to karma.
     

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