[RascalPuff]

"The popular misunderstanding that 'karma' means guaranteed justice, is a deliberate illusion imposed upon students by their masters; in order to instill a sense of moral consequence and social responsibility."
- (Paraphrased) Alan Watts, The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

[mkirkpatrick]

Karma is the law of cause and effect exacting equal measure for all our actions whether
conscious or unconscious.




regards michael.

[Mikal]

May I suggest some excellent reading material here....the pioneering study into the possibilites of past lives and Karma...Ian Stevenson, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia has published a variety of books and papers, his best introduction being his 1987 work, "Children Who Remember Past Lives"

Most who adhere to a spiritual personal and worldview that we have a soul tend to view Karma and Reincarnation as part of the equation...Stevenson's work is certainly thought provoking...enough to shake your prevailing views and beliefs..

Peace Mikal

[austintorn@aol.com]

There is no guarantee of justice, as some get way with murder. Mostly, some natural and logical consequences arise. If you live on a corner and let your hedges grow wild, cars might crash since they can't see well, although they should be more careful, but the law might be such that you get sued.

If you leave your bike out in the rain, it gets rusty.

If you don't learn and study, you may get rusty.

If you leave yourself out in the sun, you may get dried out.

How Long is a Rabjam Tibetan.

(Or is How Long a Chinaman?)

[melanie]

The absence of Karma could be liberating or a burden.
It can liberate one to live free of guilt and fear but it can burden one with REAL responsibility.
The responsibility to be 100% in control of their life.


Doh!

[RascalPuff]

Originally Posted by Mikal May I suggest some excellent reading material here....the pioneering study into the possibilites of past lives and Karma...Ian Stevenson, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia has published a variety of books and papers, his best introduction being his 1987 work, "Children Who Remember Past Lives" Most who adhere to a spiritual personal and worldview that we have a soul tend to view Karma and Reincarnation as part of the equation...Stevenson's work is certainly thought provoking...enough to shake your prevailing views and beliefs.. Peace Mikal

Your allusion to past lives is well received at these coordinates, Mikal.

On the other hand, though reincarnation may be a consideration, one thing is patently certain, and that is, in a given mortal lifetime, it is conspicuously and abundantly evident that the so called 'law of karma' is routinely compromised by prevailing intrigues and duplicities.

Far too often the innocent are sucessfully preyed upon. Far too often, 'the devil's playground' is upgraded. The cliche, 'If we lived in a perfect world'... is an allusion to a world in balance, where the 'law of karma' would indeed be redeemed in evidence...

But, ostensibly, we do not live in a perfect world, and all too often therefore, the qualified bad and oogly prevails over the good...

In my own lifetime, the 'collateral damage' of warfare has taken the lives of millions upon millions of non combatant men, women and children.

There may be a reckoning justice on 'the other side of mortality' (if indeed there is a hereafter), but, ostensibly, karmic justice is very fickle and fragile in a given life time, which is the only life time we can be sure of.

Refer, People of the Lie, by Dr. Peck, and please carry on with your good work.

[Profpat]

Originally Posted by RascalPuff How come bad things happen to good people?

The same reason why good things can happen to bad people. It's called probability theory, where we all have our time walking on the beach in the sun and stepping in dog poop.

[Mikal]

RascalPuff...I believe the Law of Karma reveals itself through the particular area of life one struggles with..I believe it reveals itself in a pattern of situations which keep cropping up seemingly endlessly until we get the point and begin to constructively work on that particular struggle we have...Because the Universe has natural laws which reveal themselves through life...I just think Karma is one of them...

peace Mikal

[RascalPuff]

Originally Posted by Profpat The same reason why good things can happen to bad people. It's called probability theory, where we all have our time walking on the beach in the sun and stepping in dog poop.

Perambulating along those same lines, Professor, it is said in some martial arts circles, that he or she who treads on the dog poop the least number of times, has the higher ranking: )