Theos-Talk Archives (April 1998 Message tt00452)

><< >An increase in belief in reincarnation is good news
>
> Why? >> asks Alan
>
>I believe, as you probably do too, that reincarnation answers the seeming
>injustices in the world, why some incarnate in poverty or poor health while
>others incarnate in riches or good health.

This may help you, and it can I think help intellectually, but it doesn't
help me much because I can't recall what I did, so what difference
does it make? I see little difference between "its your past karma"
and its God's will" since I have no real control over either. All I can
do is to placate God through prayer or improve my karma for a
better future life. Neither is much help to me now when I need it.

> It also assures us that at the end
>of the long road there is a condition of liberation and freedom from the
lower
>worlds of time/space/matter.

This is exactly what I consider to be the falacy of the karma doctrine.
The fact is, liberation is within reach now and always has been. I find
the notion that we have to wait patiently for 7 future lifetimes for our
liberation to be pernitious and I suspect that if this is all Theosophy
had to tell me, I would have left it by now. Thank God for Chaos. Without
it you would be right and I would be stuck on a "long road." With it,
karma can be consumed in a heartbeat.

> If life were a one shot, one chance opportunity,
>then there must be billions of failures. Reincarnation gives us multiple
>opportunities for growth and final ascension.
>

But its not me, the human personality, that's said to reincarnate
anyway, so as far as its concerned there IS only one life
to live (and this is exactly how our body sees it no matter what
we try to tell ourselves). Our lower parts fear death, and rightly so.

>I think the increasing acceptance of this positive philosophy (with its
>corollary, Karma) hopefully makes for better behaviour, and hence a better
>world.
>
>my 2 cents
>
>Lmhem111
>
I only wish that you were right. However, history tells us that its not so.
For example, Indians have believed in karma and reincarnation for
centuries. So which country would you rather live in right now, India
or the US? Its something that we have to think about.

Jerry S.