Theos-Talk Archives (July 1998 Message tt00170)

> >>
> >> Good or bad can be found in the motive, not in the operation itself.
> >>
> >> Jerry S.
> >
> >That's disregarding the *effect* of the "operation" on others.
> >Which can certainly be good or bad, or mixed.
>

Actually the effect must be disrgarded. It simply doesn't
"count." Why? Because the effect is always based on the
karma of others, not our own. Jesus taught us to love one
another, yet millions have been killed in his name. Is
that his fault? Knowing the deaths that his teaching
would bring, should he have remained silent and not taught
his message? Stephen King wrote an excellent book on this
called The Blind Spot (??) in which a psychic knows that
a young person will grow up to be another Hitler and must
decide to kill him for the greater good or leave him be
for the greater evil. Its a difficult choice.
	When I tell something to another person,
that knowledge can hurt or help depending on how they use
it--and it is their karma, not mine, so long as my motive
is good. Obviously there are
times when a magical operation will produce either good or
bad karma. But the effects of any magical operation (such
as getting a book published) are not good or bad per se.
And what in the world is "mixed" karma, anyway? If we have
to worry about the effects of our actions on others, we
probably will end up not acting at all (which is what
happened in India where the doctrines of karma and reincarnation
went to the extremes that many Theosophists are echoing
today).

Jerry S.