Theos-Talk Archives (March 1999 Message tt00137)

<<I can't find the reference at the moment, but I am sure that both HPB
and Subba Row both state that Nirvana cannot be reached through Karma -
because it is beyond the realm of cause and effect.  Have you come
across this?
Best wishes
Peter>>

I hope that they did not say this. The Dzog Chen view (probably the
highest Tibetan Buddhist school) is that both samsara and nirvana are
part of maya. When I read their descriptions, it is pretty clear to me
that samsara refers to the four lower solar planes, and nirvana to the
higher three of our 7-plane solar system. Both must be transcended. I am
assuming here that causality holds in all 7 planes. 

According to some magical/occult schools, personal karma is consumed
somewhere in the three higher planes. But collective karma is only
eliminated outside our 7-plane solar system altogether. So, I would
think that your statement really depends on exactly how we define karma
and nirvana.

Jerry S.
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                                        
      

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