Theos-Talk Archives (March 2003 Message tt00374)

03/20/2003 4:16 AM

Dear Reed:

Of possible interest ?

Dal

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K A R M A


K A R M A - W.Q.Judge	Judge Art. I, p. 112

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PAGE	KEY WORD	COMMENTS	SUMMARY	REFERENCES
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112	JUSTICE	- measure for measure
- as ye sow, so shall ye reap : of well or ill

QUESTIONS	1.- How do past life's acts affect this one ?
2.- Does "Nemesis" ever relent ?
3.- Does the eternal law of cause and effect. unmoved
by sorrow or regret, always deal out its measures
based on the past?	- see ANUGITA Ch. III
4.- Must yesterday's sin darken today ?
5.- Is Karma fate ?
6.- Does the child unfold the "Book of Life" already
fully written
without any escape possible ?
7.- How does Karma interact with our present lives ?
8.- Can man do better than use the already marked
threads of past
lives in this one ?


112	GOOD RESOLVES & EVIL TENDENCIES	- can sweep over our natures
with resistless force: Is this true ?


KARMA OF VARIOUS KINDS:	1- good - bad -
112-3	2- old Karma can be exhausted
113	3- new Karma can be accumulated
4- HIDDEN and MANIFEST


EACH ACTION	- is a cause from which evolve countless
ramifications of effects in time and space.


KARMA	= CONTINUANCE OF THE NATURE OF THE ACTION
PAST and FUTURE - are contained in every act
TIME is illusory.


EFFECT	- IS THE NATURE OF THE ACT and cannot be
distinct from its cause


113	THAT WHICH ALREADY EXISTS is brought out by the action of Karma
- the same action from another point of view in time
ML 29 193-4 SD I 224

- Karma relates solely to the individual who generated it is
not that of another EGO. (Each Ego is
responsible for their own Karma.)

113	DEFECTS - which are realized from an act must be implicit in it
MIND
- is the source of all acts ( Thought comes before act )

113	DESIRE - is the basis of all acts	( Plane of desire or
egotism is itself action and the basis of all acts.

114	- both act and consequences are effects.

CAUSAL PLANE	- the plane of desire is causal.

[ MOTIVE	-Then "motive" is to be found in "desire ?" ]

DESIRE	- determines the continuation of the act in its karmic
relation to the individual

PLANES - of cause/effect and of non-manifestation

EFFECTS - effects are limited by the boundaries when there is no
longer a base or a suitable medium in which they can
inhere. (Ex.: ripples DO NOT affect side of pond.)

114 LIMITS - although Karma begins by a personal act it is not
limited by that personality, nor dependent upon the
present personality for the effect to manifest in
full. EXAMPLE: seed needs cooperation from water,
soil and culture to germinate and fructify. If no
seed, no plant. The other three need the seed.

114	INCARNATION	- first product of "held-over" Karma

TENDENCIES - Ruling tendencies determine this ( desires,
tendencies, affinities, etc...) fresh birth of
the entity Ego

FAMILY - surroundings most in harmony with KARMIC tendencies is
selected = PLACE OF BIRTH

LIMITATIONS	- governed are: station in life, sex, childhood's years
of
personal of irresponsibility, constitution
with diseases inherent in it,
"heredity," and "national characteristic."


115	LAW OF LEAST RESISTANCE	- operates in selecting family and
nation of birth - special characteristics

NATIONAL KARMA	- the resultant of masses of individuals with
similar Karmic characteristics and tendencies into life at
one time

115	FAMILY & CASTE KARMA	- similar on a reduced scale

115	END OF KARMIC TENDENCY	- may abruptly occur after any special
set of conditions mandated by past causes are satisfied

- the life then takes an entirely fresh bent

115	END OF KARMA - after observing personal life taking such a
change:
- occasionally there are lingering effects that may be
observed, giving obstacles and obstructions to
progress or success in the rest of the life.

115-6	INJUSTICE	- to be accounted for demands understanding that
Karma is unerring. The sequence to the original cause
is true, "streaks of fortune" are the result of such
changes (but the source remains unknown in this
life.)

116	AFFECTING ONE'S OWN KARMA
- the Karma of action works through many planes:

PLANES OF KARMIC ACTION -

1.	PHYSICAL PLANE - body, senses and organs,

2.	INTELLECTUAL- memory which binds and unites
impressions into one organized
whole
- reason puts in order its storehouse
of thoughts.

3.	EMOTIONAL PLANE- preferences of one, over others
- 4th principle of man [KAMA-DESIRE ]

These 3 planes deal with objects of perception
- the great battle field of Karma (Kurukshetra)

4.	ETHICAL PLANE	- "To do, or "Not to do."

5.	DISCRIMINATION- harmonizes the intellect & emotion with
the MIND as the basis for desire

116
6	MIND	- alone initiates actions on the various planes

- alone through Mind can effects of rest or action
be received.

ENTERING INCARNATION Karmic energy from past existences also
enters intact - awaiting development as effect

117	KARMA ON EACH OF THE 3 PLANES	- is always in harmony with the
basis of the original nature of the act. Unbroken
continuity with the past.


117	KARMIC ENERGY AT BIRTH	- is a definite quantum -

1. cause of rebirth environment
2. It awaits period of life when new Karma can begin.
117

MOMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY	- THE FRESH PERSONALITY
THEN BECOMES RULER
[ around age 7-14 ]

KARMA CAN BE AFFECTED ACTIVELY


UPPER and LOWER NATURE OF MAN


117	LOWER DESIRE/PLANE GRATIFICATION
- debases the higher energy from the superior planes
- a "fire" or center of attraction

LOWER PLANE is established and superior energy is exhausted
trying to


UPPER PLANE CENTER OF ATTRACTION
= all the needed energy goes there,
resulting in an increase of spirituality


117	TRANSMUTATION
- if detached from plane of sense gratification by
a constant effort to fix the mind on the attainment
of the highest ideal, karma will have no basis to fix in
the physical, and manifesting in harmony with
118	the desire plane it exhausts itself in a higher
plane and thus becomes transmuted in its effects.

NO ATTACHMENT - for objects not thought of.


IDEALISM	- cleanses the mind and the desire principles

- when thought-interest ceases the link breaks and
karmic attachment between an "object" and the individual
ceases.

REPENTANCE AN ERROR. Thought returns to error or sin and
maintains the links.

SIN	- originates in the mind as an idea-desire

KNOT OF THE HEART	= MANAS

MIND ATTITUDE - draws links of desire to the "soul" (Kama-Manas)
aspirations imprisoned by difficulties and
obstructions

118
DESIRE	- causes reincarnation, building of personality

NON-ATTACHMENT	- allows the soul to burst through the walls
of pain

CHANGE OF MIND	- enables Karmic burden to be lifted.

118
FREE WILL	- WHEN ASSERTED MAKES MAN HIS OWN SAVIOR

KARMA	- to the Worldly man	- a stern Nemesis


119	- to the Spiritual Man	- unfolds in harmony with his
highest aspirations
EQUAL MINDEDNESS	- is thus achieved

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-----Original Message-----
From: Reed Carson
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 8:47 AM
To: study@blavatsky.net
Subject: masters on evil

It has been a pleasure to read the thoughtful responses to those four
questions. I certainly appreciate and respect each person's views on
the
subject.

There is a little more to add on the turn-the-other-cheek rule. In
order
to find all the Theosophical references to this rule I had done a key
word
search on the word "cheek". (You can do this by going to the homepage
and
clicking on "research tools.") Other than the uses of "cheek" to mean
"audacity", there was surprisingly limited reference to this rule.

There were no references in the SD. None in her articles. None in
Judge. In fact there was only one reference. It was in the Key on
page 55.

"Abolish the Courts themselves, for if you would follow the
Commandments of
Christ, you have to give away your coat to him who deprives you of
your
cloak, and turn your left cheek to the bully who smites you on the
right."

The first thing to notice is that there was only one reference to the
rule. I would have expected more. Also in the above quote there is a
big
"if". As in "if you would follow" the Christian rule. She does not
say
straight out that this rule is the teaching of Theosophy. The context
seems to be one in which she is exhorting the reader that Theosophy is
attempting to establish strong ethics. And it is a high-minded
ethics. She appears to be appealing to the presumably Christian
reader
with Christian citations. But still avoiding saying this is exactly
how
Theosophy would express the principle.

We need to note carefully the caveats and limitations that I have
expressed
above because there is a quote from the masters that - to the
contrary -
does explicitly express a Theosophical view.

The letter from the Mahatma No 120 received January 1884 says (toward
its end):

"Every Western Theosophist should learn and remember, especially those
of
them who would be our followers - that in our Brotherhood all
personalities
sink into one idea - abstract right and absolute practical justice for
all. And that, though we may not say with the Christian, "return good
for
evil" - we repeat with Confucius, "return good for good; for evil -
JUSTICE." ... A dutiful regard for these rules in life will always
promote
the best interests of all concerned."

The capitalization of "justice" is that of the Master.

I believe there is also another quote somewhere in Theosophy that
recommends self-defence. However I have no idea where it is or how to
find
it.

There are some things to observe about this quote from the Master. It
is
clearly expressed. It is specifically said to be the teaching of the
Masters. It specially should it should be "learned" and "remembered"
by
"Every Western Theosophist". And finally it says "especially those of
them
who would be our followers". Doesn't this make it definitely the
teaching
of Theosophy?

Also it says nothing about the cause of evil being within us. It does
not
advice us - when we discover evil in the world - to look passively
within
us for the cause! Instead it says we should return for evil -
JUSTICE.

Further, the quote says: though we may not say with the Christian,
"return
good for evil". The Master qualifies his words here with "may". I
take
that to mean that sometimes Theosophy would agree with that summation
of
the Christian view on the subject. However the Master stands
expressly and
explicitly with the Confucian maxim instead.

So I could not say that Theosophy points to the Christian rule of
turn-the-the-cheek. Certainly at least not ALWAYS. Nor is the
Master recommending the Buddhist principle of ahimsa in the
letter. Instead it is a Confucian principle that expresses the
Theosophical position.

And that principle is "return good for good; for evil - JUSTICE."

By the way, this is contrary to what many Theosophists seem to think
Theosophy says. Perhaps we need to "learn" and "remember" this. At
least
study it and think about it.

Reed