Theos-Talk Archives (April 2003 Message tt00066)

Dear Dallas,
Thank you so much for your response. I understand the concept of
forgiveness and also the responsibility a soul has to give prompt
restitution.
If a soul becomes conscious of an act that was very hurtful to another
soul within the same lifetime and wishes to make restitution to balance that
deep injury, how can the proper restitution be discerned? Is there guidance
that can be given?
Does the Universe include a means to be merciful to one who has been
hurt so that a new and positive cause can be set into motion that will
ameliorate the negative effects of a preceding cause?
Thank you for your guidance,
Namaste,
Andra



----- Original Message -----
From: "Dallas TenBroeck" <dalval14@earthlink.net>
To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 8:07 PM
Subject: RE: Theos-World : Forgiveness and Karma


> Monday, April 14, 2003
>
> Re: KARMA justice, fairness, forgiveness
>
>
> Dear Andra and Friends:
>
> Lets together look at some of the principles that Theosophy offers, at
> some of the concepts Theosophy says are basics:
>
> 1. The Universe is a spiritual being and is UNIVERSAL.
>
> 2. Every individual or particle in it has the same original basis --
> the ONE SPIRIT. Hence, in essence we are all related as a close
> family. The differences we sense now are the result of the
> restrictions of the physical instruments (Personality) and education
> plays a large part in this in terms of religion and politics.
>
> 3. The Universe is highly complex so as to cause all interaction
> between its parts to be harmonious. One said: "It is a harmony of
> discords." Only a single Law prevails: honesty, fairness, generosity,
> brotherhood. If there is any violation of this, then we harm some
> aspect of the Universe and it reacts to show us our error. We may
> call this suffering and pain -- but it is the result of the same type
> and kind of suffering and pain that we had subjected anther or others
> to. This continual fair and just and merciful interaction is called
> KARMA -- reaction following the path of cause, always. But we don't
> always recall the cause we set up, say in a past life.
>
> 4. Reincarnation is the process of learning universal ethics and
> morals. The immortal Spirit/soul returns again and again to Earth
> like a pupil to his school room, to learn to think and to discriminate
> between selfishness (and evil) and generosity (good). These are the
> eternal and unbreakable laws of the inner life of Nature (the
> Universe).
>
> Yes we can assist in helping a person to understand Karma and it
> actions. But we cannot assume another's burden. We each one make
> their own changes, but there is always comfort to be given to assist
> in this work by a generous soul.
>
> The responsibility to assist those who are impaired is primarily that
> of the family -- but also of neighbours who are the extended family.
> Again it is Karma rendering a situation where all can participate and
> assist.
>
> Our daily and momentary choices are inevitably going to be projected
> into the future. We constantly choose our future. Then when that
> arrives we are blessed if others near or remote assist in making the
> situation more comfortable and bearable But, in the final analysis we
> are the ones who chose the way in or out of such situations.
>
> If you can tell me how "forgiveness" works selfishly -- i.e. without
> restitution to the victims we injured -- then I would like to know
> abut it. The majesty of a fair and just law for all that renders
> justice and not revenge is the way Karma appears to me. What about
> the injured? are they not to receive recompense from the one that has
> injured them? Who helps them ? Is it fair to leave them alone in
> their sorrow? Is the wrong doer lacking in courage to admit he/they
> are wrong ? and continue to hide their guilt? Cowardly?
>
> How can "forgiveness" be considered unless an equal restitution is
> PROMPTLY afforded to those who have been injured by us ? And WE HAVE
> TO DO THAT WORK. Others cannot do it.
>
> Have a look at these aphorisms:
>
> -----------------------------
> APHORISMS ON KARMA
>
> (1) There is no Karma unless there is a being to make it or feel its
> effects.[PARA][PARA](2) Karma is the adjustment of effects flowing
> from causes, during which the being upon whom and through whom that
> adjustment is effected experiences pain or pleasure.[PARA][PARA](3)
> Karma is an undeviating and unerring tendency in the Universe to
> restore equilibrium, and it operates incessantly.[PARA][PARA](4) The
> apparent stoppage of this restoration to equilibrium is due to the
> necessary adjustment of disturbance at some other spot, place, or
> focus which is visible only to the Yogi, to the Sage, or the perfect
> Seer: there is therefore no stoppage, but only a hiding from
> view.[PARA][PARA](5) Karma operates on all things and beings from the
> minutest conceivable atom to Brahma. Proceeding in the three worlds
> men, gods, and the elemental beings, no spot in the manifested
> universe is exempt from its sway.[PARA][PARA](6) Karma is not subject
> to time, and therefore he who knows what is the ultimate division of
> time in this Universe knows Karma.[PARA][PARA](7) For all other men
> Karma is in its essential nature unknown and
> unknowable.[PARA][PARA](8) But its action may be known by calculation
> from cause to effect; and this calculation is possible because the
> effect is wrapped up in and is not succedent to the
> cause.[PARA][PARA](9) The Karma of this earth is the combination of
> the acts and thoughts of all beings of every grade which were
> concerned in the preceding Manvantara or evolutionary stream from
> which ours flows.[PARA][PARA](10) And as those beings include Lords of
> Power and Holy Men, as well as weak and wicked ones, the period of the
> earth's duration is greater than that of any entity or race upon
> it.[PARA][PARA](11) Because the Karma of this earth and its races
> began in a past too far back for human minds to reach, an inquiry into
> its beginning is useless and profitless.[PARA][PARA](12) Karmic causes
> already set in motion must be allowed to sweep on until exhausted, but
> this permits no man to refuse to help his fellows and every sentient
> being.[PARA][PARA](13) The effects may be counteracted or mitigated by
> the thoughts and acts of oneself or of another, and then the resulting
> effects represent the combination and interaction of the whole number
> of causes involved in producing the effects.[PARA][PARA](14) In the
> life of worlds, races, nations, and individuals, Karma cannot act
> unless there is an appropriate instrument provided for its
> action.[PARA][PARA](15) And until such appropriate instrument is
> found, that Karma related to it remains unexpended.[PARA][PARA](16)
> While a man is experiencing Karma in the instrument provided, his
> other unexpended Karma is not exhausted through other beings or means,
> but is held reserved for future operation; and lapse of time during
> which no operation of that Karma is felt causes no deterioration in
> its force or change in its nature.[PARA][PARA](17) The appropriateness
> of an instrument for the operation of Karma consists in the exact
> connection and relation of the Karma with the body, mind, intellectual
> and psychical nature acquired for use by the Ego in any
> life.[PARA][PARA](18) Every instrument used by any Ego in any life is
> appropriate to the Karma operating through it.[PARA][PARA](19) Changes
> may occur in the instrument during one life so as to make it
> appropriate for a new class of Karma, and this may take place in two
> ways: (a) through intensity of thought and the power of a vow, and (b)
> through natural alterations due to complete exhaustion of old
> causes.[PARA][PARA](20) As body and mind and soul have each a power of
> independent action, any one of these may exhaust, independently of the
> others, some Karmic causes more remote from or nearer to the time of
> their inception than those operating through other
> channels.[PARA][PARA](21) Karma is both merciful and just. Mercy and
> Justice are only opposite poles of a single whole; and Mercy without
> Justice is not possible in the operations of Karma. That which man
> calls Mercy and Justice is defective, errant, and
> impure.[PARA][PARA](22) Karma may be of three sorts: (a) presently
> operative in this life through the appropriate instruments; (b) that
> which is being made or stored up to be exhausted in the future; Karma
> held over from past life or lives and not operating yet because
> inhibited by inappropriateness of the instrument in use by the Ego, or
> by the force of Karma now operating.[PARA][PARA](23) Three fields of
> operation are used in each being by Karma: (a) the body and the
> circumstances; (b) the mind and intellect; the psychic and astral
> planes.[PARA][PARA](24) Held-over Karma or present Karma may each, or
> both at once, operate in all of the three fields of Karmic operation
> at once, or in either of those fields a different class of Karma from
> that using the others may operate at the same time.[PARA][PARA](25)
> Birth into any sort of body and to obtain the fruits of any sort of
> Karma is due to the preponderance of the line of Karmic
> tendency.[PARA][PARA](26) The sway of Karmic tendency will influence
> the incarnation of an Ego, or any family of Egos, for three lives at
> least, when measures of repression, elimination, or counteraction are
> not adopted.[PARA][PARA](27) Measures taken by an Ego to repress
> tendency, eliminate defects, and to counteract by setting up different
> causes, will alter the sway of Karmic tendency and shorten its
> influence in accordance with the strength or weakness of the efforts
> expended in carrying out the measures adopted.[PARA][PARA](28) No man
> but a sage or true seer can judge another's Karma. Hence while each
> receives his deserts, appearances may deceive, and birth into Poverty
> or heavy trial may not be punishment for bad Karma, for Egos
> continually incarnate into poor surroundings where they experience
> difficulties and trials which are for the discipline of the Ego and
> result in strength, fortitude, and sympathy.[PARA][PARA](29)
> Race-Karma influences each unit in the race through the law of
> Distribution. National Karma operates on the members of the nation by
> the same law more concentrated. Family Karma governs only with a
> nation where families have been kept pure and distinct; for in any
> nation where there is a mixture of family - as obtains in each
> Kaliyuga period - family Karma is in general distributed over a
> nation. But even at such periods some families remain coherent for
> long periods, and then the members feel the sway of family Karma. The
> word "family" may include several smaller families.[PARA][PARA](30)
> Karma operates to produce cataclysms of nature by concatenation
> through the mental and astral planes of being. A cataclysm may be
> traced to an immediate physical cause such as internal fire and
> atmospheric disturbance, but these have been brought on by the
> disturbance created through the dynamic power of human
> thought.[PARA][PARA](31) Egos who have no Karmic connection with a
> portion of the globe where a cataclysm is coming on are kept without
> the latter's operation in two ways: (a) by repulsion acting on their
> inner nature, and (b) by being called and warned by those who watch
> the progress of the world.[PARA][PARA]Path, March, 1893[PARA]
> -- W Q Judge
>
> -------------------------------
>
> Best wishes to you,
>
> Dallas
>
> ===================
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Andra B
> Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 5:05 PM
> To:
> Subject: Re: Forgiveness and Karma
>
> Dear Dallas,
>
> Thank you for your in depth explanation of Karma. May I ask if the
> thought and intention is only to help another along the way, is it
> possible
> to change another's Karma and lead that soul to a more beautiful life?
>
> If someone is mentally ill, doesn't the soul of the mother in that
> experience have the responsibility to help that soul find its way?
> Where can
> one make the differentiation between the Karma chosen by the
> individual soul
> and the life that results from the traumatic events of childhood?
>
> Is there any hope of forgiveness in Karma? Whatever light you can
> shed
> on this would be greatly appreciated.
>
> In God's Love,
>
> Andra
> ==================
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