Theos-Talk Archives (January 2005 Message tt00300)

Some thoughts about literal interpretive 
tendencies re "karma":

Apparently the numerous human sacrifices 
of the Mayans and Aztecs were 
(according to Graham Hancock's 
FINGERPRINTS OF THE GODS) meant to ward 
off or at least delay another series of 
major world catastrophes like the ones 
brought on by the Ice Age. So I was 
wondering if those sacrificers might be 
said to be somewhat too literally 
interpreting the meaning of karma. I 
don't remember Hancock mentioning 
anything about "karma," in particular, 
in terms of a possible reason for the 
human sacrifices, but seems to me that, 
in light of certain rather literal 
interpretations about karma (even on 
these lists, maybe, to some extent, 
maybe ...), if karma is interpreted in 
its simplistic/literal cause/effect 
terms (as might tend to be the case in 
a world where "esoteric" meanings might 
generally tend to go unnoticed for 
whatever reason ...), and considering 
that according to the Mayan calendar 
there's going to be another 
world-catastastrophe in Dec of 2012 , I 
wonder if there might be some students 
of Theosophy or whoever who might feel 
that they might be able to manipulate 
karma and avert or delay a major 
catastrophe if they do something deadly 
enough in advance (kind of like the 
Mayans and Aztecs ...), thereby (if 
that's their literal thinking) promoting 
the opposite effect of saving the world 
... In other words, I wonder if, 
technically, a literal interpretation of 
karma could be said to logically promote 
human sacrifices (ie, whether or not 
such promotion is voiced or physically 
carried out) for the purpose of averting 
major catastrophes. What does it take 
to wake up from various literal 
interpretative tendencies, I wonder.

I tend to think that what's known as 
"karma" is, basically, an exoteric 
version or interpretive aspect that goes 
along with one's worldview-logic/maya 
in general, by way of whatever model or 
"universe model." And so, as I tend to 
see it, literal interpretations in 
general have much to do with why we're 
here in this "karmic/mayavic" 
environment (quotes in reference to 
literal interpretive tendencies). I 
suspect that, generally speaking, and in 
a sense, humans tend to be their own 
worst enemies, especially where they're 
stuck in their various literal 
interpretations. Not that one person's 
"stuck" might not be another person's 
whatever, obviously enough.

Speculatively,
Mauri