Karma and the Moral Universe
Modern science has "discovered' laws of action and reaction. But it does not accept these laws as existing in the sphere of morality.
This is because pratyaksha asks the natural question, "Why do the innocent suffer while the wicked rule the world?"
Accepting the moral law of action and reaction as an axiom leads to the inevitable accepting of previous and future births. Inference. Anumana.
The entire goal of Indian spirituality is to escape the inevitable cycle that is the consequence of the moral law. How to break free?
There are many answers, but one thing is sure, unless one is willing to accept that he or she is responsible for his own suffering, there can be no freedom.
That responsibility has to be accepted, non-contingent on any conditions. If you think someone must apologize or be punished before your pain of suffering will go away, it only means signing on for more of the same.
It was no joke when the rishis named meat māṁsa. "He who eats me now is the one whom I ate before. He that I eat now is what I shall become." Remember that.
It is hard for a victim to believe in karma. He sees and blames the immediate hand rather than the hand of God. Or the purpose of God's hand.
Karma is karma, but for a devotee it is direct education. A slap in the face, a wake up call about something.
Today I was talking to a devotee who believes he is directly the disciple of Prabhupada because he is acharya for the next ten thousand years. This fellow is a brilliant and capable individual in many respects, but his arrogance is beyond bearing.
Anyway I said, you have no guru because no one is there to give you a slap in the face. He did not understand what I meant, I barely did myself, but of course it means there is no one to break your arrogance.
Now he is one of those people who think that being a disciple means following all the instructions. Such people really cannot see the forest for the trees. He asked me if I had been slapped and indeed I have. Both times connected with these very child abuse incidents. You really only need to be slapped once, and that should be enough if you have half a brain.
But until you have been slapped good and hard in just the appropriate moment, -- when your hubris is particularly acute and Guru Tattva is particularly merciful --you will never know humility.
And that is why I say, you have to accept that the law of action and reaction takes place in the moral universe. Unless you accept that, you will never be free.
This is because pratyaksha asks the natural question, "Why do the innocent suffer while the wicked rule the world?"
Accepting the moral law of action and reaction as an axiom leads to the inevitable accepting of previous and future births. Inference. Anumana.
The entire goal of Indian spirituality is to escape the inevitable cycle that is the consequence of the moral law. How to break free?
There are many answers, but one thing is sure, unless one is willing to accept that he or she is responsible for his own suffering, there can be no freedom.
That responsibility has to be accepted, non-contingent on any conditions. If you think someone must apologize or be punished before your pain of suffering will go away, it only means signing on for more of the same.
It was no joke when the rishis named meat māṁsa. "He who eats me now is the one whom I ate before. He that I eat now is what I shall become." Remember that.
It is hard for a victim to believe in karma. He sees and blames the immediate hand rather than the hand of God. Or the purpose of God's hand.
Karma is karma, but for a devotee it is direct education. A slap in the face, a wake up call about something.
Today I was talking to a devotee who believes he is directly the disciple of Prabhupada because he is acharya for the next ten thousand years. This fellow is a brilliant and capable individual in many respects, but his arrogance is beyond bearing.
Anyway I said, you have no guru because no one is there to give you a slap in the face. He did not understand what I meant, I barely did myself, but of course it means there is no one to break your arrogance.
Now he is one of those people who think that being a disciple means following all the instructions. Such people really cannot see the forest for the trees. He asked me if I had been slapped and indeed I have. Both times connected with these very child abuse incidents. You really only need to be slapped once, and that should be enough if you have half a brain.
But until you have been slapped good and hard in just the appropriate moment, -- when your hubris is particularly acute and Guru Tattva is particularly merciful --you will never know humility.
And that is why I say, you have to accept that the law of action and reaction takes place in the moral universe. Unless you accept that, you will never be free.
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