understanding karma

[Plenum]

I still don't think I understand karma properly.

does anyone have their own theory on how it works?

or do most of the mechanics of it lye beyond the Veil, beyond 3rd Density understandings?

I trust that the universe is just, and all things are delivered for a reason.

- -

thanks for any help.

plenum

[Bring4th_Austin]

I think the concept of karma is a tough thing to project out into the world. Many strict atheists condemn the idea as a reason to excuse suffering, which I can understand their frustration from that standpoint. I think that karma should be a personal thing used to examine our own lives. I suppose using examples, like Jesus in the Ra material, can help us understand a bit how it works ("In forgiveness lies the stoppage of the wheel of action, or what you call karma.") Yet, in the same line as interpreting dreams or psychological therapy, I think that it's hard for any person other than the self to really examine karma and karmic involvement in our lives.

So I simply hold the idea of forgiveness in my heart (I feel it is a major form of "love" that we are able to actually feel in 3D), and try not to understand any suffering as "karma." If I see suffering and I can directly do something about it, I will, and I shrug off any notion of how the universe may ultimately work, because my reaction will always be the same. Help eliminate suffering.

[Plenum]

Yet, in the same line as interpreting dreams or psychological therapy, I think that it's hard for any person other than the self to really examine karma and karmic involvement in our lives.

thanks Austin. even with this, do you think it's possible to trace a one-to-one cause-and-effect to events, ie, to see the karmic arrow at work?

I am examining the past quite heavily right now, to offer as much forgiveness to done deeds as possible. I think if I understood the inter-relationships between events better, more wisdom could possibly be extracted from the process.

[Bring4th_Austin]

It would seem that karma can span life-times, and so the cause-and-effect viewpoint may be lost with the veil. However, you may be able to find hints and clues throughout your lifetime...a particular "energy" at play.

34.4
Our understanding of karma is that which may be called inertia. Those actions which are put into motion will continue using the ways of balancing until such time as the controlling or higher principle which you may liken unto your braking or stopping is invoked. This stoppage of the inertia of action may be called forgiveness. These two concepts are inseparable.

It seems a better word for what Ra is describing may be "momentum" rather than "inertia." Say in a past life, you set the ball of karma rolling. As you enter a different incarnation without relieving the karma, you may not be able to see where the ball began rolling, but you should be able to discern its path. So maybe there's no clear action in your past which set the karmic wheel in motion, but you should be able to find signs and hints of where your karma lies and what issues you may be in incarnation to work on.

[Steppingfeet]

Plenum I've never quite grokked "karma".

The most headway I can make into the concept is to hone in on the ideas of inertia, motion, and movement as put forth in this statement of Ra's (already quoted in this thread)

34.4
Our understanding of karma is that which may be called inertia. Those actions which are put into motion will continue using the ways of balancing until such time as the controlling or higher principle which you may liken unto your braking or stopping is invoked. This stoppage of the inertia of action may be called forgiveness. These two concepts are inseparable.

Though when karma is identified in the life experience, it probably feels as personal as it gets, I envision it as an impersonal movement of imbalanced energy that, by virtue of its imbalance, stays in motion forever in search of balance, in search of that complementary other half which, once united, makes it whole.

Much as weather systems are forever in movement seeking balance between high and low pressure system, cold and warm fronts. The atmosphere is constantly shifting as it seeks a balance.

According to Ra, forgiveness is the principle mechanism (consciously invoked) which brings a halt to this undisciplined, unordered movement that is set in motion by consciously unloving action (i.e., "karma"). I interpret forgiveness to mean, among other possible good definitions, accepting the moment as it is, releasing recrimination, blame, judgment, and guilt for the past.


Recall the one section where Ra says that seeker seeks the one, and the one is to be sought by the self-accepting/self-aware entity. And resting in that balanced awareness between total perfection and APPARENT distortion, the entity opens itself to the universe, which it is?

I think that the vision which understands the total perfection and sees through the "apparent" distortion is enabled and made possible by forgiveness. The illusory distortions become increasingly transparent to the truth, which is that each aspect of the self and the other self is a perfect, albeit on the surface distorted, aspect of the One being.

Thus the entity rests/abides in that larger vision with the choiceless awareness that does not resist but accepts all things as the Creator, and thus does not engage the mechanisms of karma. The entity no longer chases one half of a duality which can only be transcended (karma stopped) by knowing, accepting, and merging with its inherent and implied other half.

My crude thoughts. Cheers to karma-free realizations. : ) GLB

[drifting pages]

I believe any karma is self imposed as a balancing mechanism, therefore once you realize it, there is no karma anymore, because you are not in auto pilot just reacting to perceived imbalances.

Furthermore Karma is not an objective thing because, again it is self imposed on perceived flaws of the self. And it also does not apply the same way and it only happens if there is guilt/unworthness and lack of love.

[BrownEye]

do you think it's possible to trace a one-to-one cause-and-effect to events, ie, to see the karmic arrow at work?

[Unbound]

There is this moment, and this moment. Whatever changed between those is karma.

[Plenum]

karma seems to be that feedback mechanism when we act against the principle of unity.

in the end, all is one (the 'law' of one)

karma is the self-corrective measure by which we can 'see this' through the illusion of experience.

no-one inflicts karma on you; we do it to ourselves for learning purposes.

[anagogy]

karma seems to be that feedback mechanism when we act against the principle of unity.

in the end, all is one (the 'law' of one)

karma is the self-corrective measure by which we can 'see this' through the illusion of experience.

no-one inflicts karma on you; we do it to ourselves for learning purposes.

I think you hit the nail on the head here plenum.

Karma is consciousness naturally seeking balance.

We have to ask ourselves, what is balance? Balance is the lack of distortion. Lack of distortion is equal to pure oneness. So every distortion could be seen as a kind of karma. There are many different experiences which create distortions in our perception of the oneness of all things. We all have karmic distortions to work out.

When you hurt others, you are acting from distortion and in this act we actually increase the distortion. Karma is not a punitive action. It is simply a natural attraction of those experiences needed to release the barriers to perception of oneness. What you do to others, you do to yourself, as it naturally necessitates and begins the attraction of those experiences which allow you to see how your actions affect others. Often this involves experiencing the very same behavior you offered others. Not as punishment, but to generate empathy, compassion, oneness with others.

The karma becomes softer in the higher densities because there is more awareness and less separation. True forgiveness is an inner recognition of oneness with others, and this is why it absolves karma.

[Aureus]

Drop a pencil to the floor, karma. Heated water turns into steam, karma. Action and reaction. A poorly balanced entity experiences the loss of a friendship, experiences pain... karma.

That's how I see it. Then again this is quite a narrowminded 3d approach.

[Unbound]

Also, there is karma, which as far as I know is only meaningful as like a "seed" from one life to the next. Then there is the buddhist concept of karma niyama which is the active cause and effect.

In Hinduism Karma is only "calculated" in between lives.

[Confused]

does anyone have their own theory on how it works?

Hello plenum. Sometime back, I had made a write up on Karma at another thread, in b4th, based on what I was able to subjectively interpret from the LOO.

Just linking it here for reference, in case you (or other individuals) might be interested -- Post related to Karma

[ChickenInSpace]

You could see karma as a cosmic zero sum game. The ultimate goal is to reach zero karma. Not negative or even positive amount of karma (if you like to use this terminology. Otherwise see it as sinus wave swinging back and forth along a X-axis, forever trying to flatline).

Karma works like a wheel in the respect that it comes back, and back, and back.

Karma is often mixed up with the law of attraction; to collect 'good karma' which gives you what you want.

Karma works in tandem with law of attraction (duh?).

The main function of karma is to teach about causality on a metaphysical plane (which inevitably corresponds to the physical realm), be it thoughts, attitude, emotions, acts and so on.

The quickest way out of the karma wheel or advancing beyond karma is forgiveness of self and other.

Karma can frame a setting for a new life in respect to what was unresolved/not learned in a previous one.

I believe Ra said something very similar but these things are what I've experienced for myself. While still trying to free myself from the karmic bonds I've made some progression and reduced the level of 'background noise' for my mind, making it easier to know my own thoughts and separate them from intruding ones.

[Horuseus]

Karma is simply energetic equilibrium being maintained between two simultaneously occurring experiential nexuses.

[BrownEye]

From my mothers regression description/experience of "purity" there appears to be an impossibility of reaching this pure state until all non-light energies have been removed from self. This would be all baggage/dark energies that form our personalities from experience perceived or filtered through negative personal belief.

It looks as if we have to learn how to let go of negatively filtered belief in order to move forward. This can be looked at as returning to the physical for extended learning until reaching that state of non-negative perception.

This can easily be seen in the same light as "forgiveness". In order for either of my parents to "purify" or simply heal themselves they need to remove all of this dark energy, which happens through forgiveness.

Seems to be the free will action of karma to me.