--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning <no_reply@> > wrote: > <snip> > > Karma is sometime characterized as ONLY something that comes from > > "bad" actions. The model of karma (independent of its rality, or > > belief in it) is symmetrical. (Per the model) good and bad are > > reflected upon one. We often only look at bad karma or bad events > > and ask "why me?!" Less often do we look at good events and > > ask "why me?!? > > Still less often does it occur to us that what *appear* > to be "bad" events may actually be the result of "good" > karma. Things might have been much worse, for example. > > Or the good karma we've accumulated may have given us > the privilege of choosing a life full of terrible pain > and suffering that will put us way ahead of the game in > our next life, getting a whole batch of bad karma out > of the way in one lifetime rather than meandering > through twenty lifetimes of much slower progress. > > And the same might apply in reverse to "good" events. > They might have been a lot better if we had better > karma; or a life of ease and comfort might keep us > from learning what we need to know to advance. > > Or, events might seem good or bad at the time they > occur but prove later to be just the reverse: I won > the lottery, but then I buy a private jet with the > money and proceed to crash on takeoff, crippling > myself for life. > > Lots of possible scenarios, limited only by one's > imagination!
Indeed, Judy. ['Unfathomable is the course of action' - MMY's Bhagavad Gita Commentary, Chapter IV verse 17] Here's something Guru Dev said about karma: अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्मं शुभाशुभम् " avashyameva bhoktavyaM kR^itaM karmaM shubhaashubham " 'One has to endure the consequences of one's karma, both virtuous and sinful' By offering our kriyamaaNa (current) karma to Bhagavan (God) there is no reason for it to be binding. In this way, by the method of burning the saJNchita (accumulated) karma in the fire of knowledge, experiencing praarabdha karma (work already begun) and dedicating kriyamaaNa karma (current actions) to Bhagavan - one will be liberated from being bound and really find mokSha (final liberation, beatitude, redemption, absolution, salvation, freedom). If the reason that acquisition of knowledge is because one's saadhana (spiritual practice) is neglected, then little-by-little offer your kriyamaaNa karma to Bhagavan. Acting in the manner, there will be no reason for the karma of this life to be binding. Along with this thought be strong for the praarabdha karma which you will endure, even the learned cannot escape. Therefore you should come with willingness to the suffering, with endurance and heroism. It is also necessary not to give up courage. Make no mistake, by this method is happiness gained. By doing this there will be an accumulation of puNya (meritous) karma, and both this world and the next world will be prepared. [Shri Shankaracharya UpadeshAmrita kaNa 6 of 108] http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/UA_Hindi.htm#kaNa_6
