Evil and Karma, some thoughts
- At September 14, 2019
- By admin
- In Annes Letters
0
Dear Family and Friends,
Some wandering thoughts today. Evil and karma, so much to consider in these days of upheaval and uncertainty.
And in reverse, “When bad things happen to good people.” Why isn’t good always and immediately rewarded with good?
What if karma, if it does indeed emerge out of Cosmic law, and not human desire, had a different, less direct method of operating? What if we came to believe that karma’s purpose is neither to reward nor to punish, but rather to teach, to uplift individuals and humanity at large?
What if a Hitler, for example, or any other infamously destructive character, were reborn not into a life of punishment, but one of profound love and disciplined compassion? What if his future family were role models of fairness, consideration of others, kindness and dignity? What if life after life he was reborn into circumstances that offered understanding, guidance, and opportunities for greater self-awareness and compassionate sensitivity towards others?
If this “Hitler” were able to transform, thanks to lifetimes of loving direction and self-determination, might that not provide karmic balance? Could the horrific evil he did eventually pierce his heart and psyche, not through punishment, but rather through enlightenment and acute awareness of the suffering of others? Could this deeply felt connection to humanity open his heart wide enough so that he, too, might experience what he had, in his ignorance, inflicted upon others? Might that severing inner pain be a profoundly wise method of karmic compensation for the unspeakably destructive deeds of his past?
In other words, could a Hitler eventually evolve to become a Thich Nhat Hanh, a Dalai Lama, a Buddha, a Christ? — Through infinite patience and guidance, through changed circumstances and his own free will.
Yet, could humanity tolerate such embracing, loving ways of dealing with evil? Are we ready for that brave step to an entirely different level of understanding and behavior: a karma of compassion and learning under all circumstances. How would society change if we believed and acted so?
These thoughts come after a trip visiting several sacred places in Japan. These havens are pools of peace and stillness amid the loud bustle of contemporary life. In them there is a sense of eternal understanding, guidance, and patience. Maybe they are symbolic of the way karma ceaselessly invites us to learn and to grow towards greater inner and outer Light.
Love,
Anne
PS. In rereading this letter, I realize how simplistic these thoughts are. They barely touch the nuanced, complex, and liberating dynamic that karma promises.
“Choose your enemies wisely, for one day you will grow to be like them.”
Some wandering thoughts today. Evil and karma, so much to consider in these days of upheaval and uncertainty.
Karma is a deceptively simple concept. It promises a mirror of sorts, returning to us what we do, think, or say. Yet, in this era of tremendous turmoil, incessantly confronting us with profound ignorance, expressed as evil in so many ways, doesn’t the idea of karma itself call for closer examination and reassessment?
What happens on a Cosmic level to a person who has done great harm to others? Is the response tit-for-tat? “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Is karma-as-revenge part of a divine plan, or is it human, providing a bullying sense of fairness and justice?
What happens on a Cosmic level to a person who has done great harm to others? Is the response tit-for-tat? “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Is karma-as-revenge part of a divine plan, or is it human, providing a bullying sense of fairness and justice?
And in reverse, “When bad things happen to good people.” Why isn’t good always and immediately rewarded with good?
What if karma, if it does indeed emerge out of Cosmic law, and not human desire, had a different, less direct method of operating? What if we came to believe that karma’s purpose is neither to reward nor to punish, but rather to teach, to uplift individuals and humanity at large?
What if a Hitler, for example, or any other infamously destructive character, were reborn not into a life of punishment, but one of profound love and disciplined compassion? What if his future family were role models of fairness, consideration of others, kindness and dignity? What if life after life he was reborn into circumstances that offered understanding, guidance, and opportunities for greater self-awareness and compassionate sensitivity towards others?
If this “Hitler” were able to transform, thanks to lifetimes of loving direction and self-determination, might that not provide karmic balance? Could the horrific evil he did eventually pierce his heart and psyche, not through punishment, but rather through enlightenment and acute awareness of the suffering of others? Could this deeply felt connection to humanity open his heart wide enough so that he, too, might experience what he had, in his ignorance, inflicted upon others? Might that severing inner pain be a profoundly wise method of karmic compensation for the unspeakably destructive deeds of his past?
In other words, could a Hitler eventually evolve to become a Thich Nhat Hanh, a Dalai Lama, a Buddha, a Christ? — Through infinite patience and guidance, through changed circumstances and his own free will.
Yet, could humanity tolerate such embracing, loving ways of dealing with evil? Are we ready for that brave step to an entirely different level of understanding and behavior: a karma of compassion and learning under all circumstances. How would society change if we believed and acted so?
These thoughts come after a trip visiting several sacred places in Japan. These havens are pools of peace and stillness amid the loud bustle of contemporary life. In them there is a sense of eternal understanding, guidance, and patience. Maybe they are symbolic of the way karma ceaselessly invites us to learn and to grow towards greater inner and outer Light.
Love,
Anne
PS. In rereading this letter, I realize how simplistic these thoughts are. They barely touch the nuanced, complex, and liberating dynamic that karma promises.
