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Guilt and Karma


When you grow up in Bavaria, as I did, it is very likely, that you end up with a Roman Catholic view of the world, at least initially. You have strong ideas what is right and what is wrong and who is calling the shots when it comes to the question who and what belongs to the dark side. The holy mother church makes sure, that you never forget, that the lord of the dark is the fallen first angel, who was disobedient.
The strongest reminder is that feeling of guilt. According to Catholic believe we are born already guilty. Over the years growing up, you start internalizing the moral authority, that was first represented by parents, teachers, priests and elders, into a nagging voice in the back of your head. Guilt is so entrenched in our culture and society, that e.g. breaking a rule not just has consequences, but you are foremost 'guilty as charged'. You have to remorse your deeds, so you acknowledge you guilt. Guilt has been used over centuries as a premier tool to manipulated people for whatever reason.
Enter Buddhism and the idea of Karma.  The teaching is free of the concept of guilt (suspiciously the most authentic teachings of Jesus are free of the idea of guilt too). Karma simply says, that there are choices and consequences. You bear the consequence of your thoughts and deeds, you are the sole responsible person. Karma doesn't say anything about what has to or  will happen to you. Karma to me is the essence of free will: It is your choice to increase or reduce suffering for you and the world.
On the first look it seems intriguing: no more moral authority, do what you want, you can't be guilty anymore. And an outcry of the law-and-order lobby: the world will fall into pieces.
On the second look: it's a really tough call: be your own moral authority, be your own source. Deep inside you always will know if you added to the suffering of the world with your actions and thoughts. No more excuses, no system to blame, no circumstances to explain away your responsibility.
What blows my mind is to make peace with my tendency to still categorize things as right or wrong. The difference between the two concepts is subtle: right and wrong can be totally random and easily be manipulated and twisted. The increase in suffering as a result of your actions can be seen, heard, felt  and sensed, given you have cultivated your senses.  

Posted by on 10 July 2004 | Comments (3) | categories: After hours

Comments

  1. posted by Joe Litton on Monday 19 July 2004 AD:
    Ah, I too was raised Catholic (in fact, my family came to the US from Bavaria just over 100 years ago). When I was in my teens I began to realize that some of the teachings did not make sense to me and gravitated to the more 'pure' teachings of Jesus and the other great masters through the ages. The law of karma makes so much sense, and really fits in with exactly what masters have all said all through time. We are each responsible for our actions and the results of our past, present, and future actions.

    Great post
    Emoticon cool.gif
  2. posted by KSEMKON on Wednesday 29 March 2006 AD:
    KARMA IS THE BIGGEST BUNCH OF CRAP (EXCUSE THE FRENCH). IT IS A CONCEPT WHICH HAS BEEN LARGELY DERIVED FROM THE THOUGHTS OF MEN. KARMA STATE THAT for every event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused by the first. US HUMAN BEINGS HAVE ENGULFED THIS CONCEPT INTO OUR EVERYDAY THINKING SO TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS WORLD. AS A CHRISTIAN I SEE THIS THOUGHT AS VAGUE AND MISLEADING SINCE IT ENCOMPASSES THE THOUGHT OF AN EYE FOR AN EYE. DONT GET ME WRONG IT MAY HAVE SOME KIND OF TRUTH IN IT BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL FLAWS IN IT WHICH CHALLENGES ITS RELEVANCE THUS UNDERMINING ITS ACCURACY. WE AS HUMAN BEINGS TRY TO CREATE NOTIONS WHICH SEEM TO JUSTIFY OUR EXISTENCE AND BRING ABOUT UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THIS WORLD OPERATES. WE DO THIS THINKING THAT WE ARE PURE YET WE ARE FULL OF FAULTS AND SO OUR NOTIONS FLOW WITH FAULTS TOO.
  3. posted by Stephan H. Wissel on Thursday 30 March 2006 AD:
    Dear KSEMKON,
    shouting (all caps) and hiding (no ur/no email) for sure would trigger a removal of your post. However since it raises some interesting points (and misconceptions) I'll keep it.
    When you study the scriptures -- of any Religion -- you will find the concept of Karma everywhere. A popular believe is, that Karma determines what you have to do. This is blandly wrong. Karma only says, that you are responsible for your actions. In a nutshell: it is about choices and consequences. If you are a Christian, then you believe, that God gave you a choice: be good and go to heaven, be bad and go to hell. This is your Karma: you have to act according to the choices you have. It has nothing to do with eye for an eye, since you have a choice.
    Jesus had a choice too: he could have looked upon all the sinners with righteous anger and condemn us all. However he decided to sacrifice himself to liberate us. Without all mankind's bad Karma build up he never would have faced the choice. His choice to sacrifice himself is one of the biggest, if not the biggest contribution made on this planet to reduce suffering and release bad Karma. I wish this insight would be more alive in Christianity today.

    If it is your Karma, to get angry over a Blog entry, you have the choice to welcome the anger as a reminder to contemplate about your values and not let the anger master you. My best wishes for your peace of mind.
    Emoticon smile.gif stw