john morgan wrote:There is a BK saying "Past is Past" this means that what has happened up to this point is in the past ... It seems that another way of burning off karma is powerful Yoga.
Actually, should it not "past is passed"? One of those simplistic little ditties the Hindis love so much and repeat ad nauseum for the lack of any deeper understanding.
Karma ... we have chewed it over here before and, from my point of view, gotten no where. Or exhibited at least 'no one nos nuttin'.
Life is vast and largely random. Our lives are as important and in as much control as little mices living in some other farmers wheat field. We busy ourselves every day with our worries but we are largely at the mercy of the cosmic weather patterns ... and the farmers for when they chose to reap and sow. Sometimes are the fields are full, at barren empty. Now and again we are at the mercy of the teeth combine harvesters. In our egocentricity, we think it is all about us ... but to the farmers we do not even exists. And then there are the farmer's cats ... more of which later.
I keep asking the simple question to silence, not "
what is karma?" but "
where is karma?".
If karma exists as we understand it, and let us face that the Brahmakumaris' theory is, as usual, very slim and full of holes, where is it? It something exists and causes material effects, it must exist in some form and act through some medium. What and where are those? Either they don't exist, the BKs cannot tell or no one knows.
However, the "Theory of Karma" is used widely as a social tool, a tool of mental conditioning, especially by the farmer's cats I mentioned above. And the mental muddle and insecurity you and we are all experiencing is one by-product of it. Indeed, what do we do or do we do nothing?
Let us look briefly at the primary alternative theory. About ten billion years ago, the Universe began in a gigantic explosion. A whole bunch of atoms were randomly propelled out into an expanding universe. By chance, some of them stuck together to become us and created our lives. We and the universe are still expanding and bound by a number of scientific laws. No one really knows where it is all going. The key element here is either that the it is all VERY random and out of our control ... or so complex that NO ONE can even come to understand it.
Whatever it is, or however the karma theory has its effects, I would say that the main issue is that it will or does only effect a small aspect of our lives and that our lives are still very largely subject to random effects completely and utterly beyond our control. So, yes, to that extent, the Zen concept of just "being here now" is probably the best one. Take the position bansy is showing you.
The BK karma system is full of highly simplistic, child-like even; carrots and sticks. Golden Palaces, nice saris and lots of diamonds if you do what they say; tears of blood, tooth grinding torture and a screwed up eternity ... for ever ... if you do not do what they say. It could be taught in about 3 minutes. Does that sound very enlightened to you? No, they have no more idea than the next chicken waiting for the sky to fall on its head.
Of course, we do not know WHAT and WHEN the BKs became enlightened enough to KNOW this. All we can know for sure is that they keep re-writing their history and philosophy to suit external changes. I mean, take this miraculous "karma burning Yoga" they and only they have ... when did it start and what is it? If you look closely at what they do and say, and the re-written history, no one really knows.
The sense in "Seek Wisdom before Power" is considerable though some still wish to open a building before the scaffolding has been erected!
... or open a university before they have even read a single science book. I mean, I think open discussion and transparency are very good karma by any system and look how the beakies responded to this forum!!! So, please, don't worry yourself. Just know that whatever karma may or may not be ... what we can be sure is that it is used and abused by others who want to eat our lives up. Where the big farmers actually put in some work and investment to effect our lives; the cats are just along for the ride, play with our minds and then eat us.