karmic reaction

[Theresa D.Boeur]

Here's a question that's been on my mind for awhile. Humbly, and without offense I ask, if Krishna is acting through our hearts as the "doer", and we are simply a drop of the ocean, then why do we have to take all of the karmic reaction, if it is actually the Lord acting through us as vehicles?

[Lalit Kumar]

What i understand is, ' Lord is acting through us as vehicles ', only when we let him, when we recognise him as Lord.
Normally it the Ego and desires are there in front. our mind and vital makes lot of noise. So only when we quieten these two,
can we see the real actor behind.
Our identification with our mind,' i think therefore i am ' is strong that we can not see the real actor behind.
In Indian philosophy ' Free will ' of each individual has given prime importance, Lord do not intervane until we are matured enough to develope this witness in us and recognise him as the real actor and Lord.
Have a nice day.
Lalit

[kalpana]

Sri Aurobindo has given the most intelligent explanations and insights. I suggest you read and re-read what he and the Mother say. Here are a few sites where you could read online:

http://www.aurobindo.ru/workings/sa/16/0049_e.htm
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/divinelife/auro/auro_fateandfreewilll.asp

''Even if the soul is something created, an infant being that has to learn from Nature and grow into immortality, it must be by a larger law of growth and not by some divine code of primitive and barbaric justice. This idea of Karma is a construction of the smaller part of the human vital mind concerned with its petty rules of life and Its desires and joys and sorrows and erecting their puny standards into the law and aim of the cosmos. These notions cannot be acceptable to the thinking mind; they have too evidently the stamp of a construction fashioned by our human ignorance.'':intyoga.online.-Life Divine.
''

[Jordi Valero]

I think that Lord knows himself through His own creation.
We may say that Karma is not a negative concept, indeed, we could say that Karmic reaction belong to Lila, the play of Lord through us, that's to say, through Himself.

Peace.

[kalpana]

yes - all is the Divine. It is a matter of the evolution/play of consciousness which blocks/clears our vision to this fact- itself a lila! At least that is how I interpret the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

Jordi Valero said:

I think that Lord knows himself through His own creation.
We may say that Karma is not a negative concept, indeed, we could say that Karmic reaction belong to Lila, the play of Lord through us, that's to say, through Himself.

Peace.

[Theresa D.Boeur]

Yes, well thankyou everyone for your thoughtful insights, I do understand that all that IS, is the Supreme acting out It's own desires, in the cosmic "dream", so to speak. We, in our finite consciousness, are judging things that appear to be 'good', or 'bad'. But still, if it is indeed the Lord manifesting His Lila in an eternal play, where does our "individual" consciousness come in, and if the Lord has bestowed 'free will', or right to choose, is it still the Lord acting through us, or is it our own self, who is who, and why is THERE reaction, if Krishna is above relative Karmic reactions, and the Law Of Karma, than, wouldn't our actions be free of reaction as well?

[kalpana]

As I said earlier, Sri Aurobindo's writings make it clear that it is not a question of 'good/bad', rather it is what appearsto the individual soul as an evolution, a process of growth. When we perceive things through our 'human' level, it looks like action/reaction etc. Occasionally, especially when we meditate, at a different level, we experience this differently - ie understanding that 'space/time are illusions.

Theresa D.Boeur said:

Yes, well thankyou everyone for your thoughtful insights, I do understand that all that IS, is the Supreme acting out It's own desires, in the cosmic "dream", so to speak. We, in our finite consciousness, are judging things that appear to be 'good', or 'bad'. But still, if it is indeed the Lord manifesting His Lila in an eternal play, where does our "individual" consciousness come in, and if the Lord has bestowed 'free will', or right to choose, is it still the Lord acting through us, or is it our own self, who is who, and why is THERE reaction, if Krishna is above relative Karmic reactions, and the Law Of Karma, than, wouldn't our actions be free of reaction as well?

[Jennifer Surdam]

I believe in Karma, but I believe that Karma works in a number of different ways. If you sit and think about all the possible Karmic reactions that something you do might have, you'll NEVER act. That's like living your life in a vacuum. You can't do that. You do the best that you can with what you've been given. You act and react as calmly as possible in every situation you can. Let's face facts, we're human, and we behave as such. We're in it for ourselves, to some extent, and while we're as good as we can be, very few of us are entirely altruistic. That's just the simple fact of existence of life on Earth...

However, you can do what you can to be as good as you can and reduce your Karmic reactions by not simply wishing the worst on your fellow man, by not wanting to murder someone, etc. You do what you have to to live the best life you can, and you live your life according to your best set of standards and ethics as set out by your own set of spiritual/religious beliefs. Each of us has a responsibility to behave in a way that is lawful and ethical/moral. And past that, I hope that we'd also be good. I personally have some doubts as to how good everyone is, but that's just something I struggle with...

Your Karmic consequences, however, don't come back on you, IMHO, if you simply don't care that someone else is hurting. If something happens to your neighbor who's been horrible to you, it's his own fault, his own Karma coming back on him, and you really don't have to care. You can feel bad--that's adding up your own good Karma, but you don't (again, my opinion) have to. Feeling indifferent doesn't add bad nicks to your Karma, but WISHING for something bad, visualizing it, etc--yeah, that's going to add a good kick in your pants!

Hugs and BB,
jen :)