I think I get it, or am I wrong?

[SethDrebitko]

Sanātana Dharma
Sanātana Dharma from my understanding is the basic philosophy that all is but a reflection of the divine an innately divine itself.In this manner we should seek to respect to the divine by using its flesh (all that is) as best we can; this might be as simple as recycling, and composting your food so that you are not just waisting what you take from the whole.

Also because we are just a piece of the whole we can not claim true understanding of the divine, or disclaim another's. Encourage others to think and contemplate on the divine though they may have different views than yours.

Karma
This is my interpretation of karma from what I understand, and I would like opinions on it from a more experienced practitioner. To me there is no sin, the closest thing we could view as sin is intent. The old do unto others as you would have done unto yourself deal is pretty much my view on karma. I think people get in what they put in, if we sew negativity it will perpetuate throughout existence.

There are plenty of people who do bad terrible things and nothing happens to them in return, while other nice people have terrible things that happen to them. This is because we are like the center of our own pebble dropped on a pond with billions of others all around us. Our own actions perpetuate around us and effect others, which could inadvertently then cause a reaction which effects us.

I don't claim to understand, just to have an opinion.

[NayaSurya]

I do not know every twist of Karma, but an innate understanding of it has been with me since my birth. Just thought I would add this.



"There are plenty of people who do bad terrible things and nothing happens to them in return, while other nice people have terrible things that happen to them. This is because we are like the center of our own pebble dropped on a pond with billions of others all around us. Our own actions perpetuate around us and effect others, which could inadvertently then cause a reaction which effects us."




Not only this, but that pebble is timeless...meaning the pebble you drop into this lifetime may ripple across many lifetimes. At least until it is set correct. One that does bad karma to another may be nothing more than a vehicle to deliver another's lesson.

This explains why someone who appears very innocent and undeserving of circumstance could be so afflicted with horrible things. They could be very deserving and not be aware.

Take this personal experience for example. Lately I have been discriminated against for my gender and color. The person delivering this rancid karma to me hurts me so badly...but he continues.

To me I feel I must have been utterly horrible in my past life...I must have been severely racist. Now, in this lifetime I suffer the same fate.

Except this vessel was born a minority to begin with...a white girl in a sea of a vast minority-majority culture(military base). Early on...I learn of the horror of racism. I take many colors as my brothers and sisters. Without regard for religion, color or gender. All are one.

So now the lesson is set full circle...my karma has been set correct. With the lesson learned, and the understanding of it fully in my heart. I await a change.

Will the persons that delivered this lesson to me be punished? I think not, it's my lesson not theirs. But who's to say...(sometimes we suffer without past karma...but since I can not know I take the blame and try to make the best of it.)

Indeed, sometimes the affects of one's choice can span lifetimes.

[Eastern Mind]

There are plenty of people who do bad terrible things and nothing happens to them in return, while other nice people have terrible things that happen to them.

Vannakkamm Seth:

This is not karma, its observation of life, in a single lifetime. Karma on its own does not make sense wthout its philosophical twin sister, reincarnation. I believe that 'bad' things will happen, and the nice people were not nice people in a previous life.

Of course what you already know also affects it. The tiger does not accrue karma for killing its prey, but humans (becasue supposedly we know better) would.

We have anava (like a cloud of fog surrounding consciousness) that disables our judgment as well. People under more anava get less karmic consequence.

But karma, and the understanding of it is what propels us onward in correct behaviour. Hurting one's spouse and children by committing adultery, for example, will surely have its karmic consequence ... next lifetime or in the one after that..

Aum Namasivaya

[SethDrebitko]

So think of karma less as a rippling pond but more as a string. The string represents the cascading lifetimes we face and striking it at one point reverberates throughout the length of our eternity?

[Eastern Mind]

So think of karma less as a rippling pond but more as a string. The string represents the cascading lifetimes we face and striking it at one point reverberates throughout the length of our eternity?

Vannakkam: Yes I think this is a better analogy. Perhaps whenb the string stops vibrating, we have worked out our karmas and are ready for the realisation of the Self.

Aum Namasivaya

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté SethDrebitko

Sanātana Dharma
Sanātana Dharma from my understanding is the basic philosophy that all is but a reflection of the divine an innately divine itself.

Let me offer a few ideas on this sanātana dharma .

• sanātana is defined as eternal , perpetual , permanent , everlasting , primeval , ancient
• dharma is a key term rooted in dhṛ - to uphold, that which upholds. This dharma is also considered that which is established or firm , steadfast decree , statute , ordinance , law.

So together we have that which is eternal, ancient (sanātana) + which upholds, firm, right, maintain & preserve (dharma and dhṛ)
i.e. that which eternally upholds.

Now this sanātana dharma is considered ārṣa jñāna . What's this? it is ārṣa - relating or belonging to or derived from ṛṣi-s ( seers of truth, of Reality); And we know jñāna is knowledge. So sanātana dharma is anchored upon, founded in, and supported by the knowledge of the seers of Reality. Yet they claim no authorship. That is they have a view to Truth and record ( not create) what they cognize in Consciousness.

This is why sanātana dharma is so profound, so insightful. It comes from the seers that know, the exponents of Reality.


I will leave the notion of karma for another time. If you do a HDF search on karma, you will see a plehoria of conversations ( point and counter point). Perhaps then we can pursue additional conversations with our HDF members if you choose.

praṇām

[devotee]

Namaste Seth,

There are plenty of people who do bad terrible things and nothing happens to them in return, while other nice people have terrible things that happen to them. This is because we are like the center of our own pebble dropped on a pond with billions of others all around us. Our own actions perpetuate around us and effect others, which could inadvertently then cause a reaction which effects us.

Yes, some people do bad things and apparently nothing bad happens to them. The reality is that they are all the time harming themselves by their bad deeds. Once they exhaust their accrued good karmas which is giving them sweet fruits of chances in this birth, they would have to taste the bitter fruits of their bad karmas, there is no doubt over it. Whatever Karma we do ... we are always carrying the impressions of that karma with us. Our shadow may leave us ... but our karma won't leave us unless we exhaust it.

Karma ... whether good or bad ... will fructify only at appropriate time and place when the situation will be conducive for it to fructify. This life-cycle is eternal unless you break out of it by Self-realisation. Our birth to certain parents, our intelligence, our successes, our failures in life, our friends, spouse, our children etc. are decided by our past and present karmas.

These Karma get ingrained in our sub-conscious mind and is not erased even after death. The Jiva carries these vaasnaas (impressions) in the sub-conscious mind to next birth. These impressions together with the Law of Prakriti (nature) decide whatever chances come to us in future.

We can dampen the effect of our past karmas by doing good karmas in present. However, the good karmas alone cannot end the cycles of births and deaths. We may completely break out of this endless cycle of karmas and births and deaths by Self-realisation. It is not necessary that we must exhaust all our bad/good karmas before Self-realisation. All our bad or good karmas are actually illusions .... the "real" Self doesn't accrue any Karma. These karmas are simply dreamlike and have no real existence of their own except within the realm of relative existence. So, it does not matter at what state at present we are ... we can try for Self-realisation and can also attain it. Any karma done on the path of Self-realisation is not lost ... a Truth Seeker simply being desirous of having knowledge of this path saves himself from great dangers (so says Lord Krishna).

OM

[Satyaban]

I don't think there is "good" and "bad" karma it just is. Cause and effect maintaining balance. The concept of good and bad is maya and determined by relativity in this ever changing temporal world.

I like to think of karma as arrows. Some are in flight, some are notched in the bow and some are still in the quiver. Can the arrows in the quiver be mitigated, possibly?

What is sure is that karma must be in balance before moksha.

Please correct me where I have erred.