Suresh,
Note that in the Buddhist usage, karma is the complete, total, and thorough
consequence(s) of our actions.
An individual may have karma. So may a community, a society, and a world have
karma.
In the Buddhist understanding and usage, karma can only continue to have power
because of Ignorance. If once illusion is seen through, and one awakens,
Ignorance -- which is ignorance of our true nature, our true condition -- is
replaced by realization.
The small self then cannot be found, as one has expanded to fill the walls of
the vessel with no walls.
One must still practice in order to remain awake.
But while one is awake, one's behavior is in accord with the behavior of a
Buddha. One thus finds that one does not violate the Buddhist Precepts
...which themselves are simply a description (a non-exhaustive list of
properties) of the features of the behavior of a Buddha, an awakened person.
Before awakening, there is free will, but it is exercised deliberately and at
considerable effort against one's karma, one's conditioning within a state of
steadily worsening bewitchment with the illusion of a small self.
After awakening, free will is moot, because one acts spontaneously and in
accord immediately with Wisdom and Compassion, as they both arise
simultaneously. Free will never enters, then, as there is NO OPTION other than
to act in accord with Wisdom and Compassion. One does not and cannot
deliberate. The awakened mind does not operate like that!
But, now, free will is not "real", as karma is not "real".
Free will and karma are just ways of talking about things: specifically,
talking about our condition.
In the deluded state, free will seems to be available, and seems often in
opposition to our karma, which is a body of conditioning of our actions, based
on our personal doings and based upon the society and neighborhood (and caste,
say) that we are trained in while deluded.
In the awakened state, karma and free will are moot, and do not operate. Yet,
if we slide backward from the awakened state, and fall into delusion even a
bit, karma (our previous conditioning, mind-habits, and the past and future
results of these) will again influence us, and we will find that our behavior
is not in accord with the Precepts any longer.
Thus, we must continue to practice, and we must continuously and without
interruption express and inhabit our true nature, allowing no screens to block
our true nature from us, nor allowing any add-ons or hitch-hikers to attach to
us, and we to them.
Once again, practice is seen to be the effective and only key.
Best,
--Joe
> SURESH JAGADEESAN wrote:
>
> Dear all,
>
> "Buddhism teaches that it is due to Ignorance, Hatred, and Greed."
>
> Now if we take this case of Delhi rape, why was that 23 year old girl
> had to suffer like this and die after 13 days of pain. Watching films
> in night and returning with your boyfriend is common in any country.
> It is an everyday activity in most of the cities. So that girl had not
> done some grave mistake.
>
> So why innocents were suffer? If I ask this, then all of you will
> tell, this may be due to past karma. When `Karma' is quoted no
> question can be asked. If `karma' is quoted, then your words
> `Ignorance, Hatred, and Greed' all become meaningless, because it is
> due to my karma, I am ignorant, or it is due to karma I am hatred or
> it is due to karma I am greed.
>
> What is truth? `Karma'? or no karma? Or in other words is there free
> will exist? Or there is no free will?
------------------------------------
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