Post by hundredtoone on Mar 21, 2008 10:35:17 GMT -5
Cause & Effect
The Theory / Law
From a Buddhist point of view, mathematics and science explain how things happen, but not why. Like science, Buddhism acknowledges the law of cause and effect in nature and physics, called niyamas (see footnote), but also includes the mental law of cause and effect.
This law works exactly like gravity or inertia. It is not run by observant gods punishing or rewarding people. If your friend jumped off a cliff and died, you wouldn't look up to the sky and cry out "Curse you gravity for killing my friend!" Similarly, if you constantly cause harm to other people and constantly have bad luck, there is no point blaming the gods or even the law of cause and effect itself.
You make your choices (likened to seeds in Buddhism). You bear the results (likened to fruit).
When Buddhism recommends precepts of behaviour (sila ), this is not in the style of a tyrant making arbitrary laws, but of a parent, with more experience than a child explain, for example, "Don't smoke". It's not that the parent is anti-tobacco, but that they fear the consequences of smoking on the child. Through bitter experience and insight they have a better understanding of the risk of pain, disease and death. They love the child and want them to avoid these consequences even if the child is unable to fully understand them at this point. Similarly the Buddha had advice for our conduct based on his greater understanding of the nature of realty. Like the child though, we can understand the basic ideas ourselves and use our imagination to perceive that, in reality, these rules are even more beneficial than they seem to us.
zen.thetao.info/read/cause.htm
Alma 9: 28.
28 Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been—if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the d*mnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil.
scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/6/33c
Galatians 6:7-8: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting
www.prca.org/sermons/galatians6.7-8.html
5. Four phases of karma
"Plant a thought and you will reap a deed, plant a deed and you will reap a habit, plant a habit and you will reap a character, plant a character and you will reap a fate." (Indian proverb)
Vedic philosophy (Padma Purana) explains that karmic reaction are manifested in four different phases compared to the phases of a plants' growth:
1. bija (seed) Our wishes and intentions already exist in subtle form and only later they will manifest in activities. Thus to avoid unpleasant karmic reactions (suffering) we must pay attention to our unspoken material desires before the seeds of actions did not begin to sprout.
2. kuta-stha (sprouting) Reactions manifesting after a decision to perform a deed. They are material desires which already began to sprout.
3. phalonmukha (fructifying) Reactions already bearing fruits (phala). As soon as we perform a material actions - good or bad - it is only a question of time before they manifest reactions (fruit) in the form of happiness or distress.
4. prarabdha (harvest) Reactions already fulfilled at our birth: family (defining our socio-economic situation, nationality, race), physical and psychic dispositions etc.
Previous three phases are also in Sanskrit given a summary term aprarabdha or reactions not yet fully manifested, potential happiness and suffering. Fourth phase, prarabdha-karma, is what is generally called "karma".
Upanisads describe these categories of karma:
1. sancita (stored)
1.1. anarabdha (not yet manifested) = aprarabdha
1.2. prarabdha (already manifested)
2. kriyamana (newly created)
www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/dharma.htm
Term "dharma" comes from Sanskrit root "dhri" (maintain, sustain, preserve in work). Usually it is translated as ethical, moral and religious principles which, however, does not fully represent its meaning. Dharma is a law or order of the material world (that which maintains its harmonic function), virtue or righteous conduct. Still deeper explanation says that dharma is an inherent or inseparable quality or nature. There is an example of salt whose inseparable quality (dharma) is salty taste. The word dharma would be therefore possible to translate as "ultimate cause". This term from Western philosophy expresses the reason for existence of an object. Ultimate cause - dharma - of a house is to provide shelter to people. Uninhabitable house represents adharma (opposite of dharma). Dharma defines the function of the law of karma and itself is established by God. As "pillars of dharma" are called four qualities described in Bhagavata Purana (1.17.24):
- mercy (refusal of violence, meat-eating etc.)
- renunciation/sense control (refusal of intoxicants)
- truthfulness (refusal of gambling and speculations)
- purity (refusal of sex forbidden in scriptures)
It is therefore already established which human activities are good and bring positive reactions and which are bad and bring negative reactions in the form of suffering. This value system is universally valid and does not depend on opinions of individual living beings. I may think that what I do is good and also be able to justify it intellectually and thus impress others. If, however, my activity is not in accordance with universal definition of goodness, I will still reap a negative reaction.
Freedom of thinking and acting so propagated nowadays is sometimes misunderstood as a chance to do whatever we like. Yes, we have a free will, but at the same time we are responsible for our activity. Nothing can be further from reality that an idea that violation of dharma is unpunished. Contemporary state of the world should warn us not to put an economic benefit (artha) before dharma. It is this desire for sense enjoyment (symbolized by money) which is the most frequent cause of dharma violation.
www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/dharma.htm
Here are a collection of articles and links on "COSMIC JUSTICE"...it is known by many names and explained in different ways but it works the same way...our country and our world are SUFFERING from collective INJUSTICE and CORRUPTION ... the solution begins with each individual... if nothing else the CMKX saga has taught me many lessons...the biggest is the importance of INTEGRITY...some day we will find out which PLAYERS had it and which PLAYERS didn't...Flying Moose(cmkxunofficial)
The Theory / Law
From a Buddhist point of view, mathematics and science explain how things happen, but not why. Like science, Buddhism acknowledges the law of cause and effect in nature and physics, called niyamas (see footnote), but also includes the mental law of cause and effect.
This law works exactly like gravity or inertia. It is not run by observant gods punishing or rewarding people. If your friend jumped off a cliff and died, you wouldn't look up to the sky and cry out "Curse you gravity for killing my friend!" Similarly, if you constantly cause harm to other people and constantly have bad luck, there is no point blaming the gods or even the law of cause and effect itself.
You make your choices (likened to seeds in Buddhism). You bear the results (likened to fruit).
When Buddhism recommends precepts of behaviour (sila ), this is not in the style of a tyrant making arbitrary laws, but of a parent, with more experience than a child explain, for example, "Don't smoke". It's not that the parent is anti-tobacco, but that they fear the consequences of smoking on the child. Through bitter experience and insight they have a better understanding of the risk of pain, disease and death. They love the child and want them to avoid these consequences even if the child is unable to fully understand them at this point. Similarly the Buddha had advice for our conduct based on his greater understanding of the nature of realty. Like the child though, we can understand the basic ideas ourselves and use our imagination to perceive that, in reality, these rules are even more beneficial than they seem to us.
zen.thetao.info/read/cause.htm
Alma 9: 28.
28 Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been—if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the d*mnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil.
scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/6/33c
Galatians 6:7-8: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting
www.prca.org/sermons/galatians6.7-8.html
5. Four phases of karma
"Plant a thought and you will reap a deed, plant a deed and you will reap a habit, plant a habit and you will reap a character, plant a character and you will reap a fate." (Indian proverb)
Vedic philosophy (Padma Purana) explains that karmic reaction are manifested in four different phases compared to the phases of a plants' growth:
1. bija (seed) Our wishes and intentions already exist in subtle form and only later they will manifest in activities. Thus to avoid unpleasant karmic reactions (suffering) we must pay attention to our unspoken material desires before the seeds of actions did not begin to sprout.
2. kuta-stha (sprouting) Reactions manifesting after a decision to perform a deed. They are material desires which already began to sprout.
3. phalonmukha (fructifying) Reactions already bearing fruits (phala). As soon as we perform a material actions - good or bad - it is only a question of time before they manifest reactions (fruit) in the form of happiness or distress.
4. prarabdha (harvest) Reactions already fulfilled at our birth: family (defining our socio-economic situation, nationality, race), physical and psychic dispositions etc.
Previous three phases are also in Sanskrit given a summary term aprarabdha or reactions not yet fully manifested, potential happiness and suffering. Fourth phase, prarabdha-karma, is what is generally called "karma".
Upanisads describe these categories of karma:
1. sancita (stored)
1.1. anarabdha (not yet manifested) = aprarabdha
1.2. prarabdha (already manifested)
2. kriyamana (newly created)
www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/dharma.htm
Term "dharma" comes from Sanskrit root "dhri" (maintain, sustain, preserve in work). Usually it is translated as ethical, moral and religious principles which, however, does not fully represent its meaning. Dharma is a law or order of the material world (that which maintains its harmonic function), virtue or righteous conduct. Still deeper explanation says that dharma is an inherent or inseparable quality or nature. There is an example of salt whose inseparable quality (dharma) is salty taste. The word dharma would be therefore possible to translate as "ultimate cause". This term from Western philosophy expresses the reason for existence of an object. Ultimate cause - dharma - of a house is to provide shelter to people. Uninhabitable house represents adharma (opposite of dharma). Dharma defines the function of the law of karma and itself is established by God. As "pillars of dharma" are called four qualities described in Bhagavata Purana (1.17.24):
- mercy (refusal of violence, meat-eating etc.)
- renunciation/sense control (refusal of intoxicants)
- truthfulness (refusal of gambling and speculations)
- purity (refusal of sex forbidden in scriptures)
It is therefore already established which human activities are good and bring positive reactions and which are bad and bring negative reactions in the form of suffering. This value system is universally valid and does not depend on opinions of individual living beings. I may think that what I do is good and also be able to justify it intellectually and thus impress others. If, however, my activity is not in accordance with universal definition of goodness, I will still reap a negative reaction.
Freedom of thinking and acting so propagated nowadays is sometimes misunderstood as a chance to do whatever we like. Yes, we have a free will, but at the same time we are responsible for our activity. Nothing can be further from reality that an idea that violation of dharma is unpunished. Contemporary state of the world should warn us not to put an economic benefit (artha) before dharma. It is this desire for sense enjoyment (symbolized by money) which is the most frequent cause of dharma violation.
www.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/dharma.htm
Here are a collection of articles and links on "COSMIC JUSTICE"...it is known by many names and explained in different ways but it works the same way...our country and our world are SUFFERING from collective INJUSTICE and CORRUPTION ... the solution begins with each individual... if nothing else the CMKX saga has taught me many lessons...the biggest is the importance of INTEGRITY...some day we will find out which PLAYERS had it and which PLAYERS didn't...Flying Moose(cmkxunofficial)