2001-11-17 03:57:00
John Z has asked a number of questions I have not had the time to answer. I'll go through a few of them now.
John says:
Thus far I follow and agree with your analysis, however if memory serves, I believe that what Joseph said was, "that which has a beginning MAY have an end".
Joseph used several wordings in explaining the principle, but he left little doubt in this definitive statement:
"Suppose you cut it (a ring) in two; then it has a beginning and an end; but join it again, and it continues one eternal round. So with the spirit of man. As the Lord liveth, if it had a beginning, it will have an end." DHC 6:311
JJ
John asked me who we would be married to in a future life if we were, say, married to two people in one life or over a period of several lives? Or what if you were a polygamist in one life and were married for what is supposed to be eternity? What will happen there?
There are several things that determine the answer here. First you will forever have the power of decision and this allows you to marry whoever you want in each life in which you find yourself provided the mate is willing.
Secondly, if there is either great love or hate you will be brought together with this person with whom you have intense feelings. If you think you have left a spouse, but still carry hate or grievance, then in reality you have not left them and will meet again.
In the higher realms there is eternal marriage between all souls and any concept of eternal marriage as taught on the earth is a foreshadowing of a higher union.
John also asked some questions on Karma. Rick made some good comments on this. I will add a few more.
First I will quote John's post:
JJ, I need clarification on the principle of karma.
The more I read and study, the more it seems I understand -- but maybe not.
The principle of "karma" has been called a principle of "cause and effect". The way karma was first explained to me (or at least, the way I understood the explanation) was that the cause and effect of karma was completely automatic and unchangeable. You know, the same as if I drop a lead ball from my outstretched hand -- it falls to the ground -- no if's, and's or's or but's. Automatic. No "third party" has to follow me around, monitor my actions, and be there to "apply" the law of gravity. It happens automatically. And, the teachings I'd read about karma lead me to believe that such was also the case with the cause and effect of karma.
I was given to understand that if James commits adultery, the time will INEVITABLY (and, I thought, automatically) come at some future time, when James will HAVE TO become the victim of adultery. Period.
But the more I read, it became clear that KARMA IS NOT AUTOMATIC. Here is how I came to that conclusion.
First I read how it is apparently possible (and certainly a good idea) to do things that will generate a credit to my karma account. In fact, it seems to be very possible for a person to do enough good in this life, to totally offset the karmic balance they began this life with PLUS any additional negative karma incurred in this life.
If that is true, then if James commits adultery, there is NO automatic cause and effect (like gravity) that will guarantee that James must be a victim of adultery in the future. At the very least, it will depend on what, if any, "good karma" James produces.
Then something in your 2001-39/21030 post on 9/26 caught my eye. You said: "Djwahl Khul tells us that there are a group of very high entities called the "Lords of Karma" who guide events to insure that karma is justly administered."
There is was -- clear as a bell. Karma is NOT "automatic"! Rather, it is something that must be "administered". "Justly administered." Ah -- now things were starting to sound more plausible. I found myself much more in tune with such a concept. Certainly there would need to be some kind of administrative process, for example, to properly "credit" peoples karmic account for positive actions -- repentance, I believe Christians call it.
Am I on the right track??
But, the more I read, the more it became clear that such was NOT the case.
What is called "cause and effect" of karma is NOT automatic. [End Quote]
JJ
Yes, John you are on the right track. While it is true that karma in its purest definition is merely cause and effect, cause and effect play out through an infinite variety of ways.
Look around you. The whole universe, the earth, your body, tiny cells, down to the atom are creations made through cause and effect. What is obvious, however, is that the many intelligent creations we see around us are the result of causes initiated by great intelligence which are somehow guided into effects testifying to this intelligence.
While it is true that gravity often seems to play out its effects in a black and white manner it is also true that when intelligence is incorporated into those causes and effects we can have produced an airplane, still subject to the laws of gravity, but having the ability to seemingly transcend them.
So it is with Karma. Some of it does play out through the simple automatic workings of cause and effect. For instance, if you shove someone, he may automatically shove you back. But suppose you shove someone smaller than yourself and he dares not shove you back. Maybe when you are not looking he will slash your tires.
You may take a rock from a neighbor's yard and he cares not a thing about it. Yet you may take another apparently worthless rock from another which may be deemed a priceless possession, the loss of which would cause great consternation.
The taking of one rock causes virtually no effect on the one neighbor, but a great emotional effect on the other, especially if the thief knew the value of the rock to the neighbor.
In the first case, all cause was associated with physical action. In the second case the added dimension of emotional attachment was added into the equation making a just law of karma much more difficult to materialize. To make this happen there steps in an intelligent force that manipulates situations so eventually the person who took the second rock will realize the pain of having something valuable stolen from him. It matters little whether the object stolen is a rock or a diamond. What matters is that the offender learns what it feels like to loose an object of value by theft.
There are many intelligent lives that assist in the application of Karma from the great (The Lords of Karma) to the small (deva lives and elementals), but even these lives are a part of the grand scheme of karma itself. The Lords of Karma manifest because of the law, and are an intelligent force working within the greater context of karma itself.
One of the things that cause the confusion around karma for the Christian is the orthodox teachings on the atonement and forgiveness of sins.
Many of the things that were called sins (or transgressions) in the days of Jesus were not real causes and effects, but the breaking of laws which had little or no effect except fort the production of guilt.
For instance, the law commanded the celebration of the Passover. Now suppose you do not celebrate the Passover. Are you damaged in any way? No. Not unless you feel guilt because you displeased an angry God.
They were commanded to offer sacrifice during the new moon. Now suppose you offered it the day after the new moon. Has anything changed? Is there any damage? None, unless one fears offending an angry God.
They were told they could not even eat a piece of bacon. Now let us suppose you grabbed a piece and ate it. Is there any damage outside of guilt for offending an angry God?
No.
The fact is that in the days of Jesus the Jewish people were subject to many laws which had little if any cause and effect behind them. Thus when Jesus lead the people to transcend the law he did so not by changing the little cause and effect behind them, but by elevating their consciousness to the soul to the removal of guilt. When guilt was removed many of the laws became as if they did not even exist.
Many of these laws were not natural laws, but manufactured laws for the purpose of teaching discipline to the ancient Israelites.
Notice that the laws without real effects have almost passed away, but the ones with effects are still in play throughout the world - such as some of the Ten Commandments as thou shalt not kill, steal bear false witness etc.
Thus the sacrifice of Christ on the cross spoke to the souls of men and released many from conjured up guilt over ephemeral laws, while the law of cause and effect, or karma, remained intact.
John again writes:
"BUT the causes and effects taught by that example are NOT the same as those I usually see used to teach karma. With the way I've generally seen karma explained (using this car accident example) karma would require Jim to experience a similar accident in which he was the innocent victim."
JJ
If Jim did all in his power to make things right and had an understanding of the grief he caused there would be no need for him to experience a similar accident to the one he cause. The Agents of Karma could then direct the residual force to move Jim to work in the service of his fellowmen.
However, if Jim had overpowering guilt that he could not shed he may set himself up for an accident as a tool that would remove the guilt.
This is an unnecessary step for those who have atoned with the Christ Consciousness, but many there are who so condemn themselves.
I have to go out of town tomorrow so you will not hear from me for a day or so.
Have a good weekend.
Copyright 2001 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved