Buddha taught that if we become enlightened we will have full clairvoyance (seeing) and audiovoyance (hearing) in the past, present and future. When our conditioned mind is quiet, idling so that it can deal with the demands of daily life, and all our cravings have been extinguished, the clarity of our perceptions will intensify. We will no longer simply react in the ups and downs of subjectivity or duality, being swept along trying desperately to get our feet down on the ground for a few seconds. I have witnessed and experienced past lives and future lives, and I have lived with indigenous people who naturally have these extra-sensory tools at their disposal.
Karma is an absolute proof of our past and our future to come (DNA is the scientific equivalent) which we hand on through the birthing process and the closeness of related spirits to our families. It is a marvel how we inherit our parents’ physical appearance and structure. We also inherit their predispositions and proclivities, their cellular conditions, and very often their diseases, sorrows and losses, come to the surface in our lives. It is also, therefore, logical that we will pass forward our karma and our wisdom to future generations, and that is our responsibility.
How do we create good and bad karma? – respectively the karma to live happily, safely and to fulfill our life’s course; and the karma to have tragic and restless lives, crippling disease and deformity, to be criminals and make others suffer. It is useful to see karma as a seed which we sow with our thoughts, words, and deeds: eventually, the seed germinates and ripens at an indeterminate moment we ordinarily have no control over. But with spiritual practice and elevation, we gradually take some control.
We must accumulate as much merit and virtue as possible while crossing the river of life so that our negative karma will be neutralized and our positive karma will increase. These are the challenges of the world of form which we are deliberately manifest in to overcome. Having good karma will ensure our happiness in temporality, and if we cut the negative karma and console our ancestors their spirits will reside comfortably in the spiritual world. If our ancestors are suffering in the hell realms, then that will reflect in our lives. All things that appear to us are simply reflections of the invisible world.
Look back at photos of yourself as a child, a young adult, and older adult, and you may be so surprised at how different your appearance is. The camera catches glimpses as your karma and DNA flows and transforms, and at any moment, you may resemble your ancestors right back to the beginning of human history, the seeds being planted and germinating as you travel through life encountering suffering and joy. Pure gratitude and appreciation for your parents and theirs, and so on, is the best way to console their continuing journey in the spiritual world. ‘You’ would not exist to have these incredible opportunities if they had not given birth to you.
Floating lanterns inscribed with prayers on the ocean or rivers is one moving way we remember and console our ancestors in Japan. The torrii, large orange gateways to be found all over the country, were expressly constructed to allow the spirits of ancestors to return to the physical plane at certain periods of the year. They visit briefly to gather our prayers and wishes and then return, representing a golden chance to feel their closeness to us.
I am my parents and my grandparents. I can never walk in any other footprints than theirs along the beach, although the conditioned mind may convince me I have taken a new direction.
I smile and shed tears and love and feel and breathe as them. It is my true nature to eternally tend their garden of karma as our seeds ripen and stock dies while they recline on a shady verandah, always watchful.
Karma is a very interesting “thing,” or ‘energetic entity,” if you will, dear Sister.
It takes a long time to fathom karma and I am not even sure we get to the bottom of it as we become enlightened; there may be other elements associated with enlightenment, primarily our soul’s purpose and the contract we agreed to before coming back for another round.
Do you think this ‘contract’ of ours gets revealed to us the minute we become enlightened? I mean, in its full scope and profound nature?
Many questions along the path – a path that is beautiful to walk.
These are my two karmic cents!
Love & much Light, dear Sister
Thank you dear brother for your ‘deux penny vaut.’ (-you may have realised by now that I am trying to revive my drowning French, so humour me!-I’m preparing because I know La France is beckoning – actually I’d like you to help me a little if you have time – there are many spiritual/religious words that I’d like your take on in French? ) – and, btw, I love karma questions!
I think there is really no need to ‘fathom’ karma, frittering away your precious man-time! There is no bottom because it’s only a concept. Yes, the Law of Attraction, our contract, you can just-know that right now in the centre of your life. By letting go of the blocks, such as trying to understand a concept, and just letting the energy river flow on, you will just-know your purpose.
By ‘contract being revealed’ you seem to be implying that you are not in control of your contract? No-one or no-thing else will reveal it to you. ‘Step back.’ ‘Let go.’ ‘Release your grip.’ – all these types of phrases are coming to me. You will never be able to understand it intellectually, and I promise you it is there, right now, in all its ‘full scope and profound nature.’
I remember I ‘felt’ my contract when I was in a totally floating state, in my higher mind. It was a feeling with no thoughts in sight. It was also bound up with the moment I became utterly self-sincere – I know I’m always talking about this sincerity thing – but it’s key because the conditioned mind is so devious. Being ‘utterly sincere’ was like two space vessels which had been flying close to each other actually docking at the speed of light! After that ‘clonk’ of full integration/connection, everything became totally clear. Sitting and watching that sincerity docking will give you clarity because it means you are integrated and the conditioned/intellectual mind drops into its proper place.
Yes, it seems there are many questions and its great fun to share our picnic (experiences) along the pathway, but a moment will come when there are no more, and I think it’s close my dear brother.
Have a wonderful content evening!
speak soon
xox
Thanks, dear Sister, for this beautiful response.
I am glad to know the moment is close where no more questions will spring up from whatever depth. In fact, I don’t have that many questions about karma. It is what it is and it definitely plays a positive role in our lives, I believe.
And does something happen for a reason, –am thinking of a tragedy in my wife’s family 40 years ago–, or perhaps because of karma? It is hard to say and I believe the exploration is meant to be futile.
It is what it is; and you have sometimes to deal with an unpleasant, dramatic “what it is”, which leaves a deep scar on your soul. Some people say we can recover from tragedy, loss of a child for instance, some don’t.
As to my contract, it is not that I can’t feel it; it is that I am not fully aware of it, mostly because of the veils that cloud my “whatever they cloud” (can’t find the appropriate word, possibly consciousness).
I have a sense of direction in life, don’t remember signing off on anything before I came, and yet things happen, which bring me closer to what I am supposed to do with my life; knowing there might be more than one dimension to it; purpose and mission, if you will.
And certainly one main reason for coming to life at this moment, so full of change, twist and turns, and challenges.
I would be happy to help you with any translation of the spiritual but, from experience, I find that some “things” simply do not fly, or make much sense, in France.
I’ve worked spiritually in the US mostly, and only started my Nam Myoho Renge Kyo practice in France after some hesitation; due to the fact that Buddhism that was a bit nebulous to a 25-year old, rational, logical French man!
Love & much Light, dearest Sister
Some Mayan monuments include glyphs that record an 819-day count in their Initial Series. These can also be found in the Dresden codex .
Hello Ollie, Thank you so much for making the effort to respond to my post. However, I’m not quite sure what your comment corresponds too. I’d be really grateful if you could explain a little more so I can respond more fully.