In the tradition of my recent Contra Mundum Vision post, here's a brief (and inadequate) comment on another theme that ought to be aggressively re-envisioned.
::
They say don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it,
So none of us can knock death.
No one can say it’s a bad thing
To draw your final breath.
But they say there’s always fine print
And it’s hard to prove them wrong
For death is not sky-tinted
If you don’t belong.
Friday, February 18, 2005
Knocking Death
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10 comments:
When I think of 'fine print', I think of something I'm going to read about a product or sale that will ruin the whole mirage.
There's a difference between happiness and peace. One can never let go of happiness, because letting go means opening their arms to clutch sadness. Peace is when one can let go, at any given moment, and hold nothing, holding everything.
The view of the 'other side' is not bad at all. I like the mystery of the sky, no pearly gates, no raging fire, just the sky.
I may not be following your happiness/peace comments, because it seems to me that we often must “let go” of happiness, not to “clutch sadness,” but for the sake of greater happiness. Breaking up a destructive relationship would be a prime example. The cross would be an even better one.
I suppose there is a sense in which, on the cross, Christ was clutching happiness fiercely, and suffering to do it. If that's your thought, then point well taken.
As to the "view of heaven," we do know it's an unshakeable place, realer than anywhere we've been yet. Also we understand there must be a set of criteria for getting there.
Your comment here raised some thoughts that may have to emerge in another post...
well a not a believer in the concept of hell or heaven .i am firm believer in the concept of karma.
Next time you come by, aparna, you'll have to unpackage "karma" for us; how exactly does it pertain to topics like peace, happiness and morality? What directives does karma give us for a useful, fulfilled life?
this is my personal outlook you may or may not agree but here it goes. forgive me writing posting sucha long comment.this is a basic piece of information about karma i can offer you
Karma And Rebirth
The doctrine of rebirth is a corollary to the Law of Karma. The differences of disposition that are found between one individual and another must be due to their respective past actions. Past action implies past birth. Further, all your Karmas(actions) cannot certainly bear fruit in this life. Therefore, there must be another birth for enjoying the remaining actions. Each soul has a series of births and deaths. Births and deaths will continue till you attain Knowledge of the Imperishable
Good Karmas or (good actions) lead to incarnation into higher spheres and bad Karmas (bad actions) into lower. By virtue is obtained ascent to higher planes and by vice, descent to the lower. From wisdom results beatitude, and bondage from the reverse. So long as Karmas - whether good or bad - are not exhausted, men do not attain Moksha or (the final emancipation) even in hundreds of Kalpas ( ages) . Both good and bad Karmas bind tight the Jiva (soul )in their chains. Moksha or final emanicipation cannot be attained by man, so long as Knowledge of the Eternal is not attained
-By Sri Swami Sivananda
i subscribe the idea of karma more because it does'nt insist people believe in higher powers like concept of hell and heaven does. i dont think its necessary to believe in an entity who is omnipotent , omnipresent to lead a useful and purposeful life.
we all know greed is the root cause of sorrow.people have greed when they have expectations.karma insist that good deeds should be carried out without expectation of any outcome good or bad.the realisation of this fact leads to peace,happiness.
One thing that puzzles me about karma is how it can possibly account for the "sweet" element of life's "bittersweet" equation. In other words, karma seems to do a somewhat adequate job explaining the dark side of our experience (if life sucks, it's karma) but has very little to offer in terms of hope. (Things are bad now?...Well, better luck next lifetime. Maybe.) The fatalistic aspect of karma seems an incredible load to bear.
I do take issue with one specific thing you write:
>>i subscribe the idea of karma more because it does'nt insist people believe in higher powers like concept of hell and heaven does.<<
Hinduism asserts there isn't just one god, but millions. I'm sure you are aware that this is the boiling cauldron out of which karma emerges. Something like "karma" doesn't enforce itself - the "gods" do.
Thanks for your thoughts, aparna; feel free to tell me if you think I'm far afield here.
This is an interesting conversation, I do hope it continues.
thank you for patiently reading my earlier comment . i respectfully disagree with you when you say that there's a fatalistic aspect to karma .the law of karma maintains that if you shall do. If you do an evil action you must suffer for it. If you do a good actoin , you must get happiness There is no power on this earth which can stop the actions from yielding their Every thought , every word, every is deed , as it were, weighed in the scales of eternal divine justice.karma makes people realise that they have the power to lead a useful , purposeful life by choosing the appropiate actions. don't you think gives people a feeling of control rather than being fatlistic about it?
hinduism does'nt assert million gods. hinduism in its purest form maintains that there's only one god it gives people the freedom to accept any form of worship which has lead to existence of millions of gods.
this can go and on so i'll stop here
I appreciate your interaction on this, aparna. Thanks for the thoughts.
>>the law of karma maintains that...If you do an evil action you must suffer for it. If you do a good actoin , you must get happiness<<
Fair enough. By the same token, though, karma maintains that everything we do - good or evil - is a product of karma. The karma we are trying to "escape from" or "transcend" is also the power that inexorably controls our lives. In other words, I am trying to "control" my destiny while simultaneously being manipulated by my supposed past lives. This feeling of control is not one that nurtures hope.
I appreciate your clarifying the "divine" origins of Hinduism. Indeed, karma does entail belief in "eternal divine justice." Too often people invoke "karma" without aknowledging that a whole system of belief - in Brahma and the numerous gods which supposedly represent it - is unavoidably attached.
In other words, I am trying to "control" my destiny while simultaneously being manipulated by my supposed past lives. This feeling of control is not one that nurtures hope. -
ummmmmmmmm............... never saw it that way thank you for the new perspective
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