[Todd Kuipers] sorry, jumped into this thread just now, but found this an
interesting statement. do you believe this or are you identifying this as a
the way a believer in Karma and cosmic justice would. (Kuipers)
Todd,
>From a biological point of view, if you do something that opposes the
natural order of things(bend your elbow backwards, ex.) then pain and injury
occur. I stand by my original statement but want to stress that these
"consequences" are on an individual basis...and death/aging may or may not
seem like "justice". "Karma" is a different matter.
I have seen karma at work, but this presupposes something like "original
sin"--maybe saying this is a societal thing would allow for a better
translation from my perspective into one that matches what you have
implied--I don't believe it is entirely necessary that an individual be
bound to the mistakes of his/her society (though it sems to be the case more
often than not); and, karma implies a form of justice that measures the life
of an individual in terms that go beyond the level of *individual*
mind/body/spirit--one's sins are accounted against nature/society and errors
against another are seen as being punishable through the self. I don't see
how bending YOUR elbow can hurt MY being (except, as I've said if society's
errors--original sin--are held against me...and I think I can just refuse to
buy into the errors of my ancestors and them into mine).
So, I believe in pain, injury, death (and...if one chooses to inhabit a body
again--which only presupposes that concsiousness exists as energy rather
than being tied to the physical body alone--and...if one couldn't handle the
level of personal responsibility one had previously..."rebirth" in a less
complicated physical form). I see group "karma" at work for the group
which violates nature--accountable to the group: I see individual "karma"
at work as an inability to survive and replicate without assistence (note:
"without assistence", *thereby* making one accountable to the
group?...indirectly accountable to group karma?).
Thanks for your questions.
Brett
Returning,
rBERTS%n
Rabble Sonnet Retort
After all, what is your hosts' purpose in having a party?
Surely not for you to enjoy yourself; if that were their sole
purpose, they'd have simply sent champagne and women over to
your place by taxi.
P. J. O'Rourke