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Thread: Karma and "Catch 22" Situations

  1. #1
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    Karma and "Catch 22" Situations

    Namaste HDF,

    I have an important question about karma and how to change it. I seem to be caught in a sort of "Catch 22" situation when it comes to changing my karma, I believe.

    To explain, I'll first elaborate on what a "Catch 22" situation is. It's a reference to a novel by the same name, and the basic plot of the novel is about a soldier who wants to leave the military because he hates fighting and conflict. However, he discovers that outside of being wounded in combat, the only way to be declared mentally unfit for combat and therefore be sent home was to be considered psychotic enough to actually love combat and conflict and be unhealthy reveling in it. So in other words, to escape the fighting and conflict he so abhors, he has to turn around and actually love it to the point of psychosis.

    I feel I'm caught in a similar situation when it comes to my karma. Pretty much everyone on here knows how I get when politics are discussed - depressed, self-deprecating, you know the rest. I don't act rationally because I'm paralyzed with guilt.

    I know the best way to counter my guilt is to do something about the world situations I find so awful. However, this is where the "Catch 22" comes in - encountering such situations causes the emotional paralysis to come up in the first place. It's a vicious cycle - seeing it happen causes horrible guilt, which paralyzes me, making it impossible for me to do something about it, increasing the guilt further, etc.

    If I'm to be able to do anything productive and positive, I need a way to break out of this vicious cycle. But I don't know how. I want to do something to help the world, but if my mind can't handle seeing what's wrong with the world, then what do I do?

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    Re: Karma and "Catch 22" Situations

    hari o
    ~~~~~~
    namasté



    Quote Originally Posted by Webimpulse View Post
    I want to do something to help the world
    The highest and most noblest thing one may consider to do to help the (whole) world is to know one's Self. With just this one thing it brings light to the whole world.

    iti śivaṁ

    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: Karma and "Catch 22" Situations

    Quote Originally Posted by Webimpulse View Post
    Namaste HDF,

    I have an important question about karma and how to change it. I seem to be caught in a sort of "Catch 22" situation when it comes to changing my karma, I believe.

    To explain, I'll first elaborate on what a "Catch 22" situation is. It's a reference to a novel by the same name, and the basic plot of the novel is about a soldier who wants to leave the military because he hates fighting and conflict. However, he discovers that outside of being wounded in combat, the only way to be declared mentally unfit for combat and therefore be sent home was to be considered psychotic enough to actually love combat and conflict and be unhealthy reveling in it. So in other words, to escape the fighting and conflict he so abhors, he has to turn around and actually love it to the point of psychosis.

    I feel I'm caught in a similar situation when it comes to my karma. Pretty much everyone on here knows how I get when politics are discussed - depressed, self-deprecating, you know the rest. I don't act rationally because I'm paralyzed with guilt.

    I know the best way to counter my guilt is to do something about the world situations I find so awful. However, this is where the "Catch 22" comes in - encountering such situations causes the emotional paralysis to come up in the first place. It's a vicious cycle - seeing it happen causes horrible guilt, which paralyzes me, making it impossible for me to do something about it, increasing the guilt further, etc.

    If I'm to be able to do anything productive and positive, I need a way to break out of this vicious cycle. But I don't know how. I want to do something to help the world, but if my mind can't handle seeing what's wrong with the world, then what do I do?
    Namaste,

    One must not live in guilt. IF you can do something, then try to do, else you should not get engaged in such discussions. Please do not read newspapers and TV news. They are all filled with negative thoughts, which trigger negative emotions.

    Stay more with nature.

    Each and everyone takes birth to fulfill his desires form his past lives. Each one has to suffer / enjoy this fruits of karma. There is no escape. We feel sad when we see injustice. But why is one getting ill-treated? He/She must have done something in past life. Or if he/she is needlessly gets ill treated, then it will be squared in the next lives or in other worlds. God will do justice.

    In this way, we can neutralize our mind.

    Staying more with nature, donating regularly, giving food to birds like pigeons, and animals like dog or a cow is highly beneficial. Also watering plants with a smile (very imp) will be very beneficial.

    If you cannot stay neutral to negative incidents, better keep yourself away from them. Do not discuss or leave the place if it is getting discussed.

    Pray to God to show you the way. Your future depends upon what steps you take and how you interpret present day incidents and situations.

    What you have to pass is due to fruits of past life. How you perceive it, accept it positively or negatively and take action is dependent upon you. This will decide your future.

    God does not interfere in your decisions, but if you pray to him to show you a way, he will guide you somehow at appropriate time.

    Aum
    Only God Is Truth, Everything Else Is Illusion - Ramakrishna
    Total Surrender of Ego to SELF is Real Bhakti - Ramana Maharshi

    Silence is the study of the scruptures. Meditation is the continuous thinking of Brahman which is to be meditated upon. The complete negation of both by knowledge is the vision of truth – sadAcAra-14 of Adi SankarAcArya

    namah SivAya vishnurUpAya viShNave SivarUpiNe, MBh, vanaparva, 3.39.76

    Sanskrit Dict | MW Dict | Gita Super Site | Hindu Dharma

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    Re: Karma and "Catch 22" Situations

    Namaste Webimpulse

    Ask Devi to lend you Her Eyes.

    Recently I finished reading the Devi Gita, which sort of encapsulated all of "Hinduism" into a few chapters, but you can also take any one message or part from it (such as Her message on Bhakti) and somehow it also encapsulates all of "Hinduism" as well.

    When Devi lends you Her Eyes then your change in vision will turn your karma upside down, inside out, 6 into a 9, you will see.

    My thoughts on this were:

    Avidya (ignorance), Vidya (knowledge by realization), Sandhini (that leads a jiva to the Heavenly Place), Sandipini (that leads a jiva to En-Lightenment), Ahladini (that covers in energetic Joy), all these things are there at the same moment but what you see and thereby experience depends on your Eyes. Your eyes might be the root of what She calls Maya. When you see things only with your current material Eyes, things are only what you imagine them to be even when using the aids of material tools such as a telescope or microscope. When you see things with the help of Devi’s Eyes, you see things as they actually are.

    The devotion was already there in you, it is like water, but without those Eyes, without that Sun in the Lotus of the Heart, it is very cold. Very, very cold – so this “water” is frozen. But now add the Energy of Devi, the Sun rises in your Heart and Warmth comes, the ice water melts, it now flows, very soon it is part of the Ganga.

    With those Eyes, Tat Tvam Asi is very easy.
    With those Eyes, the self is unborn.
    With those Eyes, the Atma can reside in the Cave of Buddhi.
    With those Eyes, you can go to the Far Shore because you can see Far.
    With those Eyes, you can see in between each atom as if very small, and the body dissolves.
    With those Eyes, you can see all the galaxy as if very large, and the body becomes small, a speak of dust.
    With those Eyes, you can project Light outward as well. Everything is illuminated before those eyes.
    With those Eyes, you no longer exist in heaven or earth, or in the lower regions. Wherever you are, you See it as it is at that moment, and Devi is there.

    With those Eyes, karma changes it's location. Location itself becomes relative. Perhaps Devi is all you need right now?

    Om Namah Sivaya

  5. #5
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    Re: Karma and "Catch 22" Situations

    Quote Originally Posted by ShivaFan View Post
    Namaste Webimpulse

    Ask Devi to lend you Her Eyes.
    Namaste ShivaFan,

    Interesting...interesting indeed! But I wouldn't know the first step in how to do this. How does one ask Devi for Her eyes?

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