Theos-Talk Archives (May 1995 Message tl00031)

Dear JRC,

You're right.  We can't be certain that what any of us say about
Karma is really, absolutely so.  We're only talking about the
Theosophical belief system.  We're talking about how things seem
to us from a reasonable theosophical point of view.  But it is
equally true that other people operate just as well out of a
completely different set of beliefs.  I think all human beings
need beliefs as a framework to work out of.  There's some
agreement among the members of a group as to what certain terms &
concepts mean.  We often get into difficulties when 2 different
groups place different values on the same thing, or when their
beliefs conflict, and one group looks askance at the beliefs of
the other, as do the Tutsis & the Hutus.  ( if I've got the name
right ).  Another example is that the Japanese look at their
commerce from a different perspective (belief system) than we do,
and so we're having a dickens of a time getting acceptable trade
treaties signed.  And again I think all Americans agree to call a
certain shade of green "chartreuse".  But another langugage may
have entirely different classifications for their greens, which
allow people who speak that language to recognize certain other
words as certain shades of green, and to them "chartreuse" is
only a French liqueur.  I tried to adapt the most feasible,
flexible belief system I knew about, & that came to be Theosophy.
It has served, and still serves, me well; other Theosophists
understand what I'm saying when I use certain terms, and
concepts, ie when I use a certain theosophical framework.  ( I
have to add...  most often they understand, more often than
non-theosophists anyway.) We talk amongst ourselves as if what we
were saying were absolute truth, but you're so right, it isn't.
Theosophy is a belief system like any other, & so is Karma.  It
works well for me, so I use it.

Liesel