Theos-Talk Archives (September 1997 Message tl00123)

At 08:44 PM 9/7/97 -0400, Jerry Schueler wrote:
>>   From a "worldly" point of view, sometimes even with wrong motive, much
>>good to our fellow beings can come. For example let us say a
>philanthropist
>>starts a health care facility to help the needy in the belief that doing
>>something like it will get him to heaven after his/her death, even without
>>his/her knowledge, the wrong motive may indeed earn him/her good Karma,
>>because of the practical help that his act resulted in.
>
>This all depends on exactly what you mean by "helping" others, Doss.
>If giving someone good health is "helping" then sure, rules are fine. 
>Rules belong in the physical plane, and are needed there so long as
>people remain at the low level they currently are. But if "helping"
>others implies setting them on the spiritual path or goading them
>into some degree of enlightenment, then rules are a hindrance
>(because the goal itself is perfect freedom).
>

Physical and emotional suffering is a fact of life. Anything anyone can do
which can alleviate or mitigate them, I feel as helping. It could be as
simple as a kind word, a kind gesture, giving a little food for a hungry
person. I think it is the duty of every thinking person to do so, because
not to do so simply shows lack of compassion. Whether it is done with
whatever motive, from a very simplistic point view, it can help the
suffering person.

I am not talking about any spiritual path, because I should know personally
for sure of what the path it is, if indeed there is one. (I may have post
the Truth is Pathless Land statement of K).

I am still at such an novice level as far as personal knowledge of the
spiritual path is, I am just at a stage when I am looking for the simple
objective of "helping" any one as far as I can, in any manner I can. We all
can improve the conditions of the world if more of us try to do the same (I
am not telling anyone to do anything -- this urge has to come from the
person himself/herself).

>Also, I take exception to your premise. HPB and many others have
>all pointed out that it is motive and motive alone that is the difference
>between white and black actions (magic, karma, whatever). So,
>giving help to others with the wrong motive will NOT produce any
>good karma. Sorry. But it just won't. Its not so much what we DO
>in life (exoteric) as how we ARE in life (esoteric). Bad motives can
>cancel out good actions. Good motives can cancel out bad actions.
>If we think we did a good thing, we tend to produce good karma
>no matter if it was really a bad thing that we did (because good
>and bad are always subjective and relative). But karma itself is 
>very complex and I am trying to simplify here.

Again let me look from the recipients/beneficiary's point of view. The fact
is that the recipient or beneficiary of my "help", if it does help him or
her, then it is a fact and it is all that matters. 

Since I do not know personally about the working of Karma, any "theory"
about it is as good any one else's. I will suspend my judgement about it in
the hope one day I will get a better *personal* first hand understanding --
not some second hand one. (And if does happen in this lifetime, I will
surely post it here and in all the usenet groups -- I want to share it with
the world!).

Thanks for your viewpoint.

.........doss

>
>Jerry S.
>Member, TI