Theos-Talk Archives (October 1999 Message tl00306)

>>Roll on paranirvana!  Are you saying that causes have no part in the
rest of the Universe?>>

Alan, the teaching that karma can be eliminated or consumed
is an ancient one, and is in both Hinduism and Buddhism.

I was trying to put the view of the jivamukti into a Theosophical
perspective mainly because Blavatsky didn't, although she
does imply it.  Karma is either throughout her 7-plane solar
system, or at least in the lower planes. I have searched
long and hard for an overall Cause for the whole bag, with no
luck (except as having creativity an inherent divine
characteristic which I don't like because it implies an
initial assumption, and one assumption is pretty much
as good as any other. However, there is an unwritten
law that says that all models require initial assumptions
so I don't think we can ever get out of this one).

Most Theosophists want to make
karma universal and applicable everywhere period. This
implies that many Hindu and Buddhist saints and Teachers
were wrong about karma being eliminated (Buddha taught
that nirvana eliminates suffering, not karma). I don't see
much point to evolution unless its goal is to free us from
karma.

Freedom from karma implies action without cause or
effect, a concept that is paradoxical at best. However,
logically we can say that karma as causation requires
time and divinity=paranirvana is outside of time and so
is outside of karma.  While being perfectly logical,
it is not at all clear to the human mind what this means.

Jerry S.