The Birthday Review

Thanks, Kristen! Suffering can be a benefit, but I don’t know how much of it is really necessary. Quite frankly, I think some of it is so the “Gods” can see what the abuser does and how far they took it with the victim almost being an afterthought. Not entirely true, but it does get into the whole “karma” thing…

This I think is largely bullshit as we know it. Most systems that require an afterlife have some sort of trials and tribulation narrative, sometimes with a redemption arc that can be carried. Some systems believe the karma is paid off over several lifetimes. Some thing it’s largely between lifetimes. Some of the most fantastical and restrictive think you don’t get any other lives and this is your one chance to get out of house arrest.

There are so many paths and belief systems that they cannot all be true, but may not be completely false. The majority that didn’t come from one religion, like Buddhism or similar, don’t agree much at all, except that you die.

When I died as a child and was given the chance to stay there or go, there was no mention of karma, past deeds, or anything similar. There was no admonishment or finger wagging. The ancestors that greeted me were from different time periods and different religions. When I combine this with my work with sentient spirits here, it became clear that the entire thing Westerners called “karma” was a load of horseshit. Especially the wishful-thinking Wiccan kind. Or dictators wouldn’t get their “due” or “justice” when they’re near their death bed, having had their way for 20-60 years.

Similar lessons were learned by my colleagues these days than what I had to go though. They just weren’t as traumatic. The same lesson could’ve been learned peacefully in a lot of cases. Karma implies there’s an order to the Universe that doesn’t really seem to be there the more one works with the different pieces of it. If you get stuck in one paradigm, that paradigm will get reflected back onto you and your beliefs, so it’s important to move outside of the similar group-think and group-belief areas.

I can also make an argument that people fulfilling the “Will of the Gods” probably would get a pass for doing things that would be considered negatively in the karmic guilt-trip game. Somebody has to be the bad guy sometimes and even Taoists believe that sometimes they have to the be rod that helps the people.

I do find value in the Taoist belief that the sum of what you were gets wrapped up with what you are in this lifetime when you die. I’ve seen that work before, though not 100%. It’s not Universal that I can see. But that would raise or lower your spirit based on the actions of this lifetime. You would either move up the spiritual ladder (whose?) or move down. In most cases you have to try again until it’s so pure that you finally graduated and can leave kindergarten.

Another issue with karma is that there’s nothing that says you have to work it off in a body. You’re still tied to the cycle and can do good deeds without a body.That doesn’t work out as nicely as paying for forgiveness at the offering plates, but there is credence to it. I’ve used a similar method before to get “work” for the dead to keep them focused and help unfuck the state they were in when I started helping them. They provide service to an entity in exchange for guidance and similar. It’s done wonders for some. Some just…checked out…a little early and want to watch and help their families until they are done, too. It can be a powerful help to them and nothing about it involves karma.

So, no, I think most karma beliefs are a holdover from our shitty Christianity upbringings where you gotta be shit scared of ruining everything to actually live and experience life. It can bite my ass, with all the bad shit it seems to ignore all over the place.