Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I just came across Bapak Anand Krishna’s status and found an inspiring dialogue. A “Karma” dialogue. What a coincidence I just finished one of his latest book: Karma Yoga! So, I decide to share this dialogue with all of you.
Special thanks to Bapak Anand Krishna for this inspiring dialogue and also special thanks to my “brother” who initiated the dialogue.
IMHO, for those who want to read the book of Karma Yoga by Bapak Anand Krishna, this dialogue can serve as prologue and also epilogue. So, enjoy it, Bros and Sists!
AK = Anand Krishna
Q = Question
Anand Krishna:
“And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart – about all those [one] will be questioned.” (Al Quran, al-Israa 36)
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (the Holy Bible, Galatians 6:7)
“A man is born alone and dies alone; and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone; and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode.” (Chanakya in Niti-Shaastra)
Q:
Karma only happens when there are other parties who had bad or good experiences from us during our current life. Who we were before we are alive today is only an empty illusion. No one remembers who we were before we are alive today. If no one remember about it, why we are responsible for something we don’t even remember?
AK:
Brother, I don’t remember what did I eat 21 days ago, but what I ate then is turning into marrow today, and the quality of my blood entirely depends upon what I ate. Good day!
If we forget what we did 21 days ago that is our fault. But, if we dont know what we did before we were born….then who to blame ? I believe every human being can actively change their destiny while they are still alive, and not affected or determined by something that we cant control before we were born. 🙂
1. O yes. I agree we all can change our destiny. I think even the three quotes above are saying the very same thing.
I define the word “sowing” as an effort to make/change/form – whatever you may like to call it – one’s destiny.
When Chanakya says we experience the consequence of our own actions – he too is emphasizing upon the same thing, “look you can experience good if you work goodness.
And, the Quranic verse emphasizing upon the word “pursue” – brother, God bless you, but can’t you see. Sir, my friend, that all these verses are actually in line with your own belief system 🙂
2. Aha, I know may be you are allergic to the idea of reincarnation. Perhaps, you are being reactive to what you see around you in Bali.
But, whether you believe in reincarnation, or not, as long as you believe in “you make your own destiny, and what you sow you reap” – then we all are speaking the same language.
No Balinese Hindu shall ever try to convert you to believe in what they believe. Faith is very personal. Conversion is a matter of heart, not a matter of changing religions.
I wish you all the best, God bless you
3. PS. As u rightly said, brother, if we didn’t remember what we ate 21 days ago, then it is our fault – absolutely. Very true. So, if we don’t remember what we were before – it is our fault also.
We don’t know what we did before we are born this time – as we also don’t remember what we ate 21 days ago – but what we ate then has become our marrow, and that marrow made of that food determines the quality of our blood tomorrow and shall also determine our overall health.
But, once again, you DON’T HAVE to endorse to the concept, or truth of reincarnation.
Just look around, look at innocent children born in famine stricken Somalia and Ethiopia. Look at those born blind or cripple in our own country, look at the autis born in the family of rich. Whose fault it is?
Q :
Nothing is wrong with that. God creates us with all of our plus and minus. I am sure God want to see what should We who were born with many pluses are exposed to the fellows who were born with many minus. That’s the time and place where love has to be in place and applied. Because all of us, alive or death, are belong to God. We can never complain to what He plan. And that”s nothing to do with karma of those poor Somalia and Ethiopia people. Now we can see, who help those poor people, whether for pure humanity or for collecting better karma ( if you still want to use the term “karma”) for their own current and next life purpose.
If you can remember all things you did before you were born as a human being then that how you can proof with to all of the other human being. As no one can confirm what you did is right or not.
AK:
My dear, dear brother, if I may know how can you be so sure of what God wants? It amazes me brother.
Q:
Especially, when you combine with reincarnation concept, you may be non human creature in your past life , right? Suppose you were a cow (sorry for the example only ), how you can remember when people slaughter you during your life as a cow? Things become more complicated and absurd. I believe human being is the highest degree of God creature in the earth. I don’t think God will let us become animal somehow sometime. 🙂
It is a good discussion…. i like to discuss it in more detail 🙂 Thanks 🙂
AK:
Also my dear brother, why would God create crippled and famine stricken children just to prove how are the people born with pluses (using your terminology) going to respond to their condition? Do you think by throwing some food into their begging bowls we can make them happy? Or, make the cripple forget his condition?
My gratitude to you too brother, nice knowing you. God bless you, brother
Q:
I am sure you hear what your heart say when you know and see the poor people asking for help. I believe that inner voice is from our Creator. 🙂
What do you think you can do to help those poor Somalian? Teach them to meditate and accept their conditions as part of their karma, and then just wait the time to die? And pray and hope to be re-born in a rich familiy after they die? 🙂
AK:
This is where ur entire understanding of Lord Jesus’ mssg of “you reap what you sow” as delivered by Paul, stands to be corrected. Acceptance of the Law of Sowing and Reaping encourages us to sow, and sow, and sow.
I am trying to do what I can for the destitute around me first. Remember Lord Jesus’ testatement, indeed His Greatest Testament, “Love your neighbour”. I am trying to follow that first before loving my neighbour’s neighbour, as per my capacity.
My dear brother, I feel, living in Bali, you have not been able to understand the culture and the spirituality of the Balinese. I am so sorry that you have got a totally biased view and perception of the entire Karma theory.
Perhaps you despise it since the language sanskrit is foreign to you. Let us change it to Latin, or English “cause and affect”, or the language of physics, “action and reaction”, or the language of the Holy Bible, “sowing and reaping”