Karma the Mechanism

Author(s): Hermann Kuhn
Publisher: Crosswind Publishing Germany

Page 32

SUTRAS
ATTRACTION TO KARMA
31
The world as it appears to us in our present times, easily gives the impression that people undertaking actions defined as 'bad' are having far greater fun than those obediently restricting themselves to 'good' behavior.
Actions generally perceived as 'good' often seem boring, fettered by duty, governed by rigid rules and prompted by intellectual accord rather than gut-feeling. And further these types of action more often than not remain unrecognized - except by a certain kind of dull and uncreative people who define the adherence to firm rules as major purpose in their life - and try to motivate or force others to conform to this belief as well.
In stark contrast to this many actions we regard as 'bad' carry the thrill of the forbidden and are inspired by excitement, daring and creativity. When we engage in 'bad', 'forbidden' action, we often experience heightened intensity of life, substantially more energy, and in the end are rewarded with a high degree of satisfaction - irrespective if we were successful or not.
And this gut-feeling is basically right. Excitement and the exploration of unknown (forbidden) areas of life are generally far more intense and satisfying than the performance of any socially accepted, formal duty could ever be.
But the conclusion is not that we should choose 'bad' actions because they just seem more rewarding, - the conclusion is to take the boredom out of 'good' action.
As long as we perform 'good' actions only because we follow purely formal, religious or social motives, or because we want to please someone propagating the boring variation of 'good' action, we will always envy those having 'fun' with their 'bad' actions - even though we might outwardly condemn their activities - and even though we may take high pride in the amount of 'good' karma we supposedly accumulate by our own boring activities.
Yet this purely formal pursuit of 'the good' without real inner understanding, without real inner engagement and conviction does not