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KARMA - THE MECHANISM
SUTRAS
outrageous actions, their incarnations in human form must have a different cause than the one mentioned above.
When a bodily form manifests, its character is determined by the amount of active karmic matter only, never by its inactive, latent karma. Therefore incarnations in human form also become possible when only a small part of the existing karma is activated while the main mass of positive and negative karma stays in its dormant, latent state 27
Latent karma encompasses all desires, aspirations and attachments we could not yet fully experience or manifest during this or previous bodily existences. These desires originate in our drive to realize the ideals and abilities we sense deeply within us.
Latent karma does not 'store' 'detailed actions of our past lives' as the vague Western karma-concept incorrectly presumes. It only reflects that part of our potential for which an opportunity for manifestation has not arisen yet, or for which the right circumstances were not yet present.
During the course of human embodiment some part of this dormant karma may get triggered by outside experiences or inner motivation. When it activates, it then may generate impulses for the highly negative actions we observe in our present world.
When we actively strive for freedom from all karmic limitations, these negative actions of others affect us only if they trigger latent karma within us as well. If we have no karma (no emotional tendencies) left that could cause involvement in e.g. negative global events, our path will not be touched by outside circumstances.
27 We acquire a human form under either of two conditions: 1 - By equanimity and mild disposition in former incarnations we ac
quired the karma necessary for human embodiment. This karma is
activated now. 2 - All excessive positive and negative karma that may prevent hu
man embodiment recedes into an inactive, latent state. Yet in this case the mere existence of latent karma prevents us from reaching ultimate freedom.
nt state. Yet in this
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