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Vol. XXVI, 2003
DOCTRINE OF KARMA : A SCIENTIFIC VIEW....
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of their dreadful retributions and urges us to perform pious ones thinking of the pleasures that will accrue thereby. It makes us sin-fearing and altruistic. Will not a world inhabited by sin-fearing and altruist human beings a worthier place to live in than it is today?
A true appreciation of the Doctrine of Karma changes all this and gives us a new perspective with which to rationalise out thoughts. When we start thinking that none else but we ourselves are responsible for all our happiness and miseries, we have a totally changed chain of thoughts. Our current of thoughts shifts from blaming others to blaming ourselves. We become more contented and start thinking in terms of doing something that would enhance our pleasures and reduce our sufferings in future. It marks the beginning of a truly happy and contented life that also promises a more fulfilling and pious future. We become happy with ourselves and the world at large and the future stops looking bleak and barren. The Doctrine of Karma is, therefore, a formula for a happy and contented practical
life.
The Spiritual Benefits Of The Doctrine Of Karma -
Spiritual benefits of a soul are directly linked with its capacity of looking at things in the right perspective, its victory over passions, overcoming attachment and aversion and development of a truly detached disposition. Attachment (rāga) and aversion (dvesa) are the two generals of the army of delusion (moha) that constantly attack the worldly living beings. Succumbing to delusion and attendant attachment and aversion gives rise to passions like anger, pride, deceit and greed, which are, in turn, responsible for all worldly misery and karmic bondage. A proper understanding and appreciation of 'Karma Theory' helps us in understanding the mechanism of attachment and aversion and can become the means of breaking the bondage of delusion - ‘Mohanīya Karma' with its attendant attachment, aversion and passions - and pave the way for not only a harmonious mundane life but also for the ultimate goal of liberation through consequent victory over the delusion that causes attachment and aversion.
A little deliberation on how a lack of proper perspective results in attachment and aversion and how a proper understanding of the basic principles of karma-theory helps us in overcoming them will not be out of place. Lack of perspective distorts our thought-process and makes us think that the person detrimental to our worldly interests is responsible for our misery and we have a feeling of aversion (dvesa) towards him and a feeling of attachment for the one
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