Theory of Karma and Evolution
Written by : Mrinal Sharmamrinal_07@hotmail.com
Welcome and congratulations, am delighted that you could make it. Getting here was not easy, I know. In fact, I suspect it was a little tougher than you realize.
To begin with, for you to be here now trillions of drifting atoms had to somehow assemble in an intricate and curiously obliging manner to create you. It's an arrangement for specialized and particular that it has never been tried before and will only exist this once. For the next many years these tiny particle will uncomplainingly engage in all the billions of deft, cooperative efforts to keep you intact and let you experience the supremely agreeable but generally under appreciated state known as existence.
Unfortunately this tryst is not forever, for the longest of any human life is not more than 650,000 hours, after which all your atoms would close you down then silently dissemble and go off to be other things. These other things could be just about anything from the air you breathe to the water you drink to the ground you walk on. For the entire gamut of existence is made up of atoms of about only 92 different elements which naturally occur like oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, iron, sodium etc.
These liberated atoms meet again to take another form lets follow an atom of oxygen closely2026 the atom got along with two other hydrogen atoms to form water then got poured into the soil to be absorbed by a tree through osmosis and got processed into a fruit with was eaten by an animal which in turn was eaten by a human being. Once in the human body atoms of oxygen are taken around by the RBC's and the atom exchanges places with a weaker oxygen atom who by then developed affinity with carbon and together they were carried out of the body to remain in liberated form again until they are absorbed by a tree who by the process of photosynthesis separated oxygen from carbon.
It's much like Darwinian idea of evolution. The karma theory describes a great chain of being. Postulating a kinship between all species of beings, and a pattern of development of one life form into another. Humans have been monkeys in the past and all animals have been single cell animals. The difference between karma theory is that individuals mutate through different life form from life to life. A subtle, mental level of life carries patterns developed into one life into succeeding ones. Species develop and mutate in relation to there environments, individuals also develop to mutate from species to species. This karmic evolution can be random and beings can evolve into lower forms as well as higher ones. Once beings become conscious of the process, however, they can purposely affect their evolution through choices of actions and thoughts. Although there are undeniable differences, Karma theory gives an evolutionary explanation of how beings are the way they are.
Karma means action that causes development and change, and is so close to what we mean by evolution. There is no need to retain the Indian word Karma. Some translators do so because of a factor of mystification, they feel nothing in the target language can reproduce the unique meaning of the original term. Some westerners who delve into eastern thoughts also keep the term because they are thinking of karma mystically, as a kind of fate. In Buddhist science it has nothing to do with fate - it is an impersonal, natural process of cause and effect. Our karma at a given moment in life is the overall pattern of casual impulses resulting from former actions connected to our life continuum. These form a complex that impresses its effect on our bodies, actions and thoughts. In turn our ongoing actions of body, speech and mind, form new casual impulses which determine the nature and quality of our lives in future. This complex can be called our evolutionary momentum. There is an old saying "don't wonder about our former lives jut look carefully at your present body! Don't wonder about your future lives , just look at your mind in the present!" this expresses the sense that our present body has evolved from long evolution driven by former actions, and our future embodiments will be shaped by how we think and what we decide to do in our present actions.
To begin with, for you to be here now trillions of drifting atoms had to somehow assemble in an intricate and curiously obliging manner to create you. It's an arrangement for specialized and particular that it has never been tried before and will only exist this once. For the next many years these tiny particle will uncomplainingly engage in all the billions of deft, cooperative efforts to keep you intact and let you experience the supremely agreeable but generally under appreciated state known as existence.
Unfortunately this tryst is not forever, for the longest of any human life is not more than 650,000 hours, after which all your atoms would close you down then silently dissemble and go off to be other things. These other things could be just about anything from the air you breathe to the water you drink to the ground you walk on. For the entire gamut of existence is made up of atoms of about only 92 different elements which naturally occur like oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, iron, sodium etc.
These liberated atoms meet again to take another form lets follow an atom of oxygen closely2026 the atom got along with two other hydrogen atoms to form water then got poured into the soil to be absorbed by a tree through osmosis and got processed into a fruit with was eaten by an animal which in turn was eaten by a human being. Once in the human body atoms of oxygen are taken around by the RBC's and the atom exchanges places with a weaker oxygen atom who by then developed affinity with carbon and together they were carried out of the body to remain in liberated form again until they are absorbed by a tree who by the process of photosynthesis separated oxygen from carbon.
It's much like Darwinian idea of evolution. The karma theory describes a great chain of being. Postulating a kinship between all species of beings, and a pattern of development of one life form into another. Humans have been monkeys in the past and all animals have been single cell animals. The difference between karma theory is that individuals mutate through different life form from life to life. A subtle, mental level of life carries patterns developed into one life into succeeding ones. Species develop and mutate in relation to there environments, individuals also develop to mutate from species to species. This karmic evolution can be random and beings can evolve into lower forms as well as higher ones. Once beings become conscious of the process, however, they can purposely affect their evolution through choices of actions and thoughts. Although there are undeniable differences, Karma theory gives an evolutionary explanation of how beings are the way they are.
Karma means action that causes development and change, and is so close to what we mean by evolution. There is no need to retain the Indian word Karma. Some translators do so because of a factor of mystification, they feel nothing in the target language can reproduce the unique meaning of the original term. Some westerners who delve into eastern thoughts also keep the term because they are thinking of karma mystically, as a kind of fate. In Buddhist science it has nothing to do with fate - it is an impersonal, natural process of cause and effect. Our karma at a given moment in life is the overall pattern of casual impulses resulting from former actions connected to our life continuum. These form a complex that impresses its effect on our bodies, actions and thoughts. In turn our ongoing actions of body, speech and mind, form new casual impulses which determine the nature and quality of our lives in future. This complex can be called our evolutionary momentum. There is an old saying "don't wonder about our former lives jut look carefully at your present body! Don't wonder about your future lives , just look at your mind in the present!" this expresses the sense that our present body has evolved from long evolution driven by former actions, and our future embodiments will be shaped by how we think and what we decide to do in our present actions.