Karma
by Mistress Sarah
Summary: There are some that believe that according to the doctrine of karma, for every morally determinate thought, word, or action, there will be corresponding karmic compensation, if not in this life, then in some future life. As a man sows, so shall he reap. There are others that disagree, and say that a person consists of desires. As is his desire, so is his will; as is his will, so is the deed he does, whatever deed he does, that he attains.
Disclaimer & Introduction: Just a mandatory disclaimer that these characters are not mine, and that they are copyrighted, and protected by many people. I have borrowed them to dust them off, and breathe life back into them for a few moments. I also hope I have not offended anyone who is familar with the Hindu religion. If there are errors, please feel free to email me so that I might learn of, and correct the error.
Note: Telepathy
Archiving: SW and the WWOMB archive
Series: Introduction to Karma
Rating: G (for this section) John Matheson; Matthew Gideon. Series is rated NC-17. m/m. First and foremost, Angst, violence, rape with a few other things thrown into the mix.
Status: Complete, unless someone points something out. :D
Special Thanks to the following:
Rae, for being a strict Beta. I hope your new book is a success!
Azrael, for being Az and making numerous polite suggestions!
Deborah, for being a real Demon. (GRIN)
Lily, for letting me be an apprentice Witch.
Karma: Law of Action; Law of Desire.
by
Mistress Sarah
For more information on karma & Hinduism, please see http://members.home.net/lumiere/karma/ and also your local, friendly encyclopedia on the net such as Encarta. Also you may want to look at http://www.hindumythology.com.
Concepts in Hinduism
This vast universe is a wheel. Upon it are all creatures that are subject to birth, death, and rebirth. Round and round it turns, and never stops. It is the wheel of Brahma. As long as the individual self thinks it is separate from Brahma, it revolves upon the wheel in bondage to the laws of birth, death, and rebirth. But when through the grace of Brahma it realizes its identity with him, it revolves upon the wheel no longer. It achieves immortality.
The precise quality of the new birth is determined by the accumulated merit and demerit that result from all the actions, or karma, that the soul has committed in its past life or lives. All Hindus believe that karma accrues in this way; they also believe, however, that it can be counteracted by expiations and rituals, by "working out" through punishment or reward, and by achieving release (moksha) from the entire process of samsara through the renunciation of all worldly desire
The Law of Action
According to the doctrine of karma, for every morally determinate thought, word, or action, there will be corresponding karmic compensation, if not in this life, then in some future life. As a man sows, so shall he reap.
K. L. Sheshagiri Rao, in Pappu, 23
The Law of Desire
Others, however, say that a person consists of desires. As is his desire, so is his will; as is his will, so is the deed he does, whatever deed he does, that he attains.
Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (Radhakrishnan), IV.4.5
Prayaschitta
Prauaschitta is done for the destruction of sin. In the Code of Manu you will find various kinds of Prayaschitta for the destruction of various kinds of sins... Prayaschitta is of two kinds, viz., 1. Extraordinary (Asadharana) and 2. Ordinary (Sadharana). Extraordinary penances are those which are prescribed in the Code of Manu for the destruction of particular sins... If anyone repents and openly admits his minor offenses, the sin is washed away. In doing Prayaschitta the offender actually suffers, he punishes himself by long fasting and other ordeals as described above. Action and reaction are equal and opposite.
Swami Sivananda (1), 208-209
Dharma
Dharma is Sanskrit for "duty" or "the right way to live." It incorporates a number of interrelated concepts central to Hinduism: the nature of the world, the social order, cosmic law, and social law. One of the "four goals of humanity" (along with pleasure, profit, and release), dharma represents the belief that the way things are (descriptive law), for example, the sun rises in the east, is inseparable from the way things should be (prescriptive law), for example, Brahmins should not eat beef. The Sanskrit textbooks of dharma (Dharmasutras and Dharmasastras), with their argumentative commentaries, attempt to reconcile the particular, relativistic dharma of caste (svadharma, what each person is and should therefore do) with the general, absolute dharma of a universal ethics (sanatana dharma, eternal dharma, what all people should do: tell the truth, refrain from killing, be virtuous, and the like).
Many of the goals and ideals of renunciatory Hinduism have been incorporated into worldly Hinduism, particularly the eternal dharma (sanatana dharma), an absolute and general ethical code that purports to transcend and embrace all subsidiary, relative, specific dharmas. The most important tenet of sanatana dharma for all Hindus is ahimsa, the absence of a desire to injure, which is used to justify vegetarianism (although it does not preclude physical violence toward animals or humans, or blood sacrifices in temples).
The gods of the Hindu universe are guardians of the natural order. They help humans enjoy a worldly life. They also provide the means to break free from the wheel of rebirth. The three supreme manifestations of the surpreme divine principle are:
Brahma, the creator, who introduces the soul into the cycle of life;
Vishnu, the sustainer, who helps the soul participate in the cycle of life;
Shiva, the destroyer, who liberates the soul from the cycle of life.
Who is Kali?
The gods could not kill the demon Raktabija. Every drop of his blood that touched the ground transformed itself into another Raktabija. Within a few minutes of striking this asura with their weapons, the gods would find the entire battlefield covered with millions of Raktabija clones. In despair, the gods turned to Shiva. As Shiva was lost in meditation, they turned to his consort Parvati.
The goddess immediately set out to do battle with this dreaded demon in the form of Kali. Her eyes were red, her complexion was dark, her features gaunt, her hair unbound, her teeth sharp like fangs. As she rode into the battleground on her lion, Raktabija experienced fear for the first time in his demonic heart. Kali ordered the gods to attack Raktabija. She then spread her tongue to cover the battlefield preventing even a single drop of Raktabija's blood from falling on the group. Thus, she prevented Raktabija from reproducing himself.
Drunk on Raktabija's blood, Kali ran across the cosmos killing anyone who dared cross her path. She adorned herself with the heads, limbs and entrails of her victim. To pacify her, Shiva threw himself under her feet. This stopped the goddess. She calmed down, embraced her husband, shed her ferocious form to became Gauri, radiant mother.
{Characters} {Introduction} {1 None-so-Blind} {2 Kshatriya} {3 Bingo, the Invisible Fish, and Starship Captain} {4 Because Warlocks Can't FLY} {5 Prayaschitta} {6 Let the Captain Have Some Dignity} {7 Epiphany} {8 Biases} {9 Moksha} {10 The Three Graces}
Witches Familiars
{The Main Gate} {HomePage} {Wytches World} {We are Family} {A Little Artistic Licence} {No, we don't mean "A"riadne} {Our Home Is Our Castle} {The Witches' Diary} {Witches Familiars} {The Gateway} {Webrings}