We’re all fairly familiar with Hebrews 4:4: “On the Seventh Day God Rested from all His Work”, and its seemingly straight forward literal understanding until examined esoterically. We shall explore. Also, how straight forward is the scripture a few lines down from it: “For whoever receives that rest which God promised will rest from his own work, just as God rested from his” Hebrews 4:10.
Many, while professing a literal understanding of these particular scriptures, remain in ignorance I feel of the vital points to which they are alluding. To obtain any meaningful benefit from these two scriptures, literal interpretation will have to be suspended. For, in their literal evaluation the scriptures offer no substantial insight for the individual’s spiritual growth—nothing remotely close to the dramatic truth which esoterically they contain.
Beyond Creation
Referred to in Hebrews 3-:11 as “Solemn Promise” this term is referring to the laws of nature responsible for the entire manifest creation. As divine Consciousness is transcendental, such an Exalted state therefore lies beyond manifest creation. Thus, “Rest” in Hebrews 4:10 refers to transformational Christ consciousness. At Rest-Consciousness mind-body transcending, go beyond the entire creation of individuality (rested from his work Hebrews 4–4). Because the mind transcends creation in meditation, it ceases to be an individual conscious mind. Individuality is suspended during “Rest” or transcendence — even the aging process — to facilitate expansion, purification, and transformation. When the mind comes back after meditation, individuality returns endowed of eternal consciousness. Thus Promised Rest in Hebrews 4:10 is “undergoing” transformation from the effects of the “Solemn Promise”, the established cosmic laws, the unchangeable governance of nature: “as we sow, so shall we reap” – the law of cause and effect which rules over each of us without favoritism.
Therefore, “rested from his work” is going beyond creation, beyond the grip of karma, beyond the laws of nature responsible for creation, maintenance and dissolution of everything in creation – going to where our true nature becomes perceptible within. In going beyond creation, in culturing the mind transcendentally, such is how re-birthing on this plane of suffering consciousness is conquered. Thus, it’s not the events of our life which are deemed suffering, rather the activities carried out while in spiritual ignorance.
Hebrews 4:3 shows us that God said: “I was angry and made a solemn promise: they (our non-purified thoughts actions and emotions) will never enter the land (transcendental consciousness) where I would have given them rest (eternal-nature transformation)”. Now, God, as we all know, does not get angry. “Angry” here is symbolism for a level of inner disunity, disharmony resulting from previous misuse of the cosmic laws “as ye sow, so shall ye reap”. “Angry”, meaning, a mind not cosmically attuned, therefore, could not obey His commands, obey the impulses of divine intelligence in our previous lives, symbolized by the word ancestors. We were stubborn, meaning incapable of soul-hearing or pure silence-knowing, therefore incapable of making spiritual progress. Due to this perpetual psychic sleep, we were incapable of obeying divine instruction which was to be in harmony with the established cosmic laws, appointed by God. Where the insight-impulses of our own soul would echo audibly and distinguishably above the droning reverberations of societal rituals, hardened tribalism and corporate deceit overlaying.
‘Promised Rest’ is similar to Moses and the Promised Land – promised, meaning, innately present, was always there and, Land, meaning, consciousness or spiritual awareness. Thus, divine consciousness already lies within each of us awaiting direct realization. In refusing to establish conscious contact with Divine Potential, then, through such spiritual ignorance, our life is governed by its opposite, sin, which means continued separation from God which is termed suffering.
Remember, man-made rituals can never free us from sin, which is carried out transcendentally. At best ritual may ease our social conscience temporarily, and we stop stoning ourselves. Thus, “Rested” means transformation from the mountain of buried sin awaiting redemption, forgiveness, purification.
Once initiated, transformation is automatic, when no repeating sin-nature can reach to control the mind again. For, at this stage of Rest consciousness, all our actions and intentions will be spiritually harmonized. All future activity becomes based on conscious choice, pure intellect, and not unconsciously recurring as was the situation previously.
Seventh Day Consciousness
During meditation the conscious mind transforms into point of Pyramid Consciousness, or, Seventh Day consciousness – thus, in Hebrews 4:4 God rested is meaning within the seventh state of consciousness, and not on a particular day of the week. In scriptural terms, a Day is neither Monday, Tuesday or Sunday. A day represents a level of spiritual consciousness.
There are seven states or layers of consciousness: waking, dreaming, deep sleep, transcendental, cosmic, God and unity consciousness. Seventh Day (consciousness) is experienced within the seventh seal mentioned in Rev 8—1. This seal or Day is located in the brain and it is called the pineal gland.
Scriptural “Day” therefore is a level of consciousness, and rested on 7th Day is resting within the seventh chakra at the top of the spine in the brain. Seven symbolizes unity. Therefore, Seventh or Unity Consciousness is to be found at the Seventh chakra or Seventh seal, when such chakra is opened by the flow of kundalini from the base of the spine in meditation or through other well established Yoga practices.
As we said, there are seven chakras, each representing a level of consciousness. The highest human level is Seventh Day consciousness or transcendental Unity Consciousness.
Overall, Hebrews 4:4 is informing where eternal God-nature is located, rested, and how we may come upon it — which is through the mind. In other words, individual awareness first proceeds inwards into the mind, into the body, in order to transcend this material plane and arrive at Seventh Day awareness.
In practical terms, the mind becomes the vehicle through which we transcend and which, on return, is infused of divine nature. The tiny conscious mind has expanded into becoming the fully conscious mind thereby freeing the sub-conscious element of generationally-layered conditioning. It’s these previous lives which are responsible for our constantly coming back to this earth plane. Thus, our work in this incarnation is to gain transcendental consciousness first, thereby do we defeat death, or sin, and gain eternal unbounded status. The Bible puts it: “if there be one just man (one awakened life journey) I will save the city (transform the mind). In other words, all we need to achieve is one conscious, Higher-Self integrated lifetime. Similarly, “First seek ye the Kingdom and all else will be added unto consciousness…”
Thus we can say that God is resting—to be found—within the 7th chakra state of consciousness awaiting kundalini’s upward flow from the base of the spine to awaken all the in between chakras, culminating at the 7th chakra, the pineal gland.
The Three Gunas
In the words of the immortal Bhagavad-Gita, the innumerable laws of nature are referred to as the three gunas. These innumerable laws come under three headings: creation, maintained and dissolution. The Bhagavad-Gita is recognized as the supreme interpretation of the human condition leading to full enlightenment. In chapter 2 verse 45 Lord Krishna (inner Being or God) informs Arjuna (you / me): “be without the three gunas”, meaning, be without the influence of the laws of nature for a period of inward transcendence. Be without the cosmic laws evolving the whole process of material life. Go beyond their influence. Enter immortality.
In this context, meditation is more than totally vital. It’s our means of actual salvation, redemption — our born again route into Christ-consciousness. Transcendence meditation takes the mind / body beyond creation, beyond the laws of nature, beyond the three gunas. By transcending the three gunas, the mind gets to expand into infinity, enter eternal consciousness. At this level of consciousness, we no longer create time-based activity, or partake in any lower mental state which can bind the mind-intellect to spiritual ignorance. Thus, transcending frees the mind from the clutches of compulsory sinning – when sub-consciousness is integrated.
We begin to see the true and vital purpose of inner transformation. For only transcendental silence meditation can set the mind free from the binding influence of the fruits of our past actions. So long as the mind remains individual or lower-self orientated, so long as sin is automatic no matter how goody, goody we may appear societally. Until the consciousness is transformed, cultured transcendentally, then every past and present action is / was contaminated, is rooted for re-enactment as sin-nature.
1 John 8:10 puts it: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God (surrender in meditation), he will keep his promise (reveal his nature) and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing (release from the bondage of repetitive Karma and its suffering consequences). If we say that we have not sinned, we make God out to be liar, (for sin is inescapable while in the state spiritual ignorance) and his word is not in us”.
In other words, God has put His law in place, and everyone, without exception, is deemed a sinner – a cosmic law breaker — until each is made One and harmonious with eternal pure silence, then to live such a life daily for to benefit others and creation.
Karma and the Forbidden Fruits
Karma, as we said, simply means perpetual action or activity – a force created by God. Karma is not something bad as some western commentators go on about. No, not at all. Think water: water can be either clear or muddy, but it still remains usable water.
Thus the forbidden fruits represent a level of previously lived activity which bind the mind to similar nature actions. Stored karma is a collection of non-integrated mental-sensory activity, and is why Jesus said “bring the five loaves and two fish to him”. For, the fruits are every sensory action performed while still emotionally attached to the objective phenomenal world. Such is how perpetual overshadowing of our true nature is carried out – also termed identification. Forbidden fruits, therefore, are all activity experienced while still non aware of direct God-nature – pure transcendental silence – the tree from which God allowed man eat from.
At the un-manifested level, karma is a neutral God-appointed force for the purpose of bringing everything in creation to higher states of consciousness. The reality is, each individual and the entire cosmos, is being created, maintained and dissolved by this force of Karma – such is how spiritual progress to Unity is made. Introducing the term “karma” here helps qualify the earlier Hebrews scripture 4: 10. Now, finally, we have a more relatable understanding of what Hebrews and the forbidden fruits are eluding to.
In conclusion, then, the forbidden fruits are the manifestations of action-experience-impression which cause and maintain separation from God – termed as sin — by means of the laws of nature working through us. Accumulated karma remains while we remain non-soul realized; when experiences become suppressed programs or mind-sets to be lived unconsciously automatically. Thus, can stress, fear and compulsive worrying be considered sin, for these are the emotional states are which hold and maintain the subconscious mind and all its reactive thought patterns in place. This is why the Bible terms sin as spiritual death. Because of not personally managing our emotions positively, thereby to serve freely and spiritually, the mind remains bound to the relentless wheel of karma – the forces of nature, the level of time, space and causation. Maintenance of stress, fear, anger and worry thus are paramount. At the practical level, this is what the biblical transfiguration of Jesus on the Mount is about. Transfiguration of karma dominance by way of integrating soul nature simultaneously The transfiguration is freeing from perpetual action-experience-impression.
Perpetual activity, experience, impression—or karma—is due to the five ordinary senses being cultured only to the lower realms of gross existence. Through meditation, these same five senses expand into a more advanced plane of spiritual perception which is totally all-encompassing, all-embracing. When a more soul-centered communicative process of spiritual fulfillment, as separate from the ordinary five-sense experiencing, becomes obvious. This is when the senses become multi-dimensional for cosmically serving.
This is how consciousness gets to know unbounded eternal awareness while simultaneously functioning in the time-based world. In other words, the nature of God or Being is transcendental eternal bliss-consciousness: Being is absolute, ever-silent, timeless and ever non-changing, whereas, karma is eternally ever-active and ever-changing within the field of relativity: two complete opposite states, one ever changing and evolving, the other absolute, ever silent and permanent. In this context, karma permanently keeps the individual out of the realm of transcendental Being or, as Jesus puts it: “Where I (eternal consciousness) go you (karma) cannot come, but I go to prepare a place for you (transcendence)”. This scripture is proclaiming the need of meditation as the means of reuniting both Being and karma thereby achieving total brain functioning.
Fruits of the tree of good and evil. Here, “Good and evil” is a catch-phrase for overall creation, for, time-space-causation. Thus, good and evil—overall creation—is something which must be first experienced, eaten, in order then to transcend such. After Self-Realization, these same forbidden fruits present no problem to consciousness or to God. Thus, “Heaven and earth (all of creation) are full of thy glory”, meaning, we’re free to enjoy all of creation while free from the binding influence of karma.
Thus we begin to comprehend the purpose of individual life — that of making it more powerful – is in glorifying karma and not condemning it, for it’s our means of conscious soul realization.
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Raymond…
Thanks for the beautiful explanation of Karma, the true meaning of “Good” and “Evil,” the unveiling of the use of “rest” in Hebrews, and how it ties in with consciousness. You are spot on. God’s rest becomes our rest when we go into meditation, and are able to allow silence to do it’s work in expanding our awareness, and healing the mind and body.
If you get the chance, would you expound a little bit, based on your understanding, of how more self-awareness is retained after going into silence. I believe many people get caught up and have “fear” that unity consciousness means loosing one’s identity. Adam and Eve were not allowed to partake of the tree of life after the expulsion because God stated that he would live forever. Of course the esoteric meaning is that man first had to be immersed in duality and karma to discover his way back “without sin” before partaking of the Tree of Life. In other words, individual consciousness and the ego had to go through the transformation process of the mind, and therefore, this life in duality is a blessing, because the ascension process back up is a beautiful spiritual journey of discovery of the self.
You already partially address this in your discussion of karma, which I thought was very enlightening, but people often get confused on “why” the fall “must” happen. In fact, we shouldn’t even say it “must” happen, but that it is the natural manifestation of consciousness, and is the progression of creation from consciousness. Thanks my friend!
Hello Joshua: Yes, I have found that true too, that some people fear the loss of identity. In reality, it is actually their ego based identity that fears its own dismanteling. The ego fears the very idea of surrender to a higher consciousness. Once in a deeper state of inner connection and peace one will realize a deeper sense of their true self and how magnificent it is. I remember well this feeling of loss of identity when first starting out in my quest for higher knowing. I remember thinking what will the rest of my broken life be without the effort of seeing what elese there is by going within. I heard my inner self say, without you Father I am nothing. I statrted meditating and struggled with the ego mind for many years, but I persisited and every time I asked for divine guidance and help. When people ask me about meditation and surrendering to this higher state of being, I just tell them to ask and set an intention for divine guidance and protection into a greater knowing and understanding of true self. How grayeful I am that I persisted in knowing a higher truth. I crossed a threshold that will never be stepped over again and I am in this life to encourage otheres to do the same. Many Blessings!
Hi Denise, Thank you for this excellent comment. I agree fully with all that you have stated on the ego and how it works. And is why I was taken by what you stated in comment:
“How grateful I am that I persisted in knowing a higher truth. I crossed a threshold that will never be stepped over again and I am in this life to encourage others to do the same”.
And Many Blessings to you in return!
Hi Josh,
Thank you for this really interesting comment. You ask: “would you expound a little bit, on how more self-awareness is retained after going into silence. I believe many people get caught up and have “fear” that unity consciousness means loosing one’s identity”.
This is a really good question. The answer is, that, in order to grow spiritually we must lose our lower-self identity which is the very purpose of our life and this spiritual journey. More specifically, for the duration of meditation, we lose identity of inner referencing and sensory individuality, of bodily awareness, and merge into divine stillness or Spirit nature. But what we call “identity” is really an association with individualism, with mental activity of time and illusion. But this is the nature we’re each born into. By mental activity is meant the relentless drive of the subconscious history pushing its content into the conscious mind for continued regurgitation — for some this is not a pleasant meal. The name given to this perpetual activity is the binding influence of karma, both within and without, meaning subject the laws of nature. Of course, binding influence is only binding as long as we retain and maintain association with the false persona inherited at birth. This false identity is what eventually becomes surrendered, integrated in meditation.
I say eventually, because when first starting out on the practice of meditation, and, on closing the eyes with good intention, the first thing we’re each confronted with is the karma, the perpetual activity of the mind, the never-ending thoughts. There is no way in the beginning of our meditation practice of escaping thoughts, no way we can just sit down and and experience total mental silence, instead the experience is mostly mental activity. This is why use of a mantra is really helpful in this area of minimizing the mental activity experience during meditation. In this context, persistent practice pays huge dividends. After minimizing the mental activity, this is what leads to transcendence, going beyond ego, beyond creation, beyond the false identity. For, we are not that false identity, we’re made in the image and likeness of God. This is what scripture is instructing in — losing the binding fruit of karma from the mind, binding influence of our past activities, termed sin. Thus meditation is about bringing karma to an end by minimizing the nature of past experiences and such is how Self awareness is retained during and after meditation. Thus do we find our spiritual or transcendent wings in daily life. But such wings are only noticeably beautiful when we spiritually fly, when we soar in heart through daily life.
When we realize that karma is activity, then it makes perfect sense that we seek a remedy means out of this mental activity-web. That remedy is creating stillness in the mind. Psalm 46:10 puts it:”Be still and know (experience) that I (our eternal consciousness) am God”. In other words, “I and the Father are One transcendental consciousness” which we come upon by means of stilling the conscious mind, through losing the false nature naturally.
“so get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to..your hearts and minds must be made completely new”. Ephesians 4:22-23.
“Be not afraid, it is I” — our own eternal God nature.
With regards to the tree of life and the tree of the fruits of good and evil. The esoteric message here is that both trees have roots.but that its the nature-quality of the particular root is what determines the quality of the fruit, our experiences. in other words, the tree root saturated in meditative stillness is automatically infused of divine nature or bliss awareness — bliss is a term for pure peace. Whereas, the root not in meditation is totally surviving on the fruits of the false identity and not in harmony with the divine purpose of its life — that of gaining Unity consciousness. In other words, the criteria of right action cannot be determined through the false prophet, through the lower-ego. Rather right action for the soul and for the cosmos is determined transcendentally. Such is how, through meditation, we remain in harmony with the cosmic laws of nature, the will of God, and not remain subject to the binding influence of the fruits or experiences of perpetual sin through non direct awareness of our Higher nature.
hope this throw more light on the points you raise, Josh.
Blessings to all.
Great story Raymond, I will reread it to extract the inbound values (digest).
Imo karma is what we promised to do.
Middle-East knowledge more or less in-between far East and extreme West ?
Meditate or mediate ?
Western overconfident fastfoward versus Eastern indolent slow stepping. As described in Commentary of The Secret of the Golden Flower by Carl Jung.
Interesting take, Leo. Can you explain more into what karma is what we promised to do? Thanks.
Karma is what Gurdjieff would call ‘the work’. I know a bit about my karma, what I am doing here. I have no inkling what karma other people have. In my opinion each of us comes to this physical life with an intent and we are not leaving (=dying) before that intent is followed through.
For example a three year old boy dies, the relatives are shocked and angry. But who knows what that entity had to live through just to finish off / complete a final task. To be able to go to a next level.
The millstone of Life turns slowly but precise. No one leaves until the last shred of the task at hand is finished. And yes there are different levels of awareness. Carl Jung warns us to keep an open heart when meeting someone. New things happen all the times, there walk among us great beings, they cannot be identified. They have neutral energy’s and yes they help. You ever had a small conversation with someone you meet for the first time and then later find out that you got another insight. You go back to that place but never see that person again. Amazing.
Back to karma. In my opinion the word karma is loaded and it only means : do your thing the best you can. Consciously.
BTW when a specific karma is finished/resolved one can get comfortable or choose a next level objective. But for most of us there is plenty to do on the current level (that includes me).
Personal karma, family karma, group karma, land karma, continent karma, world karma, so let’s do it. There is also a belief that many people are a sleep but each and every person is busy. It may not be visible but everyone is doing their thing.
And as ever all this is work in progress. I am a traveller and gather my insights, always interested in different points of view.
Hi Leo, Thanks for this comment and for the excellent comment in reply to Josh’s question where you stated:
“… In my opinion the word karma is loaded and it only means : do your thing the best you can. Consciously”.
Yes, I agree, for it makes perfect sense, and is why we meditate so that we will become fully conscious.
@Raymond. Thanks. I do give meditation a place. That it is a place to rest, that is it. It does not do ‘the work’. For that one need to practice to mediate.
To be on the cross, to be in the middle of all, aware, playing ‘the Lila of the Gods’.
As for karma, this URL more of less reflects my understanding of it.
https://theosophywatch.com/2018/03/02/sins-of-the-father-the-ghost-in-your-genes/
Love this, thank you. I am silenced.
Hello, Adrianne,
Thanks for this comment, nice to hear from you.
It is Paradise (a Persian word for Inside Garden); it is the Kingdom of Heaven is within. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. It is the place in consciousness that is ALWAYS – perfect, undefiled BLISS. The seventh day became the Sabbath: an actual day of rest. The TRUE Sabbath is with each of us ALWAYS… it is in the Silence, the Inside Garden, Heaven within. Sin or Syn, meaning the act or state of missing the mark, has its origins from the Hebrew ‘hata’ (sin) is and literally refers to missing the “gold” at the centre of a target, but hitting the target, i.e. error. From the Greek Metanoia which means repentance, refers to changed thoughts and actions. Quite simply ‘the day of rest’ (Sabbath) is about maintaining the ‘GOLD’ because by not doing so, we fall short of the mark and we have sinned. It is that Blissful state of consciousness, I believe even beyond the Christ Consciousness. Devoid of EGO (Edging God Out) it IS.
Hi Robherta, thank you so much for this really insightful comment.There is so much Truth in all that you have stated. Blessings.
Very well written Raymond! I can’t say that I disagree with much of anything you’ve written. I actually didn’t think that was possible (smile ) Josh’s comment was what I was thinking about as well; “…life in duality is a blessing, because the ascension process back up is a beautiful spiritual journey of discovery of the self.” Yes. I think the Christian technical term is the process of “sanctification”? …but I’m a lazy student 🙂 ‘ You will not be called Jacob but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with Man, and have overcome’ Really blew me away when I first read that like, 25 years ago…in my thirties.
In the rush toward an find a ‘unified answer for all things’ a whole generation transcended with “Orange Sunshine” etc. and a movie was made about it…by that very name, then people had to come back into this heavier, dense duality and actually exist moment to moment. It changed them, but the road was not without problems…the biggest is the difficulty of being misunderstood.
Exactly. As God said, you will now experience pain in child birth and toil in the dirt.
Josh, for me going back: To build the bridge across, I first of all I had to reconsider my foundations. And found out I ran away from my personal Hell. Oh boy, it took me years to come to grips with that ! Then still how to establish good foundation ? Yesssss, I got my understanding from communing with you, Josh, and Anny, and many other contributors. But all this had to happen inside of me. Be still and know ? Hell no, it was terrible ! It was terrifying ! Retracing me, my convinctions, my rejections, my hurts, my rights, my angers, my retributions, me lashing out, me hurting people, me using people, my wrongs, me hiding from Truth, covering my shame . . . my failures, my procastrinations and so on.
Me fighting with ideas posted here, me posting here, getting misunderstood, my frustrations, 555.
And all these books talking around the subjects that means Life and Death to me. How to do all of that or simple that what will be provisional to me ? I had to find a way and I did and I am tested, right or wrong, it is like polishing a diamond. Most parts are held by a dark and sticky compound (tar in the old days) and the surface to be polished is put on the grinder…
Anyway building new foundation needs proper attention to detail. The swamps are murky, one have to delve deep to the rocky bottom, meanwhile protecting the work from inrushing waters…
Again and again the surrounding try to sabotage the work’s, one has to stay vigilant . . .When the fortress is breached send reinforcements, identify the enemy and the treason from within. Learn, learn from your enemy, learn from your friend, there is help.
Hello Louis, thank you for this nice comment. I will be addressing josh’s point later. Good hearing from you.
Hitting the nail on the head for me at this time of Resurrection of the renewed mind for me. I am starting to see now the blessings of a transcended life & how our thoughts become reality. I am manifesting things more quickly now than ever, which has opened up my potential of doing anything that I want in this reality. We are the creators of our new World experience. Thank you for this interpretation, I knew that the Sabbath day was related to the opening of the 7th chakra & golden light of Melchior / Melchizedek, I was struggling to put it into words from scripture. It is a World of infinite possibilities that we open up when we live life without sin & subject to the law of God that is written in our hearts.
Hi Jason. this is an excellent comment and thank you so much for taking the time to pen it. You state:
“.. I am starting to see now the blessings of a transcended life..”
When its our own personal experience, yes, truly that is real encouragement for others. Thank you again.
Raymond and Josh, thank you again for this forum. It has always given me a place of reference to move with confidence into the wonders that are and remain to be ever flowing inspired by spirit and choosing a quest of healing.
Reading this article I observe eastern terminology entangled with western thought and introspection by you Raymond. The premise behind “The Spirit of Scripture” alludes to the bible and it’s scripture.
The New American Standard Bible is prefaced with the words: “written and produced with the “conviction” that the words of Scripture as originally penned in the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek were inspired by God”.
We are therefore, to look for meaning of our lives here.
The blog “Spirit of Scripture” gives us a platform that can guide us or at least invite us to come to spiritual growth in less than literal form and move beyond the boundaries into the esoteric.
It is from this place, that I ask to join the conversation from where you, writing in a bipartite fashion joining karma with Scripture.
It is a significant stretch for christians to look into karma for spiritual evolution rather than Creation itself.
“In the beginning God created”…
However since you linked the two, may I invite you to see karma as some-thing much more than what appears to me as your written interpretation of karma.
It appears to me that your understanding of karma and to the greater extent, the readers that shared their comments are of a similar view. I propose that when translating a term from it’s native principle into that of a foreign mindset, it can lose it’s sharpness and become dulled to the senses. In this case to mean “cause and effect” in the mindset or psyche.
Karma; absent in scripture, may be seen in it’s greater aspects as it is woven into the wheel of conditioned genesis. Where ignorance brings an action to look for some-thing.. This intention to look is the birth of karma. in it’s most pure form, it is pushed by the willful intention to look for…. In giving some-thing, attention, focus and with intent it alludes to a greater power albeit, illusionary. This drive, the push, the power behind this action, even if unstated, is desire.
Desire is the power, a fateful power which creates karma and determines it’s outcome. we may in truth say it’s desired outcome.
Desire, given the action of attention and focus in the moment shall become an observation of what is happening in that moment.. The experience. An experience as observed by the one looking for what-ever it is that it seeks. Karma, is that. Karma, is always with us, subjectively and objectively by any observer.
I presuppose to you that the role of karma in every-person’s life and the “promised rest” that you refer to in this article is literal and esoteric at the same time, in every instance.
If we choose to model our lives as christians with the bible as our reference, we are told to make it our conviction, therefore, we exist, through desire and it’s hold on us, creating resistance..
Study of the word conviction can give us insight, we are being restricted, tethered or shackled to a belief, which as you know is only thought, a mental-form that arises. When given intention, attention and focus, fueled by desire any thought becomes a reality. Our opinion. Our world. Our “take” our experience, directly or indirectly.
Study, meditation, and centered prayer allows en-trance into the void to “see” that these arising thoughts become married to to whatever we give our attention to. By and through quieting these thoughts we align our true being by re-leasing thought without attachment, without a marriage that in reality is forced upon us. Below it’s superficial hold on us we are given freedom and may see purpose; to “rest- karma”…
To cease karma is to rest desire, to remove it’s power over us thereby giving us true liberation. That, which the christian-apostolic God has promised without ever speaking the word Karma. Thereby, we are given the solemn promise…. may you rest in peace
Hi Michael,
Thank you very much for this comment, and for stating that your finding SOS a beneficial platform for spiritual growth. Indeed that’s the very purpose why Josh set up the blog-site. so that’s great feedback, thank you.
And, can I say at the outset that I fully agree with what you have to say about “desire” at the end of your comment.
So, let’s deal with a couple of the other points you raise.
From the hundreds of articles posted on “Spirit of the Scripture” blog, there are not many dealing with the subject of karma. So I thought a couple of article with some reference to karma and the laws of nature was in order. You say karma is not mentioned in Scripture. But, the term sin, is. Realistically and practically there is not much difference in interpretation with them both with regards to life on this planet for all of us. But I am aware of the subtle difference.
i mean, who is to say that Galatians 6:7-8 is not referring to karma and not sin? Now, I know many will have their own views and interpretation of this scripture, and that’s fine, of course. But reading too literally into certain scriptures I feel can tie us up leaving us rigid with just a collection of mental beliefs or mind-sets.
As a daily meditator now for just on 40 years, I can categorically say that for me karma is not about, as you say, ‘looking into it for spiritual evolution’ and was certainly not intended in the article in any way. Rather, through meditation, and transcendence, karma or mental activity is minimized or brought to an end. In this context, there is not much difference in the instruction of Psalm 46-10 “be still and know that I am God”. For, what are we stilling only perpetual karma or activity within the mind, or, transcending and neutralizing the effects of this dominant force in our life.
A biblical “promise”, as I understand it, is not the same as a promise you might make to another person. “Promise” here is referring to an already present state of God-nature within our soul. In other words, the promises of Christ are referring to His very nature of unconditional love, creativity, happiness and pure peace within each of us. But I totally respect other’s take on this, and can see how this “promise” can be interpreted literally, and that’s fine.
Finally, Michael, as I see it, all Scriptures are sacred no matter weather termed eastern or western. All the major religions have their sacred Scriptures for they each contain and carry the same vital God-originated message. All Scriptures are inspired through the God-consciousness of enlightened individual souls of all denominations. Thus, from my own perspective, in transcendental prayer or meditation, all these labels of eastern and western or religious titles, are non-existent. Union with God does not require that the teachings geographically be from one place or the other. Did God not intend redemption for all souls on the planet.
Thanks again, Michael, for your contribution.
“Where I go you cannot come, but I go to prepare a place for you”.
Imo this kind of refers to the bardo. Because in its context Jesus says the Father’s place has many rooms.