karma
The word [karma] penetrated the Western consciousness, from the Buddhist point of view at least, in somewhat distorted guise. It is often called the Law of Cause and Effect, so it is about the consequences and actions of the body, speech and mind. And consequences are very important in Buddhism. Any action that is willed, however subtly, by the person who performs it will always produce a future "ripening" and ultimately a "fruit" of similar moral quality, because in the human sphere karma operates in an ethical manner. So an unethical action will produce a come-back of like kind in this life or some future rebirth; and the same goes for morally good or indifferent actions that are willed and freely undertaken. In the Bible it says something similar: that we reap what we sow. If we want to progress spiritually--or even just live with minimum aggravation--it therefore behooves us to be very careful how we speak and act, for there is no way we can escape the consequences.
- John Snelling
The word [karma] penetrated the Western consciousness, from the Buddhist point of view at least, in somewhat distorted guise. It is often called the Law of Cause and Effect, so it is about the consequences and actions of the body, speech and mind. And consequences are very important in Buddhism. Any action that is willed, however subtly, by the person who performs it will always produce a future "ripening" and ultimately a "fruit" of similar moral quality, because in the human sphere karma operates in an ethical manner. So an unethical action will produce a come-back of like kind in this life or some future rebirth; and the same goes for morally good or indifferent actions that are willed and freely undertaken. In the Bible it says something similar: that we reap what we sow. If we want to progress spiritually--or even just live with minimum aggravation--it therefore behooves us to be very careful how we speak and act, for there is no way we can escape the consequences.
- John Snelling
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primal abyss
...16x20 oil on canvas...
**coming up from the abyss..ascent of man
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sisyphus .. condemned to roll a boulder up and over the edge of the abyss..only to have it..as he neared the top..to roll back down again
The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious
being abstracted it is not entirely clear but at the top left of the painting is village. it is separated however by a great chasm from the trail of man coming up from the pit. having escaped the fire they nevertheless are still separated from their goal.
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i have heard of [i belive this is true but it really doesnt matter] a tribe somewhere on the continent of africa that is/was doomed to spend their entire life..whole families..generations of them..down in a mine pit ..either gold or diamonds. supplies adequate for their existence were sent down to them but they were never allowed to come up from the pit.
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From the promise land in Lipscomb Alabama
Where golden eagle table syrup and buffalo rock
Flow freely
And the train whistle blows
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