Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1898-02-02
THE LAW OF KARMA.
VIEW OF A DISCIPLE OF THEoS-
OPHY.
This Is the New Religion That IL Real
ly Old-Liyed Up to 1t Would, Like
All Others, Transform Earth Into
Heaven.

return to its protector. Once this law
is recognized, we begin to see the phil
osophy underlying that homely adage,
Curses, like chickens, come home to
roost." For 1900 years we in the west
ern world have heard, "As man sows.
so shall he reap" yet while glibly re-
citing this, we SOW Canada thistles and
then rail at fate because we do not
reap California peaches, Why? Sim
ply because the philosophy underlying
this is not understood. We fail to
see in man the master of the cause
but the slave of the effect Nature Is
conquered by obedience to its laws.
Help Nature and work on with her,
and Nature will regard thee as one OF
her creatures and will make obei-
sance," says the Voice of Silence.
Karma, then, is the law which ad-
justs effects to causes on all planes. 1t
is the ultimate law of the universe. In
connection with the law of rebirths--
relncarnation-it explains the prob
lens which now are vexing us. 1t ex-
plains the unequal distribution of cap
ital and labor; the distinction of class
in society, of sex in the affairs of life;
the apparent injustice of birth-one
man born in a hovel, another in
palace; one an imbecile. another with
vigorous, healthy intellect; one
reaching the age of fourscore and ten
in peace and plenty, the other cut off
in his prime by a violent or ''acciden-
tall death. All that is due to Kar-
ma, either racial, national or individ-
ual Man in his efforts toward the ex-
pansion of self-consciousness throws
himself out of harmony with cosmic
law the result of the discord being
what we call pain and suffering. SO
he learns that law has been disregard
| ed, and the ultimate result is obedi-
ence to law, the tendency ever being
| to restore equilibrium.
The two doctrines which modern
| Christianity lacks (but which Jesus
taught, are reincarnation and Karma,
the one depending on the other. There
is no mistaking the words of Christ:
with what measure We mete it shall
! Dt ul6dSuIbu W you dSdlu AHOlllcl
passage teaching both doctrines is
found in Matthew ", &c, Verify l say
unto thee, thou shalt by no means
come out of thence till thou hast paid
the uttermost farthing," implying the
Karmic ties that draw the soul back
to rebirth. In Matthew XII, IA, the
statement is made clearly, IF We will
receive it, this is Elias, which was for
to come" a positive declaration that
Elias had incarnated in John the Bap-
tist When the disciples asked why
it was said that Elias would come be-
ELIAS shall truly come first and re-
store all things. but l say unto you
that Elias is come already and they
knew it not"
When the doctrine of reincarnation
was stamped as a heresy at a general
council held by the early church after
the reign of mental and spiritual dark
ness had set in that of Karma went
also. with what measure ye mete
it shall be measured to you again"
gradually became dead letter in the
church, the vicarious atonement
(wrongly interpreted) seeming to Of
fer an escape; and so we have the yari-
Gus schemes to enable man to evade
the penalty of his own wrong doing.
The doctrine of Karma-absolute JUS
tice-does not appeal to weak natures
preferring to shift the responsibility OF
their misdeeds on to the shoulders oil
their Creator-an idea which appears
to theosophists little short of bias
phemy.
Let us now take up the law of Kar-
ma and try if possible to see how il
works. Science now acknowledges
that thought precedes action, that nc
action is possible without the thought
or motive power behind it; therefore
thoughts are of the most Importance
Let us analyze this a little. Suppose
we take mind with no past activities
with nothing to hinder its perfect free.
dom (an impossibility which some o.
our scientific" psychologists assume
suppose such a mind to evolve
thought. This thought, repeated many
times. becomes a habit OF mind" sc
that it runs automatically into this
particular mold. Suppose the grow.
ing mind now disapproyes of this par
ticular form of thought Tor though
form")-finds it hindrance. The will
bv repeated efforts can change thi,
mental tendency and direct th'
thoughts into other chan, els. Re
peated covetous desires will crystalliz,
into thefts when the opportunity
comes. Thoughts directed TOWARD
helping humanity will crystalline into
deeds of unexpected heroism. How
often we hear 1t said: IF had stopped
to think | should not have done it,
The saturated mental solution needed
only the additional crystal to solidif!
into action AS long as we have thu
power to stop and think" we hav,
not yet reached the danger line; W,
are still master of the cause" Tn,
liability to stop and think" on tn
other hand, shows that we have be
come the slave of the effect" Thu
we find that the mind FORCES the fette
and wears 1t, and that while wearing
it it can file through it by repeated
= efforts of the will Here we have al
, instance of a small Karmic cycle
Further analysis reveals the fac
that as repeated thoughts become ten
denotes so painful experiences beeom,
conscious and experiences in the aggre