The wheel of karma
I often hear folks debating free will vs determinism, as if, if the one exists, the other cannot.
Do we have free will? Or are the events of our lives pre-determined by “karma”?
Both.
Any seeming contradiction disappears when we make a distinction between action and reaction. Let me back up a moment, to explain. Let me start with free will first.
Among life forms on Earth, only humans have free will and conscience, as Matthew Ward tells us:
“Only humankind … is endowed with conscience and Creator’s gift of free will. Although each living being and each inanimate thing serves a purpose in the evolutionary process of all, it is the human population that sets the pace.” (1)
Only people can choose to act in a godly manner or not, he explains:
“Whereas all other life forms on Earth operate within their respective innate guidelines that work in harmony with Nature, people can choose to act in godly ways or not, to heed conscience or not; and their collective choices determine the civilization’s evolvement status.
“As humankind evolves via the light in spiritual and conscious awareness, so do all the other forms on the planet, and the collective vibratory emissions advance the entire world.
“And, as a world advances, life becomes increasingly simpler and joyous! It is only in third density’s lower vibrations that a civilization creates all the complexities born of negativity.” (2)
But if everything about our lives is determined, then what does it matter that we have this thing called “free will”?
The answer lies in knowing the purpose of life and how “free will” and “karma” fit into it.
***
I now have to back up quite a few “moments.” All the way to the purpose God had in creating life. I base my interpretation of it on a vision I had on Feb. 13, 1987. (3)
Reuniting with Mother/Father One through Self-Realization was shown to me to be the purpose of life. As John Ruusbroec reminds us:
“[For] the rational creature to attain the sublime beauty of God and to possess it in [a] supernatural way … is [the] reason that God created heaven and earth and all that is in them. (4)
That “supernatural way” would be what we’re calling ultimate enlightenment, re-absorption, mergence, union, etc.
Sri Ramakrishna agrees that “the vision of God is the only goal of human life.” (5) Rumi spun a story to illustrate our situation:
“There is one thing in this world which must never be forgotten. If you were to forget everything else, but did not forget that, then there would be no cause for worry; whereas if you performed and remembered and did not forget every single thing, but forgot that one thing, then you would have done nothing whatsoever.
“It is just as if a king had sent you to the country to carry out a specified task. You go and perform a hundred other tasks; but if you have not performed that particular task on account of which you had gone to the country, it is as if you have performed nothing at all. So man has come into this world for a particular task, and that is his purpose; if he does not perform it, then he will have done nothing.” (6)
Archangel Michael reminds us what specifically we’re to aim for:
AAM: Your ultimate enlightenment is the reabsorption into the Mother. (7)
Mother God and Father God are One. They are not two; they are not “different.” Reabsorption into the Mother is the gateway to reunion with Mother/Father One, mergence in the Heart of One, etc. The Mother tells us:
Divine Mother: Knowledge of me is more precious than anything because I am your connection [to the Father]. (8)
She is the face of God; he has no face. (9) She is the only “God” we’ll ever talk to, perhaps while we’re incarnated, perhaps forever – I don’t know.
***
OK so far. But how does our ultimate enlightenment serve God?
I believe that the One created life forms to experience itself. I had the opportunity to ask the Divine Mother if I was correct in that assumption and she confirmed it:
Divine Mother: You are one that, because of your adherence to Truth, likes to go to the Source. That is alright. That is the way it has been designed. [My emphasis]
Steve: … What is the way it has been designed, Mother? …
I mean, the Source, the One wants to know itself. Is that correct?… And it can’t because it’s everything. So it’s taken the aspect of Yourself and designed a universe in order for us to learn our true identities. The moment of Enlightenment is when God meets God. Is that correct?
Divine Mother: That is correct. … Yes, it is designed this way. (10)
Again, OK so far.
But think about it for a moment. Being only One can be a problem if you want to get to know yourself.
(Concluded tomorrow in Part 2/2/)
Footnotes
(1) Matthew’s Message, Aug. 3, 2014, at https://www.matthewbooks.com/
(2) Loc. cit.
(3) On that vision, see “Chapter 13. Epilogue” in The Purpose of Life is Enlightenment at https://goldenageofgaia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Purpose-of-Life-is-Enlightenment.pdf
(4) John Ruusbroec in James A. Wiseman, John Ruusbroec. The Spiritual Espousals and Other Works. New York, etc.: Paulist Press, 1985, 72.
(5) Paramahansa Ramakrishna in Swami Nikhilananda, trans., The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1978; c1942, 331. (Hereafter GSR.)
(6) Rumi in A.J. Arberry, trans., Discourses of Rumi. New York; Samuel Weiser, 1977; c1961, 26.
(7) “Archangel Michael on the Process of Lightworker Expansion and Learning,” September 3, 2022, at https://goldenageofgaia.com/2022/09/03/archangel-michael-on-the-process-of-lightworker-expansion-and-learning/; from Archangel Michael in a personal reading with Steve Beckow through Linda Dillon, March 10, 2017.) (Hereafter, AAM.)
(8) “Transcript of the Divine Mother on An Hour with an Angel, May 7, 2012,” at http://goldenageofgaia.com/the-2012-scenario/what-role-are-the-angels-playing/transcript-of-the-divine-mother-on-an-hour-with-an-angel-may-7-2012/.
(9) The Mother includes the material or physical; the Father is not physically-perceptible.
On the avoidance of capitals:
Archangel Michael: “We do not want anything capitalized.” (AAM, Aug. 12, 2016.)
(10) “Divine Mother: Know God but Through Joy,” November 4, 2018, at https://goldenageofgaia.com/2018/11/04/divine-mother-know-god-but-through-joy/.