Karma And Reincarnation In The Animal Kingdom

Author : Swami Abhedananda
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781517252021
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (52 download)

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Download or read book Five Lectures on Reincarnation written by Swami Abhedananda and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-09-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * Scientists cannot explain why genetic mutations occur. Therefore, they must be the result of karma. (wrong, because they could be the result of radiation, imperfections in the DNA copying mechanism, or unknown causes) * [Love, truth, self sacrifice, altruism, forgiveness, faith, devotion] cannot be explained as developed from animal nature by means of the struggle for material existence. For these qualities are not to be found in lower animals, although the struggle for existence is there. The moral and spiritual nature of human beings cannot be traced as the outgrowth or gradual development of the animal nature. (Exposes a complete misunderstanding of evolution as a "war of all against all" where cooperation and in-group-altruism are not rewarded. The guy needed to read some Dawkins and Kropotkin. Many of these qualities do seem to be found in "lower" animals.) *Numerous times he posits evolution as partially correct, but incomplete. Part of what he thinks evolution "got right" is the idea of progress. That life is progressing from single celled life to fishy things to quadrapeds to bipeds, to humans, the most "perfect" beings. "According to Vedanta, the end and aim of Evolution is the attainment of perfection. Physical evolution of animal life reached its perfection in the human form. There cannot be any other form higher than human on this earth under present conditions. It is the perfection of the animal form. From this we can infer that the tendency of the law of Evolution is to reach perfection... Do we see in nature any other higher form evolved out of the human body? No. Shall we not be justified if we say that the end of physical evolution is the attainment of the perfection of animal form?" This is again, a gross misunderstanding of evolution for reasons which should be obvious to anyone with a high school level of scientific literacy. Mankind is no more "perfectly" evolved than the cockroach or the octopus or any other animal which is well suited to its environment. Nor is mankind the "end" or goal of evolution. Indeed, the idea that evolution has a goal is absurd. ------ Then there is also the nasty social consequences of a belief in karma and reincarnation which come to light *Those who accept the truth of Reincarnation do not blame their parents for their poor talents, or for not possessing extraordinary powers, but they remain content with their own lot, knowing that they have made themselves as they are today by their own thoughts and deeds in their previous incarnations...They explain all the inequalities and diversities of life and character by the law of "Karma" which governs the process of Reincarnation... (reincarnation and karma teach people to accept their social role, and any misfortunes or tyrannies which come their way. They deserve them. This leads to, at best, happy slaves) I mean, if you dont know much about Vedanta this will tell you some basics about how they think karma and reincarnation works. What their conception of "sin" is (aka, they dont think sin exists except as a manifestation of ignorance. Sort of Aristotelian in a way. Nobody knowingly does wrong. )