Paths Of Advancement And Degradation

            From earliest childhood we are encouraged to think of ourselves as unique individuals and to develop our individuality. From the spiritual perspective this is an illusion strengthened by the present world view which emphasizes individual rights and personal freedom. We fail to see that when we think of ourselves this way we are. Simply seeing our reality of mind and body and ignoring our common spiritual reality. By emphasizing our differences and separateness and ignoring our community and ignoring our commonality, we are assuming that we are physical, rather than spiritual beings.

                 We talk about freedom and personal fulfillment, but because our understanding is limited to the material, we cannot see that in the light of the law of Karma, we have no free will at all. From a higher perspective we are simply undergoing the reactions of our earlier actions, repaying debts that have to be repaid. Who are we or rather who we think we are, is shaped by debits and credits incurred in early lives. We would do well to reflect on how many key aspects there are in our life over which we have had no control. Our parents, when and where we were born, our particular genetic patterning and our early education-all are a part of the conditioning that has made us what we today. When so much of what we are nothing that has happened beyond our control; is it not foolish to think that we are free?