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interdimensional karma
SillyPutty
Veteran
Is it possible to be existing in other parallel universes right now, and the karma we produce on the other said planes of existence are in fact dictating our lives right now as we know them? Like we are all interdependent upon what we are doing in the different realms in which "we" exist?
For instance...
Maybe there is this other universe/planet (doesn't have to be a universe or planet, but my mind can't think of a better more outlandish example) and on that planet I just, I dunno, punched someone in the nose. Now since time is relative and we all exist at the same time in this example of mine, is it possible that another "me" in another different universe is reaping that bad karma? And maybe the good merits I am doing now on this earth by helping an old lady cross the street are negating the punching of the nose and thus putting everything back into a neutral karmic state?
It would kind of tie into the idea of interconnectedness, but just taking it up a notch to the idea of time not being linear and living in more than one universe at a time... so instead of linear time... I dunno the term I want to use... maybe... it's all... concurrent karmic time? (I barely studied philosophy in undergrad so I'm sure there are theories out there about this, but this is my ignorant attempt at asking it in relation to Buddhist philosophies).
I ask this because I have a hard time believing that we are the only ones in this vast universe. I think there are numerous universes and things we can't possibly even imagine right now, and it's totally beyond anyone's comprehension. So if that's possible, then there's also a possibility that there is another "me" and another "you" and other manifestations of "us" that stretch beyond our imaginations could possibly grasp. So then if that is true, where does it put the idea of karma? I've always though enlightenment might be just the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure there's even more after that... it's just a graduating step to the next mind-blowing event we need to learn and experience.
For instance...
Maybe there is this other universe/planet (doesn't have to be a universe or planet, but my mind can't think of a better more outlandish example) and on that planet I just, I dunno, punched someone in the nose. Now since time is relative and we all exist at the same time in this example of mine, is it possible that another "me" in another different universe is reaping that bad karma? And maybe the good merits I am doing now on this earth by helping an old lady cross the street are negating the punching of the nose and thus putting everything back into a neutral karmic state?
It would kind of tie into the idea of interconnectedness, but just taking it up a notch to the idea of time not being linear and living in more than one universe at a time... so instead of linear time... I dunno the term I want to use... maybe... it's all... concurrent karmic time? (I barely studied philosophy in undergrad so I'm sure there are theories out there about this, but this is my ignorant attempt at asking it in relation to Buddhist philosophies).
I ask this because I have a hard time believing that we are the only ones in this vast universe. I think there are numerous universes and things we can't possibly even imagine right now, and it's totally beyond anyone's comprehension. So if that's possible, then there's also a possibility that there is another "me" and another "you" and other manifestations of "us" that stretch beyond our imaginations could possibly grasp. So then if that is true, where does it put the idea of karma? I've always though enlightenment might be just the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure there's even more after that... it's just a graduating step to the next mind-blowing event we need to learn and experience.
0
Comments
However these are different people, it would seem to go against the notion of karma being that your actions return to you. It would also seem to near impossible to reach enlightenment as the karma of the evil you (with a goatee) would be dragging down the rest of you.
There's actually a Jet Li movie where one version of him jumps across universes killing all his others and gains their power, I won't spoil the end for you. :buck:
But to actually stick to the topic, if there are other-dimensional versions of "us," they're not really the same person doing the same actions, so it's all different karma.
To get all Zen-y... what is "me" and "you" in the first place?
We can only work with the present moment, and that is the present moment that we are aware of.
All conjecture, all suppositions about things we do not and are not experiencing first-hand .. all this is worthless and a waste of time.
Buddhism is very practical. It says .. you are here now. What are you going to do about? Questions about God, about creation, about alternative universes .. these don't matter.