In 1980, the University of California published a reader of twelve contributions about Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and classical Indian philosophies under the title Karma and Rebirth in Classical Indian Thought, edited by Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty. These contributions were the result of two conferences in 1976 and 1978. What have scholarly articles about the theology of classical India to offer to modern past-life therapists? Next to nothing or a lot, depending on our point of view. Anyway, these essays demolish the assumption by many enthusiasts that the Indians shared a straightforward vision on karma and reincarnation. This article submits what Hans learned from this book.
Sometimes people do exciting discoveries that appear to be more than a thousand years old. I did. My experiences in past-life therapy led me to conclude that karma and dharma (or negative and positive karma) were energetic – or as theosophists would call it: etheric – realities. Like financial accounting is about debit and credit in money terms – and about capital formation – so dharma and karma are concepts of a kind of energetic or spiritual accounting. Soul growth is spiritual capital formation; soul decline is spiritual capital loss. We may think differently about the possibility of spiritual bankruptcy. If there is a destiny like that, we don’t find it in our therapy practice.
For the rest of the article, please click.