Karma – The Personal Police State

In  the article ‘Drala Jong will make a long term difference to the world‘, we said that the Aro gTér Lineage teaches karma as ‘perception and response’ – patterns within the continuum of consciousness – rather than the hard-wired system of ‘reward and punishment’ embedded in external reality. 

What follows is an excerpt from the article ‘Karma – The Personal Police State‘.  This, and other fundamental teachings have also been published in the book ‘Rays of the Sun‘ by Ngakpa Chögyam (Aro Books worldwide, 2010)

Karma is sometimes known as the ‘law of cause and effect’ – as if it were an intergalactic high court ruling. Laws can be broken, however, and laws can be changed. Fortunately ‘the law of karma’ can also be changed. If ‘the law of karma’ could not be broken there could either be no enlightenment or enlightenment would have to be causal. The ‘law of karma’ belongs to the world of dualism which, like ‘ego’, like ‘distracted being’ or the famous ‘I’ – is illusory. The legal system of karma has no jurisdiction in the non-dual sphere.

When we realise our unlimited beginningless enlightened nature, the law enforcement agencies of karma evaporate, they boil away into space: they were our unenlightenment.

Our karma is entirely how we perceive the world – moment by moment. So the ‘law of karma’ is not just law, it is the entire legal system. It ranges from the inception of the legislature to the nature of law enforcement and punishment. Our perception is the legislation and our responses enforce it. We are our own judge, jury, and prosecution. We sentence ourselves, gaol ourselves, and execute ourselves. This is the only entirely accurate legal system – but its accuracy only exists within its own frame of reference.

Meditation is our only weapon against this repressive regime and constitutes civil disobedience in the form of ‘passive resistance’. By allowing the development of experiential space through shi-nè – through letting go and letting be – we discover our own intrinsic awareness. The Four Naljors of Dzogchen Sem-dé is one of the ultimate crimes against the ‘law of karma’ and is punishable by enlightenment – the final revolution and overthrow of the legal system.

From ‘Karma – The Personal Police State‘ – a transcript of a talk given by Ngak’chang Rinpoche in Bath, England in 1978

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