Kemet OnLine! Community Forums Make a Donation For All Kemetics sponsored by Per Ankh

Living Kemet: Ancient Egyptian Religion (Open to all) >> Inter Faith Talk Previous   Index   Next   Threaded

Pages: 1 lagoon_shadows KOL Reged: 12/12/05 Posts: 32 Concept of Karma in the Kemetic Faith       #25691 - 01/08/06 08:29 PM Edit   Reply   Quote   What is Karma to the Kemetic followers? Does it exist? Is it a three fold concept? Does it effect someone in the present, or next life? The idea behind one's heart being weighed against Ma'at leads me to believe that Karma wasn't at all a part of this faith. If your soul is eaten, then what does Karma matter? But if you did a lot of negative things, and repented them in a fashion after finding your path, passed the test and decided to be ressurected, would you be punished for your sins in the next life? The concept of three-fold has only come into play from a more neo-pagan perspective in my experience (Wicca, for instance, as I see it is very new. What religious backgrounds this following takes from are what are generally fairly old.) It's been explained as a three fold thing (three times worse then the sin you did), a simple action and consiquence idea (you do, you'll have to pay for it), and the theory that it effects this life, or it all builds up and effects the next life. But what is Karma truly? And if it is used in the Kemetic faith, is it even really Karma? Or a simple concept of action and consiquence? If you stone this man for looking at your sister wrong, you will be punished for it or something will occur which will result from it. The only thing I see as being Karma is Ma'at in the end, where Anubis weighs your heart against Ma'at's feather, judging your soul for pureness. And if doesn't exist, how do you rid yourself of the weigh of sin? How can you purify your heart? We all do some really bad things sometimes whether it be as children or adults. And later on in life, we may look back on those things and go "I can't believe I did that!" and be struck by the guilt of it... or not. If we simply learn from the lessons of our past, whether they be good or bad, is that not a step towards purifying ourselves? Just some things Senebty! Neko -------------------- Abstract, the finding of truth behold Forever in the hearts of many A calling... Forever in their depths of our souls.. Livejournal Post Extras:       Lotus81 KOL Reged: 04/14/04 Posts: 43 Loc: Omaha, NE Re: Concept of Karma in the Kemetic Faith [Re: lagoon_shadows]       #25693 - 01/09/06 08:22 AM Edit   Reply   Quote   Em hotep *bow* Very interesting topic. For me, Ma’at is in a sense Karma. It is the balance of what did happen, what should happen, and what could happen. I don’t see Ma’at as some would see Karma, being good or bad. It just simply is. It defies the constraints of definition by good or bad. I don’t determine what is good or bad in what I’m doing but rather I determine if what it is I’m doing is something that ‘needs’ to be done to serve Ma’at. To serve that balance of creation, the balance of what was, at Zep Tepi. If what I’m doing isn’t serving Ma’at then the reaction for my action, will not be desirable. Not that it would be bad, it just wouldn’t be my desired or anticipated result. I could be wrong but in my opinion Ma’at is that which governs us in life and ensures our afterlife. Which is comparable to the Hindu belief of Karma. As for the weighing of the heart against the feather of Ma’at and the negative confessions I see that as a symbolic gesture of the Gods determining if my intentions and what was deepest felt in my heart were true and pure. To determine if the life I led was just and balanced. To see that I took responsibility for my actions in life and did what I could to rectify any wrongdoings. We all make mistakes, a lot of times we know they’re mistakes even while we’re doing them, but through Ma’at we can learn from those mistakes and redeem our own hearts so that they are pure at the time of weighing. This is of course just my opinion and it may shift the more i grow and learn or it may not. I hope you found it useful none the less. Senebty, Lotus Post Extras:       WabJenSoko Wab Priest / KOL Newsletter Editor / Central Regio Reged: 08/22/01 Posts: 850 Loc: Lost in Middle America Re: Concept of Karma in the Kemetic Faith [Re: lagoon_shadows]       #25700 - 01/10/06 01:40 AM Edit   Reply   Quote   Em hotep *bow* I may be interpreting your post incorrectly, but it sounds like you've identified the only manifestation of Ma'at as in being the weighing of the heart upon a person's death. In practicum, and in personal experience, Ma'at is not simply an event that is either triggered by an action of suitable consequence or by death. Ma'at happens, *is* happening, and will continue to happen. At least that's how we see it. One other belief we hold is that the universe tends towards Ma'at. Creation is an act of the Netjeru, and chaos (or isfet) is an unnatural state. But "letting Ma'at ascend" can be harder than it looks. The path of Ma'at isn't always clear. senebty, wabet Jen -------------------- senebty, Jen Sokoloski, Wab Priest of Ptah Per AnkhThe Traditional Religion of Ancient Egypt Post Extras:       lagoon_shadows KOL Reged: 12/12/05 Posts: 32 Re: Concept of Karma in the Kemetic Faith [Re: WabJenSoko]       #25701 - 01/10/06 03:28 AM Edit   Reply   Quote   I view Ma'at as being our actions, our choices, the consiquences, etc. Not simply the weight or non-weight upon my heart, but that which is constant. Whether it be chaotic (in necessary change) or stability (in necessary order). What we do effects the outcome, not always in a small way either. You smile at someone, they return the smile, someone sees them smile at them, they smile.. It's contagious! Consiquence. Wonderful thing, that. Then you have the negative consiquence. A car crash, and another, and another.. all resulting because someone might have forgotten to turn on their headlights. Ma'at is Balance, isn't she? Truth, Justice and Balance? I mean you gotta impliment chaos and order to sustain balance. But it doesn't necessarily have to be good to be Ma'at, does it? It's a need in life and death. So Ma'at is the equivallent of Karma? Senebty! Neko -is in a very inquisitive mode -------------------- Abstract, the finding of truth behold Forever in the hearts of many A calling... Forever in their depths of our souls.. Livejournal Post Extras:       Meskhenet KOL Reged: 02/28/06 Posts: 10 Re: Concept of Karma in the Kemetic Faith [Re: lagoon_shadows]       #26106 - 04/16/06 12:59 AM Edit   Reply   Quote   I don't really associate Ma'at with Karma only because I don't feel I should have to be a good person so that I don't sya..get into a car crash tomorrow. I guess I view Ma'at more as a self thing and as an environment thing. When I look at myself, I say..am I balanced? Am I too good of a person? If I feel I am 'too good' as in I'm a fluff-bunny, I think I am out of balance. If I am too 'bad' say A murderer, then I am out of balance as well. And I feel the same of my environment though I mroe associate it with me. If I am balanced, then I will do good things now and then, and I will do bad things now and then and there is nothing wrong with that. I think people who do good all the time are not admirable because even teh divine are not saintly 24/7. As wonderful as the Netjer are, I think sometimes even they might feel temptation towards one way and another. Look at Sekhmet...from what I have learned, sometimes she gets a little carried away and thats ok ^_^. So Instead of Karma, which can ofte push people to do good all the time, I would say Ma'at is simply balancing yin and yang, positive and negative to create a person who does good and bad...who makes mistakes and who doesn't. ^_^ Post Extras:       Pages: 1

Previous   Index   Next   Threaded

UBB.threads™ 6.4.1
With Modifications from ThreadsDev.com by Joshua Pettit