On The Relative Nature Of The Good

A Discourse On Karma, Grace, and Spiritual Gifts

It is no shame for a child to behave like a child. The shame is only when an adult falls into equally childish behavior. Likewise, when a child behaves maturely, this is something which ought to be commended, whereas maturity is not much to the credit of an adult, and ought hardly to be remarked upon. Yet, having said this much, it is now positively essential to make clear that we are all in some respects children, just as we are in other respects quite advanced. While it may be popular to label some individuals "old souls" and others "young souls", the truth of the matter is that every soul has matured in some ways and has yet to mature in others.

We've heard the adage, "With great power comes great responsibility," and it follows that one's level of responsibility must be relative to one's power for good. To the degree that one is capable of doing good, and in the manner in which one is capable, one is responsible for exercising that given capacity. Each of us has certain strengths and weakness; gifts we are given and gifts we are not given. Seeing that we can only give to others what we have ourselves received from God, and that we cannot give something which we have not first received, the standard of virtue to which we are held must necessarily vary from virtue to virtue.

A person born with a naturally temperate disposition has very little excuse for bouts of temper. Conversely, when this person exhibits gentleness, it is no great accomplishment in the eyes of God. Moreover, if such a person, in addition to having received a calm nature, has also been fortunate enough to grow up in the care and with the instruction of equally moderate parents and teachers, then, not only is there scarcely any excuse for failing to exhibit this trait, but, such a person ought to consider him/herself called upon to perfect it.

In contrast, a person who is by nature hot-blooded, and particularly if the environment in which he/she has been reared was not especially conducive to the development of even-temperedness, should not be expected to exhibit nearly the same degree of self-possession as the type described above. The two are different, and God, who weighs each person's actions against that person's heart (and not against the heart of any other person), knows well how to adjust the scales of justice in order to discover the extent to which each person's outward behavior balances with their own inward proclivities.

Similarly, to provide just one further example, a person whose nature is characterized by a rare depth, -- or an inclination to penetrate relatively deeply into the heart of things, -- deserves no special reward or congratulations for having exercised that perspicacity by making some shrewd discovery or delivering some unusual insight upon the essence of a matter. This much is only to be expected. Such a person ought to be singled out only if they exhibit an uncharacteristic shallowness of thought, or shortsightedness of vision.

Bearing these reflections in mind, the question naturally arises, "How then ought we to judge?" If the outward appearance is insufficient to distinguish the degree to which an action is truly virtuous, or truly vicious, for the one who commits it, how then are we to assess the "karmic condition" of the individual? The answer is that we are not. We are, in fact, in no position to judge the degree to which a person is making progress, falling short, or merely expressing their natural tendencies. God alone has insight into the poverty or abundance of the heart, and into the manner in which these correspond to the operations of the will.

The truth is that we can make only the vaguest appraisals, whether of ourselves or of others, and in order to conduct our business in the world it is sometimes necessary to rely on these loose approximations, imperfect as they are. What is imperative is that we recognize the numinous character of our judgements; that they are, at best, proximal, and, at worst, entirely wide of the mark.

If we are honest, we will confess that we are in a perpetual state of doubt with respect to the karmic significance, for good or ill, of every action, and that, if there is one thing we can know for sure, it is that we must endeavor to give ourselves and others the benefit of this doubt. That is to say, "When in doubt, love." And one is always in doubt.

Perhaps the most important point to reflect upon here is that all the virtues we have, we have received as gifts from God, and that our job is to give, or make use of, those gifts; withholding nothing which it is in our power to give. We are simply the vessels and channels of God's grace, and our function is to "pay it forward".

In fact, the way we overcome our vices, and develop more virtues, is precisely by making use of the virtues we already possess. Whenever we make use of our gifts, releasing them into the world, we make room within ourselves to receive more gifts, and the gifts we receive correspond directly to the vices overcome. Put more simply, the overcoming of a vice is also the developing of a virtue; or the receiving of a new and well-deserved gift.

The Lord gives us all that we have, and is not done giving. Open the gifts of the Lord.
For by means of gifts, more gifts are discovered. Always, the gifts of gifts!
~ Unio Mystica