Customer Reviews

The Dimensions of Karma

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The concept of karma is so popular now, particularly with the growth of interest in rebirth over the past few decades, that most people think they understand it. This book, however, will open your eyes. Right from the first section, where three very different handlings of karma are clearly outlined, you will realize that there's more to this subject than you thought. After the survey of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain thought on the idea, we are treated to an overview of metaphysical and moral issues and problems, and the solutions that have been offered. Topics include determinism and freedom, evil, and social implications. Also discussed are evidence used to support belief in karma, whether or not it stands up as a consistant philosophy, how it relates to liberation and dharma, and whether it can be considered communal as well as individual. The last section brings it into dialogue with Western concepts of sin, the unconscious, and psychology. If you want a scholarly grasp of karma, in all its shades, this is a good place to start. On the other side, the section on evidences could have been more rigorous (it doesn't directly respond to any major written critique of karma), the section on evil is out of date (as far as its contrast to Christian answers to the issue) and the sections on psychological issues get a bit fuzzy (but that's the nature of the beast). All in all, well worth reading. You'll never again think of this as a simply understood concept.

Commenting on the original edition of 1987, I would like to say that, despite its poor readability, this book is worth the effort. Karma is used now as a household term, and no one can escape its pervasiveness in any discussion of Eastern philosophy. Despite this, no one has the slightest idea as to its workings. Sadly, this is perhaps why it is so widely accepted, for if one was aware of the complexities, it would probably be thrown out with the rest of our ideas. While Westerners can question the Western theology and disbelieve it, it is easy to accept the Eastern Karma, especially since it is deceptively simple. This book goes a long way in clarifying the notion. I liked many articles in the book, and cannot comment individually. Suffice it to say, the origins of the idea of karma is an important thing to observe. The history of acceptance and controversy is of interest. The general audience needs to be made aware that Hinduism is not one homogeneous block, but has its own peculiarities. This is a very good place to study the history of the idea of karma. I would venture to say that even very sophisticated students of Eastern thought are quite often ignorant as to this key construct, so this book is by all means a critical guide. I would have wished that the readability had been more welcome to the reader, who it seems, is assumed to be a scholar rather than a layman. With the right editing, this volume could be made much more appealing and popular, since it is, after all, perhaps one of the most popular words in the English lexicon, it seems to me.