In a frenzy of karmic demarcation, Motoyama* <br />dramatically decries everything we feel passion <br />for as possible sources of karma; Even in the <br />quest for knowledge, insight and wisdom <br /> <br />he cites religions’ scions and science’s savants <br />as too emotionally attached to their own theories, <br />rejecting contrary evidence. Fixation on knowledge he <br />says creates karma for them and their descendants – <br /> <br />BUT he misses the point: a true quest for wisdom <br />should protect against taking pleasure in false evidence; <br />karma arises when derailed by emotional attachment <br />to falsehoods and fixation on truth is lost. <br /> <br />In an upsurge of karmic fervour Motoyama even <br />warns against a passion for music; attachment to joy, <br />laughter and fun can also bring the wrath of karma – <br />he sees unemotional reason as the saviour of man, <br /> <br />relegating emotions to a dangerous subconscious realm. <br />BUT emotions are necessary for interaction between <br />world and body enabling us to set priorities to survive <br />our lives. As said by Damasio in “Descartes’ Error”, <br /> <br />what should have been proposed was: “I think and <br />feel, therefore I am”; because damage to the frontal <br />cortex destroys our emotional centre and deprives <br />us of emotional feedback, takes our decision-making <br /> <br />ability away so we can’t use our reason… If we took <br />Motoyama’s claims at face value, his book should be <br />put down immediately as we’re inviting a dangerous <br />passion for wisdom and information – incurring karmic <br />effects by reading his book on reincarnation! <br /> <br />*Dr Hiroshi Motoyama “Karma and Reincarnation”, translated by Rande Brown Ouchi,1992 <br />I<br /><br />Margaret Alice<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/philosophy-dangerous-passion-for-wisdom/
