Spiritual Musings - 14
I think that most of the people who regularly read me are well aware of my interest in understanding criminal psychology. For the purpose of understanding criminal psychology, I do read or watch many crime stories from around the world.
When we hear or learn about these crimes, the obvious question mind asks is WHY? Why anyone needs to get involved into such activities? Moreover, why the victim has to become part of this crime?
Now, if accused or victims are grown-up adults then somehow we are able to find mistakes in their actions, traits or behavior and we say that this was the reason why they committed this crime or why they became victim of crime?
But recently I watched a few stories in which culprit and victims both were children or teenagers. First of all, it is really painful to see small kids getting involved in any sort of crime as they don’t even know the meaning and consequences of any crime. It becomes even more painful when they get involved in serious crimes, punishment of which can actually spoil their whole life. Needless to say that victim’s life is already spoilt in such cases.
Crimes of Amarjeet Sada and Murder of James Bulger is still fresh in human memory. So, I have tried to find answers from both sides; i.e. the Culprit and the Victim, as to why they get into such crimes?
Following are findings after some discussions with a few of my friends which I would like to share. Obviously people can add their reasons/findings through comments.
By no means should it be understood that I am trying to cover-up crimes by giving some excuses for committing crimes. As always, my effort is to understand human mind and soul evolution level which can either invite such incidents or avoid such incidents.
A. So, the generic philosophy people follow in such matters is that we get this life based on our karma in past lives. So, if I have done anything wrong to someone in past lives then that person can do some harm to me in this life.
B. I was never fond of this philosophy as not only we are unaware of our past-life karmas but this philosophy also presents existence as retributive or revengeful. As I said in this article (https://www.astrosaxena.com/Musing10), with every life we create a pattern of life and with every new life we get opportunities to evolve from that pattern. This philosophy would show existence as compassionate, rather than revengeful, which has faith in us to evolve from any situation. Hence, it keeps on giving us opportunities after opportunities in lives after lives.
C. Another philosophy people follow is that we get our next life based on unfinished karma or unaccomplished desires of this life. This is what Rahu represents in Astrology. If we follow this philosophy then can we say that the person who committed the crime in this life actually took birth because of his desires to commit crime? Moreover, can we say that the victim, who suffered due to such crime, had taken birth because of his desires to be abused/tormented/tortured/killed? What if a just born or a toddler is victim of a crime (like one of the victim of Amarjeet Sada or James Bulger)? Can we say that the whole effort of birth was taken by soul in order to be killed a few days after? Can we even say that child should have been completely aware or conscious to avoid getting into any crime? Somehow, this philosophy is neither logical nor humane.
D. I can accept this philosophy only up to this limit that a person can be taking rebirth because of their unfinished karma or unaccomplished desires. For the fulfilment of same, they cross each other’s path in current life. Now, after crossing the path, who will behave in what way, is completely free will of these two individuals. It depends totally on individuals involved f they want to settle the scores by fighting or harming each other or they would like to settle the scores by apologizing to each other. In history, we get examples of both possibilities. We have example of Mark David Chapman who chose to kill John Lennon and we also have examples of many legal cases where the victim or victim’s family agreed to pardon the culprit in even most serious offences. So, existence can bring the opportunity for two people to resolve their unfinished karma of past lives into this life by making them cross each other’s path but how they behave, act or react is their free will. If they want to utilize this opportunity to evolve further by forgiving each other or they want to mis-utilize this opportunity by harming each other, is completely their free will. And it doesn’t matter if they miss opportunity again as compassionate existence can bring the opportunity again in any other life. Only thing is that evolution would be delayed every time they miss the opportunity.
E. Now, if we look into this thing that how children or teenagers get into such horrific crimes from either side; i.e. as culprit or as victim? So again, we have to go through the theory of evolution. As discussed here (https://www.astrosaxena.com/Musing2), as a soul gradually goes through different animal species incarnation and then finally comes into human incarnation, it is very difficult for it to shred away all animalistic traits all of a sudden and hence, first few lives can be involved into Tamasic/Destructive activities like Crimes etc. just like an Animal. So from here, we can understand that why some people can be more inclined towards destructive activities like Crimes in human incarnation.
F. But then why a few people get into situation as Victims of Crime? The reason is again in the process of evolution. This can be two-fold-
• Either a soul has come into human incarnation many times through gradual process of evolution, has evolved through each life and developed the traits like love, compassion care, nourishment and protection then that soul will be more inclined towards protecting someone rather than harming someone.
• Or a soul has crossed the gradual process of evolution via a giant leap from one of the animal incarnation to human life in one go. Like, Osho narrates a story from Buddhism where an Elephant sacrifices his own life during a forest fire in order to save life of a Rabbit which has taken shelter underneath the raised leg of Elephant. Elephant didn’t move an inch as that would kill the Rabbit and eventually Elephant itself got killed in forest fire. As it was a huge act of compassion from the Elephant, it got the human life in next incarnation. This was like a giant leap as Elephant didn’t have to go through different incarnation in other species and was given human life due to one act of compassion.
• In both cases, one thing is common that soul is evolved and would get into any act of compassion, protection and care rather than in any act of harming or hurting others. We can also say that this evolved soul can also be naïve or innocent and unable to understand the ways of cunning people.
• These two ways of evolution (gradual vs leap) can also be understood by simple example of our educational progress. There is a way to reach college by gradually passing through your school classes every year and there is another way by which a person like Ted Kaczynski time and again gets promotions and scholarships due to his very high intellect and finds himself in Harward University in his teenage.
G. In such situation, if such a compassionate person and the other destructive person happen to cross each other’s path in order to resolve their karma towards each other, the compassionate or innocent person is unable to understand the cunning ways of destructive people. Hence, they end-up in getting into position of victim in such situations as all they know is compassion, care and protection. So, at most, they will be inclined to protect themselves or others. Even thought of harming others never come into their minds, not even harming their abusers.
H. But again, Universe or Existence made them cross each other’s path and staged this opportunity between them so that they can resolve their karma in a dignified or evolved manner. This was the purpose of their meeting but how they utilize the opportunity is their free will.
I. Whoever acts in more dignified or evolved ways in such situation, he further evolves. Whoever misses the opportunity would have to wait again for next opportunity by existence.
Dedicated to all the victims of all the crimes worldwide.
Hope this helps. Thanks,
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