What's Karma, anywise?

[Kai Frederik Lorentzen]

Although the idea of karma had also been present in Pynchon's earlier 
works (cf. "Turbulences
in the aether, uncertainties out in the winds of karma", GR: pp. 146-7), 
it came to full prominence
not before Pynchon reappeared in the literary public sphere with 
Vineland, inside which karma is
a key concept. The teaching is Tibetian. Directly related to Tibet is 
also AtD's idea of Shambhala,
whereby the physical place is not the crucial point: Shambhala, as it 
says at least three times in
the book, is to be found in our hearts. The (semi-faked) Tibetian seal 
on the cover (and then again
on the page after the Thelonious Monk intro quote) of Against the Day 
shows, apart from being
a self-ironic hint from P that we now enter an oh so holy book, some 
kinda affection for Tibetian
culture on Pynchon's side. His approach to it is unavoidably a Western 
one. So maybe it makes
sense when we, while looking for Pynchon's concept of karma, do consult 
an authority among
the Western adepts of Tibetian Buddhism. Let's hear it from Pema Chödrön:

"What is Karma?

Karma is a difficult subject. Basically it means that what happens in 
your life is somehow a result
of things that you have done before. That's why you are encouraged to 
work with what happens
to you rather than blame it on others. This kind of teaching on karma 
can easily be misunderstood.
People get into a heavy-duty sin-and-guilt trip. They feel that if 
things are going wrong, it means
they did something bad and they're being punished. But that's not the 
idea at all. The idea of karma
is that you continually get the teachings you need in order to open your 
heart. To the degree that
you didn't understand in the past how to stop protecting your soft spot, 
how to stop armoring your
heart, now you're given this gift of teachings in the form of your life. 
Your life gives you everything
you need to learn how to open further." (Pema Chödrön: Comfortable with 
Uncertainty, p. 124)

Could imagine that Pynchon would agree wholeheartedly.

We have to stop acting surprised when something happens to us.

(Pynchonesque Questions: Do social figurations have a karma of their 
own? Like family clans or
big corporations. Does the Traverse Clan have a genuine 'transpersonal' 
karma? The East India Trading Company, or the IG Farben?)

Whatever this weekend has in store for you: I wish you heaven!

Kai