Karma -- Thoughts?

[Gypsi]

I have heard that the harvest season begins on August 1st (or 2nd), and runs thru October 31st. This often corresponds to the annual karma harvest, the immediate natural consequences for what we "planted" in the previous months.
But in truth I think Karma is akin to the consequences of our choices, and the lessons we have chosen to learn in this lifetime. It appears in early european religions as well as the hindu faith.

I was raised christian, but that was a very long time ago. I grew up. There are many good things in the bible, but I have read the bits they don't want you to read. Like ephesians...

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

I believe in karma....of course, my definition of karma is probably different than yours, or yours, or yours...

I try to live by "do no harm, help others when you can"

 

[Spookwriter]

Karma? Yes. Reincarnation? No. Different things.

Different religions, different people may call it by different names,
but it exists in everyones life. Good or bad...that's up to each of us.

I try to life a good life..I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I do not expect to be
lied to, cheated, or stolen from. Thus, those that I believe live in this manner
are not welcome in my world.

Our every choice comes with a reaction. Weigh the outcome carefully. It may take
a minute, a month, a year...many years. But the result will come. Rest assured.

 

[easttxchick]

Quote:
Actually its origin isn't Christian, the idea is universal to all religions..

I think you misunderstood me. As a Christian, I do not believe in Karma. Unless you're using that as a term for actions in this life affecting the next - that is, eternal. In that case, sure. There are degrees of reward in Heaven and degrees of punishment in Hell.

This. Well said Q9.

 

[Marshmallow Man]

Absolutely believe in it. I believe most religions are based in Paganism. Christianity used all the Pagan celebrations as their Holy Days in order to make it easier to convert the Pagans. I don't believe in the Bible but I do believe that the three fold version of Karma is in the Bible. I know someone on this line knows where it is listed.

I think that Karma does eventually catch up with people. I sure hope so.

I practice good deeds as often as possible. My Karma is good.

 

[debilorrah]

I believe that "karma" in this life is God's way of showing you that He has your back. Example: a person gets fired for something they did not do, but cannot prove it, because the person doing the firing is having an affair with someone who wants your job. 7 years later, you happen to hear through the grapevine that the person doing the firing and the person they were having affair with are in jail for fraud. Karma. Or what goes around comes around. (Yes that did happen)

However you look at it, if you do not have vindication in your heart, the people who do you wrong are bound to have their own set of bad circumstances happen. Whether it is here, or in front of the judgement seat.

 

[booker81]

I'll give it a shot, a few minutes upon waking, and with only a few sips of coffee

I'm not Hindu, nor do I believe in god. I don't believe in heaven or hell. I do believe in karma, reincarnation and the like.

To me, karma is the running tally of this life and the past lives, the sum of actions and decisions made, which in turn brings on new situations and choices to make. There is no black and white, absolute right or absolute wrong.

A simplistic way of thinking about it, from a book I once read, compared it to black and white marbles. Through the time from birth to death, each action and reaction receives one or more marbles - some small actions are worth one - a tiny kind act, a petty lie, some receive many - saving a life, killing without cause. Some are mixed - not paying attention and crashing into someone's car, but then helping the victim etc. At the end of one life and the beginning of the next, all of the marbles are sorted and counted. Perhaps a change from white to black, an increase or decrease determines where the next life starts, and what tests are to come. I don't know, and that is OK.


I don't think I'm making sense....oh well. Yes, I believe in it. I also believe that while it's good to do right, it's not good to do right for the wrong reasons - trying to karma bank on greed, or because you want to go to "heaven", or to show how good of a person you are.

There is no end goal, just a changing line of rise and falls, and changing tasks and situations to navigate.

As for karmatic paybacks, I don't really believe that doing good automatically means good comes to you - it merely allows you to have alternative choices available to continue to do better or worse. If you are born into poverty, you still have choices - you can steal, rob and cheat, and end up in jail with minimal options, or you can sit tight, study, do kindness when possible, and get a scholarship to college and have many options. Sometimes karmatic good doesn't come around until the next life, and you are born into more options and better living, which carries it's own decisions to make.

Maybe I'll try this later.....once I'm caffeinated.

 

[welsummerchicks]

"Actually there's quite a few people who know what/who they were in previous lives, or at least have an inkling of what they were."

I don't believe they do, actually, although I am very sure THEY believe it. The sequence of lives they choose for themselves, who they used to be in another life, all these things make me doubtful.

And in traditional Hinduism, claiming to have that knowledge is the height of incredible arrogance, and is on a very high level of arrogance and blaspheming.

My statement meant that in traditional Hinduism, they do not believe that a person can remember their past lives. Which is generally true.

That was something that was added on by Westerners and New Age groups. It has nothing to do with traditional Hinduism and was never a part of it.

I don't believe it is possible. In Hinduism it is basically like claiming one is God or a god or a boddhisatva. I don't think that is something a person should try to determine for themselves. I'm not sure if someone tells one one is a boddhisatva, that one should necessarily believe them (had that experience).

That said, I don't mind what other people believe, as long as they don't pressure me to believe the same things.

 

[Organics North]

Quote:
I find it interesting you get introspective this time of year...!

After all it is the end one of a natural cycle here in the northern hemisphere.. Harvest... An end. A time to prepare for what is coming.
--------

I subscribe to no religion--I am not told what to think by anyone-- My Spirituality, and the path I choose to walk is mine...

AND... Yes the concept of "Karma" is important to me. I personally sense "its" presence in all living things..
(Editing to add: Karma and reincarnation are two different things to me. I guess I do not believe in reincarnation in any form we can comprehend. The "spirit" of life being a form of energy we can only guess at.. Again all Just IMHO...)


Be Well...
Happy fall solstice..everyone..

ON

 

[Marshmallow Man]

I'm agnostic and I don't really absolutely believe in anything spiritual. I would be atheist except it means you believe there is no God. I can't say that because I can't prove it just like a believer can't prove their belief. I like to think there is something after death. However I can't absolutely wrap my head around it. My natural tendency, probably due to my upbringing is to be empathetic to most everyone. I follow the Ten Commandments as far as they pertain to life. Obviously some of them don't apply to an agnostic.

Bad things happen to good people. I agree that buying tickets to Heaven is probably a waste of time. Being good is something you should just do. Buying an extra McDouble for 1.00 and giving it to the homeless guy standing on the corner is a good thing. Helping an old lady put her groceries in her car. Stuff like that should come naturally and not be done to build up karma or Heaven points. You can only do your best. It sounds like most everyone believes in Karma. Some just don't call it Karma.

If it turns out that there really is a God and a Hell and Heaven I hope he's not as evil as so many religions make him out to be. I hope he looks at your life and not weather or not you worshiped him. I've always liked the WWJD slogan. Nowadays it doesn't seem like too many people care or they try to reshape Jesus to their actions to justify their behavior. Those people would have bad Karma.

By the way I liked the black and white marbles analogy. I also agree that the new wave Hindu stuff is treated just that. New wave. Many people do it as a fad. Lot's of money in it too. That's one of the many reasons I'm an agnostic.