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Karma -- Thoughts?
- Thread starter Boyd
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I am a full blown believer in paying it forward. Karma, never seems to catch up with people I think it should.
- Jul 26, 2010
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Not a believer, but a practitioner. I believe if I do the right thing I will be a better person, and happier, even if golden coins don't exactly shower down each time.
On the other hand, many of the terrible things that occured in my family were just completely random things by chance, and much of it was 'good people that bad things happen to' and could be viewed as 'senseless tragedies'.
In the general idea that people who do good things have a better life - usually, but not always. In the general idea that bad people eventually get to suffer for what they do, again, usually it seems to work out that way but not always. I think some events are rather random, and I don't think bad people always get recompense. I think 'bad things happen to good people'. Just read a real interesting book by Bart Erhman who explains how the Bible addresses the problem of suffering. Sometimes in the Bible suffering is a punishment from God for sins (frequent in Old Testament), sometimes it is bad things happening to good people, sometimes good people suffer because of what bad people do, basically is how it appears in the Bible.
And I do think that innocent people often suffer for the wrong actions of others. For example, a woman I know who is fairly successful in business in a small way, who is a cheat and liar, put a great deal of pressure on one of her kids to be in the same business and in many ways, to be like her. Even at the age of 7, the kid wound up in a position of trying not to get in trouble by being truthful with customers about what work the mother was not doing. So one of her kids is very depressed, unhappy, directionless. The other seems very happy but was more or less ignored by the mother. I'm a little puzzled by the problem of suffering myself, and why innocent people suffer for the dishonesty or cruelty of others. For example, an abuser who targets a small child who has never done anything wrong.
"Hindus believe in reincarnation". Some do - many younger Hindus, or those who believe in various non-traditional ideas, today do not. It might better be said that 'in the past, reincarnation was a common belief among Hindus'.
There are just as many different beliefs in Hinduism as there are different groups in Christianity, well perhaps more. Some groups are completely monotheistic, some claim the various gods are simply 'avatars' (a form of God that represents what people need).
'Christianity influenced other religions'. Hinduism predated Christianity by at least 2000 years, probably much more. There's just as much evidence that Hinduism influenced other religions. There are many who suggest Jesus (rather than just his disciples) traveled to India and influenced as well as were influenced by Hinduism. My own feeling is that there is a complex two way action, and constant exchange, between most religions, including back and forth between Christianity and all the other major religions of the world.
People who study world religions comparatively, often will suggest that most religions evolve and change together, often in much the same way and in the same order.
'Karma is the rule that what you do comes back to affect you'.
Karma is like that in various Western New Age groups who THINK they understand Hindu Karma and who also THINK they are doing and believing what Hindus follow. They aren't, at least not in more traditional Hinduism.
In Hinduism, at least traditionally, Karma was a part of a complex system of levels of society. Karma suggested a reason for why some people are born poor, limited and regarded as a low form of person. A person's actions in previous incarnations.
Sounds fatalistic? Well there is a flip side to it. As one very disadvantaged person told me, no one actually for a fact knows the will of God, so no one really can say 'I can't try this new thing, or go to school, because that's not my karma'. No one actually really knows what their karma is (they don't remember what they were in a previous life), so all they can do is work hard just do the right thing.
On the other hand, many of the terrible things that occured in my family were just completely random things by chance, and much of it was 'good people that bad things happen to' and could be viewed as 'senseless tragedies'.
In the general idea that people who do good things have a better life - usually, but not always. In the general idea that bad people eventually get to suffer for what they do, again, usually it seems to work out that way but not always. I think some events are rather random, and I don't think bad people always get recompense. I think 'bad things happen to good people'. Just read a real interesting book by Bart Erhman who explains how the Bible addresses the problem of suffering. Sometimes in the Bible suffering is a punishment from God for sins (frequent in Old Testament), sometimes it is bad things happening to good people, sometimes good people suffer because of what bad people do, basically is how it appears in the Bible.
And I do think that innocent people often suffer for the wrong actions of others. For example, a woman I know who is fairly successful in business in a small way, who is a cheat and liar, put a great deal of pressure on one of her kids to be in the same business and in many ways, to be like her. Even at the age of 7, the kid wound up in a position of trying not to get in trouble by being truthful with customers about what work the mother was not doing. So one of her kids is very depressed, unhappy, directionless. The other seems very happy but was more or less ignored by the mother. I'm a little puzzled by the problem of suffering myself, and why innocent people suffer for the dishonesty or cruelty of others. For example, an abuser who targets a small child who has never done anything wrong.
"Hindus believe in reincarnation". Some do - many younger Hindus, or those who believe in various non-traditional ideas, today do not. It might better be said that 'in the past, reincarnation was a common belief among Hindus'.
There are just as many different beliefs in Hinduism as there are different groups in Christianity, well perhaps more. Some groups are completely monotheistic, some claim the various gods are simply 'avatars' (a form of God that represents what people need).
'Christianity influenced other religions'. Hinduism predated Christianity by at least 2000 years, probably much more. There's just as much evidence that Hinduism influenced other religions. There are many who suggest Jesus (rather than just his disciples) traveled to India and influenced as well as were influenced by Hinduism. My own feeling is that there is a complex two way action, and constant exchange, between most religions, including back and forth between Christianity and all the other major religions of the world.
People who study world religions comparatively, often will suggest that most religions evolve and change together, often in much the same way and in the same order.
'Karma is the rule that what you do comes back to affect you'.
Karma is like that in various Western New Age groups who THINK they understand Hindu Karma and who also THINK they are doing and believing what Hindus follow. They aren't, at least not in more traditional Hinduism.
In Hinduism, at least traditionally, Karma was a part of a complex system of levels of society. Karma suggested a reason for why some people are born poor, limited and regarded as a low form of person. A person's actions in previous incarnations.
Sounds fatalistic? Well there is a flip side to it. As one very disadvantaged person told me, no one actually for a fact knows the will of God, so no one really can say 'I can't try this new thing, or go to school, because that's not my karma'. No one actually really knows what their karma is (they don't remember what they were in a previous life), so all they can do is work hard just do the right thing.
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I know, right?
I know, right?
- Aug 18, 2010
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My Karma ran over my Dogma
In all seriousness I believe in Karma, for myself. I hold myself accountable for my actions and I know that I am doing my best to do and be a good person therefor MY Karma will have good positive aura. I do not blame bad things that happen to other people on their "Karma" in fact I try my best not to pass any judgment one why bad things happen to the young the old and the good, I would rather people not pass judgment on me when I fall flat on my face.
My point being in most cases when people react badly to you or your actions, or states you have made them feel a certain way 9 times out of 10 it is simply that person dealing with themselves and their emotions.
Now do not get me wrong I feel angered just as much as the next when I see or read horrendous acts of cruelty and actions by people, and at that time I wish Karma was an instant event that you can see the immediate effects of. However if this was the case we would not be able to take some life situations and learn from our mistakes as well as others.
And Karma applies to ALL religion, each one simply has another name for it just as all religions worship "GOD" but do not necessarily call God the same name. But the basic definition is the same.
So say thanks for what you have, give when you can, and smile at the little things in life. Being surrounded in goodness will only atracct more goodness to you.
In all seriousness I believe in Karma, for myself. I hold myself accountable for my actions and I know that I am doing my best to do and be a good person therefor MY Karma will have good positive aura. I do not blame bad things that happen to other people on their "Karma" in fact I try my best not to pass any judgment one why bad things happen to the young the old and the good, I would rather people not pass judgment on me when I fall flat on my face.
My point being in most cases when people react badly to you or your actions, or states you have made them feel a certain way 9 times out of 10 it is simply that person dealing with themselves and their emotions.
Now do not get me wrong I feel angered just as much as the next when I see or read horrendous acts of cruelty and actions by people, and at that time I wish Karma was an instant event that you can see the immediate effects of. However if this was the case we would not be able to take some life situations and learn from our mistakes as well as others.
And Karma applies to ALL religion, each one simply has another name for it just as all religions worship "GOD" but do not necessarily call God the same name. But the basic definition is the same.
So say thanks for what you have, give when you can, and smile at the little things in life. Being surrounded in goodness will only atracct more goodness to you.
The Threefold Law, yes it's in effect in everyday life, for everyone - whether they believe in it specifically or not.
I believe in it, and probably why I have such a tough life (mean ole <female dog> that I am). I try and curb myself, but I just can't help it sometimes, as the human race has disappointed me too many time. Now, in other aspects, I have a wonderful life because it IS tough
but that doesn't mean it isn't good. I get my karma from my critters. In caring for them as best I can, they give back to me. Yes, I know I'm weird, but I am just me.
I believe in it, and probably why I have such a tough life (mean ole <female dog> that I am). I try and curb myself, but I just can't help it sometimes, as the human race has disappointed me too many time. Now, in other aspects, I have a wonderful life because it IS tough
Ok, I'll try to make this short. Karma is about action; cause and effect, if you will. Actions are either 'unskillful' or 'skillful' and the unskillful actions can be physical or mental. Examples of unskillful actions are killing, stealing, hate, wishing bad things on people; negative things. Examples of 'skillful' actions are compassion, generosity, honesty; positive things. Karma does not recognize actions as good or bad, just skillful or unskillful.
Negative, or unskillful actions bring chaos and disharmony to us in the form of worry, anxiety and fears. Positive actions speak for themselves. Karma is simply cause and effect. The theory is that the decisions on how we think and act affect us; that is karma.
Is that what you were looking for, Boyd? I could go on and on....
Negative, or unskillful actions bring chaos and disharmony to us in the form of worry, anxiety and fears. Positive actions speak for themselves. Karma is simply cause and effect. The theory is that the decisions on how we think and act affect us; that is karma.
Is that what you were looking for, Boyd? I could go on and on....
Quote:
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.
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 in karma, but I do believe in doing good, not because I believe it will earn me anything, but because, to me, being kind to others and helping out when possible is the right thing to do.
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