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This was an interesting article on karma, although not from a Theravada perspective.
A few comments:
The author points out the "simplified notion of karma: every deed has a consequence. Even the most basic karmic concepts still align well with basic physics: for every action there will be an equal and opposite reaction". Yes, sort of, but how do you measure "and equal" reaction in this type of situation? You really can't.
Interesting that the author points out that, "You don’t have to literally believe in rebirth". After all, as with things in other religions, we haven't been able to prove rebirth or reincarnation.
Yes, in a sense, with karma we are "in the driver's seat" because our actions -- "not a god or some whimsical “fates” playing around with our destiny". We can do good deeds, or bad deeds, and a karmic reaction will result. However, not all good or bad actions result in positive or negative karma. Good deeds don't consistently bring about "auspicious consequences", and "negative deeds" don't consistently bring about "negative outcomes". It seems to me that, at best, we can use the phrase "more likely to". Karma is imprecise.
Yes, if we are mindful, we MAY not (not "will not") not trigger negative actions because sometimes we choose negative actions. It doesn't just happen. "Understanding karma" doesn't simply "generates a genuine compassion for everyone else".
I think the author is correct saying, "Karma is not fate". Yes, "If we follow the precepts, karmic consequences are" (no tend to be) "positive".
I was also interested in the author's listing of the "Types of Karma". However, I have always questioned the belief that karma can transfer from one life to the next. Heck, we can't even prove that rebirth or reincarnation occurs. How can we state with certainty that karma transfers. Maybe, maybe not.
Those are just a few of my thoughts. You may agree or disagree.
People are quite mean to me but nothing happens to them... I guess I dont understand it.... I could be mean back but I am very nice,doesnt that trigger a karmic response if they start something??
People are quite mean to me but nothing happens to them... I guess I dont understand it.... I could be mean back but I am very nice,doesnt that trigger a karmic response if they start something??
I dunno......
That's one of the reasons that many of us don't believe in karma as some sort of mystical justice system. It is inconsistent.
everything is inconsistent when we try to make things not conditional. The problem with the non conditional karma is that goes against everything we know. black/white, all right/all wrong justice karma does not exist. Because justice doesn't work like that. what is fair isn't always equal.
The sour taste in our moths when we say that is a good thing. But its no less true.
The idea of karma itself is dependent on the philosophy it is based on. Buddhism looks at karma differently than Advaita does. Buddhism, as in the Sunya argument, ultimately denies that anything exists. Not the world, not the eternal self. Here and now is all there is. There other Buddhist philosophies that believe in conditional existence, but come short of accepting an eternal self. So the idea of Karma is a mess in this system.
Advaita asserts an Eternal self in the form of Atma in a sentient being, which when the body dies, again becomes sentient due to existential ignorance that is carried in the mind and the body. This ignorance is the cause of karma. When this ignorance is destroyed, no more karma.
Justice is an elusive concept. It has nothing to do with karma.
The idea of karma itself is dependent on the philosophy it is based on. Buddhism looks at karma differently than Advaita does. Buddhism, as in the Sunya argument, ultimately denies that anything exists. Not the world, not the eternal self. Here and now is all there is. There other Buddhist philosophies that believe in conditional existence, but come short of accepting an eternal self. So the idea of Karma is a mess in this system.
Advaita asserts an Eternal self in the form of Atma in a sentient being, which when the body dies, again becomes sentient due to existential ignorance that is carried in the mind and the body. This ignorance is the cause of karma. When this ignorance is destroyed, no more karma.
Justice is an elusive concept. It has nothing to do with karma.
I agree with the bolded.
I think people want justice, so somehow it got mixed up into karma.
Yes, but we dont always get what we want. We all want love, we want kindness. We can only give these things. That is a more powerful feeling.
I agree.
It's interesting to watch debates about karma on some of the Buddhist websites. At least in Buddhism there seems to be two basic schools of thought -- cosmic justice system versus cause and effect (I'm of the latter school of though). The debates get pretty hot.
Yes, but we dont always get what we want. We all want love, we want kindness. We can only give these things. That is a more powerful feeling.
i disagree that we can "only" give those.
when we open to receive love and kindness,
we recognize love and kindness surround us
and always have
they pour into us, a flood
we determine that entirely ourself. it is not reliant on anything around us,
it is not reliant on anyone around us. it is regardless of outer circumstances (people, places, things) or what anyone else says or does, or how anyone else behaves.
we were not put on this earth to suffer.
our natural state of being is joy, happiness, contentment, delight.
when we recognize that, then we can allow it.
it is always there.
Last edited by Tzaphkiel; 08-18-2020 at 06:53 AM..
Yes, but we dont always get what we want. We all want love, we want kindness. We can only give these things. That is a more powerful feeling.
To clarify, the context was about wanting justice as being the same as karma. What justice is not always clear.
So wanting is not enough, just as wanting love and kindness is not enough. These cannot be commanded. But we are alway in position to give these. And by giving love and kindness (as Buddha said) we also receive love and kindness back.
There is always suffering, not necessary that just ours counts. That suffering also affects us, that is actually karma. If there is injustice, it affects all of us. There is no justice if there is no justice FOR ALL is not mere platitude. Karma will get us every time, what goes around comes around. We cannot be not involved.
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