What is karma really?

Ina

Ina

Well-known Member
Location
Harris County, NE of Houston, Tx.
I've asked this before, but I don't think people really thought I was serious. Just what is karma, and how does it work? Where does it come from? I would like to get even a summary on the subject :thankyou:
 
I love karma corn,the one my Mom use to make...delicious....

Quote:The problem with Karma is that what goes around comes around, but it never seems to come around and go around.
 
Depends whether you want the Western or Eastern definition, Ina. :D

As you can probably guess, the Western version has been streamlined, optimized and given it's own Speed-E Check Out line. In essence, Westerners believe that karma is "what goes around comes around", just like Davey said.

But as with most things Eastern, what we see on the surface is only a very small piece of the whole.

See, we look at it as some kind of Heavenly Revenge system - if someone wrongs us, his/her karma is gonna' catch up to them. It's Superman and Johnny Cochran and Chuck Norris all rolled into one gigantic being, so if they can't sue you they'll kick your butt into next week.

Easterners see that as only a very small part of karma, if indeed it is seen that way at all. For all its supposed importance, karma is only one of 24 main precepts of Buddhist thought. Not everything is due to karma. The Buddha himself contradicted the misinterpretations:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"So, then, according to this view, owing to previous action men will become murderers, thieves, unchaste, liars, slanderers, covetous, malicious and perverts. Thus, for those who fall back on the former deeds as the essential reason, there is neither the desire to do, nor effort to do, nor necessity to do this deed, or abstain from this deed." [/FONT]
Click to expand...

Basically what he was saying was that if our entire present life was totally due to what we did in previous lives, then the concept of free will was a lie, and Buddha was many things but he wasn't a dummy. Momma Buddha didn't raise no dummies.

In fact, Buddha's words on this matter pointed out that there was really very little difference between the erroneous view of karma and a belief in God. Now, remember that Buddha (and Buddhists) do not believe in God. What he was trying to tell his followers was that thinking that your life was preordained by karma was just as ridiculous a notion as an all-powerful Being who controls our fate and destiny.

To go even further I'd have to explain how, in addition to the 24 precepts I mentioned earlier, karma is also one of 5 main niyama ("processes") that seek to explain natural laws and causes-and-effects, but this is already turning into an Eastern Religions 101 term paper so I'll stop. :D
 
Then by karma rules, I was a very bad person in some past life, because my life has been one disaster after another since I was about four. By those rules, I guess I'm going to have a great life next time around. That reminds me of the heaven promises made by most religions, which you can't pin down either. I have seen many bad people die happily in their beds. Bad people keep on doing bad, and getting away with their crimes cheerfully. So what's it all about?:dunno:
 
Yeah, but see, that's not how real karma supposedly works - you're using the Western definition.

There's no on-off switch, where if you are bad one life you'll be good the next, or if you're suffering now you'll be rewarded later. There are no promises. The whole point of Buddha's teaching was to remove people from thinking that way and to take responsibility for their own here-and-now..
 
SifuPhil said:
Yeah, but see, that's not how real karma supposedly works - you're using the Western definition.

There's no on-off switch, where if you are bad one life you'll be good the next, or if you're suffering now you'll be rewarded later. There are no promises. The whole point of Buddha's teaching was to remove people from thinking that way and to take responsibility for their own here-and-now..
Click to expand...
Excellent explanation of karma. It never made sense to me, the way Ina was describing it; a person would just kind of flip-flop back and forth from a "punishment life" to a "reward life". And the what goes around, comes around.......sometimes that seems to actually happen; but other times (as was mentioned) the person just goes on living the life of comfort, while still being abusive to people, same as always.
Taking the responsibility for our own life, and accepting that it will have hills and valleys, and that other people will not always treat us right, makes more sense to me altogether.
The Bible says that the rain falls upon the just and the unjust. Whether the rain is good news or bad news , depends on whether that person needs some rain in their lives. It does not mean that God is angry with us, or that we have been bad in a previous life.
It is hard to understand why some of us seem to have troubles and sorrows all of our life, even though we do our best to be a good person; while other people give no thought to their fellow man, and walk all over them, yet seem to lead a charmed life.
I guess that is why we want to believe that there is a Heaven, where things will always be fair, and we will live a better life.
 
I an agnostic, but I've heard the word karma used in many ways, and I'm usually offend and confused by it's use and what it seems to imply.
As my mom use to say, " It only has the power you give it."
As I acknowledge that I make my own problems and mistakes, I feel more in control of my own life, instead of feeling like I'm ricocheting off the many religious beliefs out there. :trolls:





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und what all the deities are threatening
 
Just Sayin, I have had a totally different view of those sayings.("What goes around comes around"), I have known very bad people who lived happy lives, and died happily in their own beds. They got away with their crimes and bad deeds. They knew it and so did everyone else, but it was more comfortable to not acknowledgment actions that didn't effect them personally. People do bad thing and get away with it for their whole lives, and without regret.

Another phrase that gets me is, "Your good deeds and sacrifices will come back to you." OHHHHHHH I don't need to go there now do I?
 
Thank you Phil, That gave me a better idea of what Karma is supposed to be. Since I was about six, something in me has always said,"Nah, I don't think so". For me that has always applied to all religions. But, at the same time, I have always felt there was something greater than any of us. So, I guess that makes me an agnostic. I was just hearing so many platitudes that I just wanted to scream.
Sometimes when enough disasters happen, I start to wonder just what I the #?!+¥<°~ did I do to draw all this to me. Then someone or something puts things back into perspective. :thankyou:
 
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