Karma

[I B Hankering]

I do not believe in Karma. I've seen too many good people suffer and hurt through no fault of their own.

[pjorourke]

Generally Yes, I do beleive in karma.

I don't obsess over building up my karma, more focus on not damaging it -- i.e., remembering that my rights stop at the end of your nose.

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

I don't obsess over building up my karma, more focus on not damaging it -- i.e., remembering that my rights stop at the end of your nose.

Personally, I try to always allow for the length of the other guy's arm and fist, but I do try to live by the Golden Rule so I very, very rarely have trouble.

[pjorourke]

Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Personally, I try to always allow for the length of the other guy's arm and fist

Thats very much part of karma -- the coming back part.

[Mazomaniac]

Originally Posted by WTF

Then you do what you do for selfish reasons....just as a sociopath does what he does for selfish reasons.

WE all do what we do for selfish reasons, that does not make it bad , it just is. Ask Adam Smith, if ya don't believe me.

I absolutely agree . . . well, not about the sociopath part but with everything else.

Buddhism is something of a inherent oxymoron. It's about acting compassionately towards other to achieve personal gain. Weird in concept when compared to how the western world works but you can easily look on the Buddha as the kinder, gentler version of Ayn Rand.

Cheers,
Mazo.

[Valerie]

I don't really "believe" in anything per say....I do try and be kind to people, a good mother, and generally a law abiding citizen ....and hope to be treated the same....

I think in most cases if you're a bad person running around doing shitty things to people, yes, eventually you will probably be hated, in jail,hurt, unhappy etc...but that's simply because you're breaking the law/rules, or just a bad person...There are consequences for that type of behaviour....It's similar to Newton's Law ( I know that is to do with science) but I say that in the sense that every action one has will cause a reaction...whether it be good or bad...

I see a lot of good people, people that are all about Karma, so they are always very nice, doing good, but unfortunately when I see something bad happen to someone it's usually someone who I think didn't deserve it. Solely based on my experiences in life, the good tend to get shit on in a lot of cases...

You can think all day long that if your life is good it's because you have good "Karma", or if something takes a turn for the worst, you must have bad "Karma"...The fact of the matter is, it's just life...There will always be good times along with the bad.

I get why people believe in "Karma", I mean when someone pisses you off it's easy to say to yourself, " That's okay because Karma will get them!", it might make you feel better at the time, but the reality is there is a chance that "Karma" won't get them. I would love it if I knew for a fact that every bad person I encountered was going to "get their's", but I am a realist and simply don't think that way?...Not to imply anything negative about those who do believe in Karma, we are all entitled to our beliefs, and if believing in Karma helps some people get through the day, then more power to them!

[coast_encounter]

[TexTushHog]

Actually, Karma can mean different things is different Eastern religions. So you have to be careful which version of karma you are talking about. Buddhism, the Eastern religion that I am most familiar with, focuses on the intent behind actions and has no role for an intervening God to "even the score." Karma is part of the betterment of self to escape the circle of Samara and attain enlightenment.

[London Rayne]

I don't think it is an absolute one way or the other, but I do think it exists. When babies die from some sickness I don't think that "Karma" got them as they were innocent children. I just think it is one of those things that has no answer.

Bad things happen to good people all the time without explination...same goes for the reverse. I do believe that you reap what you sow eventually....especially when you are doing wrong and darn well know it. Ignorance is bliss at times because it is a widely used excuse for people to justify what they do is NOT wrong; therefore, having no conscience about it one way or the other.

Do I think sleeping with married men for money is wrong? Well yes, and I do it anyway. That is worse than a person doing it who does NOT think it's wrong I suppose, but it still does not justify it. I think too many people rationalize what they do in order to feel better about themselves. If you can convince yourself that killing people is not wrong, you won't have such a hard time doing it.

[Guest011914-1]

I firmly believe and live with the premise of Karma is a huge part of my believe system and how I treat others will come back on me tenfold and I seen others have karma bite them in the ass.....

Originally Posted by charlestudor2005

Do you believe in karma, i.e., the acts and deeds that you do create the framework for acts and deeds what you may, in the future, experience?

In a more colloquial Americanism, it can be summed up in "what goes around comes around."

And if you do believe in (a form of) "karma," does it effectively impact how you act in everyday life? For instance, are you more tolerant of widows, children and the poor because in your belief?

Or do you generally blow off this concept? Is it a fabrication of "do-gooders?"

[WTF]

Originally Posted by pjorourke

Generally Yes, I do beleive in karma.

.

I believe in Karma Electra, butt ass naked!


http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CC8Q9QEwBg

[Vikki Simone]

Originally Posted by Mazomaniac

"Karma is just a mirror that reflects the whole person." Maybe that's the best way you can say it.

Cheers,
Mazo.

I like this.

If you're a person who does vile things, eventually, it'll catch up to you. Not because of "karma" per se, but because one tends to attract people like oneself.

If you're always trying to get one over on someone else, chances are your "friends" are too. So, sooner or later, one of those "friends" will bite you in the ass.

That shady ex-wife? She wound up with a shady boyfriend who gave her herpes. That guy with such low character as to wrongly accuse someone of being dishonest and etc? He wound up in a relationship built on dishonesty that ultimately lead to his death.

Like attracts like, and if you're a shady mofo, shady shit will happen to you. It may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow, but the shady behavior plants a seed, and you reap what you sow.

If you're a nice person, sure, you'll get taken advantage of by shady people or harmed by being too nice at times, but overall, good things will happen to you.

[Sisyphus]

...I try to treat people the way I'd like to be treated. I try to live my life in a manner consistent with my philosophy as to the way it ought to be lived...

But, I'm human. That means, by definition, I fail as often as I succeed. If I've had a bad day...or week...or month...or year...in which I think I've lost my way...I do try a little harder to do so for some period of time after I've made the realization.

Maybe it's an attempt to realign the karma...maybe it's just penance. Or, just a New Year's resolution.... Old ideas die hard...

[WTF]

Originally Posted by Sisyphus

...I try to treat people the way I'd like to be treated. ...

What if we tried treating people the way they wanted to be treated! I might not want to be treated the way you treat yourself

[Sisyphus]

Originally Posted by WTF

What if we tried treating people the way they wanted to be treated! I might not want to be treated the way you treat yourself

It's simply a jumping off point, WT. Absent instruction to the contrary, it seems a reasonable place to begin. None of us have ANY IDEA how other people WISH to be treated until they tell us. If we're not down with what they want..."No, thank you."...STILL the 3 most powerful words in the English language...