minimariah2 Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 I was wondering, how many of you believe in karma? How do you define karma, what does karma mean to you? Also - are you worried about karma? When something bad happens to you, do you attribute that to karma? Link to post Share on other sites
FMW Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 The traditional/original Budhist or Hindu definition of Karma is about past lives, and how we have to deal with what we've done in those past lives in our current existence. I don't really believe in past lives, although I respect that others do. I think when most people talk about Karma they are talking about a single lifetime of actions, and suffering because of something bad you did earlier in your life. What I believe is that if we have a negative and hateful view of others and treat them accordingly, that negativity and hatefulness cannot help but turn back on us. I believe that we do indeed reap what we sew. To a large extent we create our own worlds. However, unless I'm feeling guilty about something I've done in the past, no, I don't see unhappy events in my life as Karmic payback. Bad things happen to everyone, it's the flow of life. The bad helps us appreciate the good. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
RecentChange Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 I don,t believe in karma. I see too many horrendous people that seem to live life consequence free, and wonderful people that have to deal with one bad thing after another. Link to post Share on other sites
Rayce Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 I don,t believe in karma. I see too many horrendous people that seem to live life consequence free, and wonderful people that have to deal with one bad thing after another. I use to believe in karma but I too have come around to this point of view. I believe in the randomness of life. Link to post Share on other sites
Normm Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Well if you're looking for votes, I believe in karma as per the definition that "you reap what you sow". If a person treats other people poorly and they end up alone and miserable or some jerk blows past people on the highway at 120 mph and then flips the car and decapitates themself, that's karma as I define it. It's not some supernatural or spiritual force that somehow balances the universe, if that's what you're asking. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
FMW Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Yikes - I meant sow, not sew! Link to post Share on other sites
Rayce Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) Not everyone reaps what they sow.... So I have an Uncle that has wrote several books on hypnosis, past lives regression and karma. He is well known in his field and his technique is taught in some Universities. The thing is he use to practice this stuff on me when I was kid trying to drag out "past lives" and what have you. Years later I feel pretty violated by the whole experience really while he is living the wonderful life teaching his bs all over the place. He cut me out of his life when I confronted him about hypnosis on children and the damage done. If you been reading along with my post you may begin to see why I am so messed up. lol... I had a boss one time that was an Eckhart Tolle follower who believe all the bad things that have happened to me in my life is because of stuff I did in my past life. I must of been a really bad bad person! How crazy is that? A boss judging me by my "Past lives". lol... Edited January 25, 2019 by Rayce 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Nilfiry Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Karma exists, but not in the way that most people think of it. It is not some magical force or godly judge that deals out rewards and punishment. It is more like a web or an ocean of connections, where every thought and every action that you make, even something as small as a breath, creates a disturbance, like a ripple or wave, that radiates out in all direction and affects everything around you. Like a real wave in water, the response that you ultimately get will depend on what is around you and how each entity responds to the intricacies your wave. Then you take this process and realize that everything in the universe is doing it at the same time. You can actually apply much of wave science to what happens next. Waves interfering constructively can create a larger impact, whereas waves interfering destructively will cancel out where they meet. However, in either case, the resulting effect is not necessarily positive or negative. That will depend on the viewpoint of the observer, as a beneficial interaction to some may be detrimental to others. The internet is actually a decently good real-world analogy to karma. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
basil67 Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 I agree with the 'reap what you sow' definition. Or in actions having consequences. For example, if a person is judgemental and mean, they will often find themselves without friends. That's Karma 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Lucky Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 When something bad happens to you, do you attribute that to karma? No. Bad decisions can have a ripple effect and raise other issues years down the road. What we often attribute to karma are simply consequences. There is an upside, right? No universal truths, but good things also tend to happen to good people. Life comes without guarantees, but we can certainly tilt the scale in one direction or the other through our own actions and choices... Mr. Lucky 1 Link to post Share on other sites
MuddyFootprints Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Karma doesn't seek to punish. Karma is personal. Karma has nothing to do with comeuppance or social consequences. There is no such thing as karmic justice. IMO Link to post Share on other sites
chillii Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 I don,t believe in karma. I see too many horrendous people that seem to live life consequence free, and wonderful people that have to deal with one bad thing after another. So true , same , l've wondered for years how they just seem to sale off into the sunset free as a bird. l've often thought that's their luck niche. Most of us have an area of luck and theirs is getting away with anything. Karma , well l certainly seem to get my share when l do something and l'm well aware of the things that'll bring me pay back. l don't seem to be able to get away with much though. Link to post Share on other sites
todreaminblue Posted January 27, 2019 Share Posted January 27, 2019 karmaBuddhism and Jainism have their own karma precepts. Thus karma has not one, but multiple definitions and different meanings. It is a concept whose meaning, importance and scope varies between Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and other traditions that originated in India, and various schools in each of these traditions. for want of a word.....is i feel ...justice ...consequence with a spiritual tone and everyone faces their own karma.....either in this life...or the next.......justice in consequences...that thought keeps me sane....i also believe in justice or karma in a good way not in a you suffer way...but all the good you do in this life....will have a consequence of good tidings.the most excellent karma.......i am not buddhist ....but i believe that all religions have elements of beauty inherent...commonalities that flow through all of them..and karma i believe is a concept of having a certain peace in doing whats right by others and yourself..........deb Link to post Share on other sites
Arieswoman Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 I agree with Mr Lucky #10 No. Bad decisions can have a ripple effect and raise other issues years down the road. What we often attribute to karma are simply consequences. There is an upside, right? No universal truths, but good things also tend to happen to good people. Life comes without guarantees, but we can certainly tilt the scale in one direction or the other through our own actions and choices... In my experience everyone who has ever 'got one over' on me has come unstuck eventually, whether it be weeks, months, years later. If $h!££y people keep doing $h!££y things to others it eventually catches up with them. I'm not sure what you would call it, but it isn't the same as the 'Karma' that Buddist philosphy talks about. Link to post Share on other sites
T-Rexus Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 The traditional/original Budhist or Hindu definition of Karma is about past lives, and how we have to deal with what we've done in those past lives in our current existence. That's the one thing that would make since about how my life is so screwed up. I must have done something absolutely horrible in a past life because I feel like I'm being absolutely punished in this one. The things that I've had happen to me based purely on "luck" is just ridiculous. Link to post Share on other sites
major_merrick Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 I don't believe in karma. I absolutely reject the concept of past lives, and I mostly reject the idea of intentionally being a good person. I've obeserved that good people frequently get bad luck, and that bad people frequently succeed. In fact, bad people succeeding seems to happen more often than good people succeeding. So, my attitude is that I do what I need to do in order to succeed. If that means I do some bad things along the way, it is just part of living and working for #1. For what its worth, I tend to think that there is a genetic component to memory, which might explain some of peoples' experiences of figuring out their "past lives." Link to post Share on other sites
chillii Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Past lives are a joke imo and basically impossible. But l'm damned if l can figure out why l'm the only person l've ever seen, in anything, ever, anywhere, that has pointed this out. There's nearly 7billion in the world now yet 50yrs ago probably only half that, no idea on the number and that doesn't even matter. 500yrs ago a fraction of that again. So unless souls breed or somehow multiply as we die and one turns into two, or 3, each time, past lives are technically an impossibility. Link to post Share on other sites
Nilfiry Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 (edited) Past lives are a joke imo and basically impossible. But l'm damned if l can figure out why l'm the only person l've ever seen, in anything, ever, anywhere, that has pointed this out. There's nearly 7billion in the world now yet 50yrs ago probably only half that, no idea on the number and that doesn't even matter. 500yrs ago a fraction of that again. So unless souls breed or somehow multiply as we die and one turns into two, or 3, each time, past lives are technically an impossibility. I am not trying to persuade or advocate it, but I thought that I should point out that your argument only makes sense if you limit the soul count strictly to human souls and strictly to those of this planet. However, it should also be noted that none of the spiritual beliefs/practices that includes karma believes that only humans have souls. All living things have souls, according to many spiritual practices/beliefs. In Buddhism, one's soul can actually fall into one of six realms of reincarnation depending on the culmination of their karma: gods, demons, humans, animals, ghosts, and the realm of hell. The one to note in particular for the sake of argument (and simplicity) is the animal realm, which should essentially tell you that all animals have souls and can ascend to the human realm. Likewise, humans can also descend to the animal realm. Needless to say, there are several times more animals than there are humans, so your soul count checks out. This is not even going into the migration of souls from other planets/dimensions, depending on your beliefs. Not that I am exactly in disagreement with you strictly regarding the joke part. Even if it does exist, the only past lives that matters are the ones that you can actually remember. Else, there is just no point to bother. Edited January 28, 2019 by Nilfiry Link to post Share on other sites
chillii Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Yep , l agree and have always believed animals have souls, watch nature , animals , birds, they'r just people, different to us but people of their own kind. So if we did actually reincarnate and even if some of us were animals before, or anything else then animals and anything else do too. The principles the same , there's still not enough souls to go around. Link to post Share on other sites
Nilfiry Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Yep , l agree and have always believed animals have souls, watch nature , animals , birds, they'r just people, different to us but people of their own kind. So if we did actually reincarnate and even if some of us were animals before, or anything else then animals and anything else do too. The principles the same , there's still not enough souls to go around. Then the real question here is from where did all these souls come? In Christianity, they are all created by God. Unfortunately, much of Christianity does not believe in reincarnation. In Buddhism, they are all just bits and pieces of a universal consciousness. Either way, there seems to be a solution for your soul count problem in every text that supports karma. Of course, I need to make the disclaimer that Buddhism does not actually believe in eternal souls in the sense that Christianity does. I am only use the term interchangeably for the sake of context. Link to post Share on other sites
Rayce Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 peace I just try to treat people with kindness Link to post Share on other sites
chillii Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Well l'd guess when we're born, or an animal , or anything else , we're born with our soul. So yeah , there's gonna be a lot of souls up there from everything that's passed, but there still wouldn't be enough to reincarnate everyone. Link to post Share on other sites
LuckyM Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 If karma makes you feel better, or enables you to live a more moral happier life, no harm in thinking it is true. Personally, I don't believe it. Absolutely no evidence that I know of to support it. Evidence is the most important thing to me. Link to post Share on other sites
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