Karma- overused/misunderstood?

Started by marymargaret, June 01, 2014, 01:01:37 AM

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Jmpty

In the popular understanding kamma is sometimes identified with fate, but this is a total misconception utterly inapplicable to the Buddhist doctrine. Kamma means volitional action, action springing from intention, which may manifest itself outwardly as bodily deeds or speech, or remain internally as unexpressed thoughts, desires and emotions. The Buddha distinguishes kamma into two primary ethical types: unwholesome kamma, action rooted in mental states of greed, hatred and delusion; and wholesome kamma, action rooted in mental states of generosity or detachment, goodwill and understanding. The willed actions a person performs in the course of his life may fade from memory without a trace, but once performed they leave subtle imprints on the mind, seeds with the potential to come to fruition in the future when they meet conditions conducive to their ripening.
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Aupmanyav

#16
Theists have all kind of beliefs. Hindus do believe that there is a scorekeeper (they even give the name, Chitragupta) and the Lord of Death and Dharma (Yama) punishes or rewards souls after checking the account. What form the soul takes in next life also depends on its actions in previous life. Buddha was not very clear on karma especially with respect to reincarnation. He said though the self is no more the karma lingers. Now how can karma linger without the self? Unable to explain, he discouraged contemplation on the subject and said that it is an imponderable. Contemplated, it waxes the mind (and causes madness). It does not help in removal of sorrows in life. No one should gloat on the effects of bad karmas, whether Hindu or Buddhist, it should be pitied. Who knows what effect one's own karmas would have in a future life?

Basically, karma is a social construct created to make people engage in good, socially constructive acts, and desist from evil, socially destructive acts.
"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya" (Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion)
"Sarve Khalu Idam Brahma" (All this here is Brahman)

bhaktajan

Quote from: stromboli on June 01, 2014, 09:06:27 AM
What goes around comes around. I don't know that karma can be described or defined as a natural law, but life does seem to balance the scales.

Ya see what needs to learnt is that the subject of KARMA.

Is a subject matter that is fully covered and described officially in FOREIGN TEXT BOOKS.

If a hillbilly has a euphemism to describe some--- TERMINOLOGY ---as official defined in a college level text book ---then one must learn what those text book define the word as meaning.

This is called intellectual education ---Hard hats and overalls are not requisite for knowing the official lingo.
I encountered a Covert Hare Krishna "book distributor". In his book I spotted the term: "The Supreme Personality Of Godhead". I exclaimed "Do you realise what you are implying here with the term "Supreme Personality Of Godhead"? Can you substantiate this?

Deidre32

I believe in reaping what one sows…there’s nothing spiritual or religious about the sentiment, despite religions trying to hijack it for their own use. Bad things happen to good people, but good things happen to bad people, too. I happen to think though that a good example of karma/reaping what we sow is if you treat poorly, over time…you might find yourself alone. Common sense really, but karma sounds so …cool and hipster. ^_^

Please don't be mad at me that I opened up an old thread. :=P
The only lasting beauty, is the beauty of the heart. - Rumi

PopeyesPappy

Quote from: aitm on June 01, 2014, 09:32:05 AM
People like the idea of karma because it obviously means ass-holes get their just "reward" sooner or later. But rarely do we suggest karma when a person is nice and friendly to us. Its karma bitch, it what we say when the ass-holes finds a large dent in their car and no one to blame. But when a nice person gets a nice surprise we call that luck most of the time. We hope karma smacks the ass-holes but figure luck is for the nice people....or not.

Save a life. Adopt a Greyhound.

doorknob

I feel as though my ex accrued some real bad karma. He was quite a bastard in his younger years.

Any how he's having a shit storm of bad luck these days. The only reason I feel bad about it though is because he's actually changing his life around and this is making it harder for him to maintain.

I could go into details but I won't.

Do I believe in Karma? I use to believe in the cosmic justice. But after seeing scum get away with shit and coming out completely unscathed I no longer believe. I've also known really good people who've had one hellacious life!

drunkenshoe

#21
We all exist on the same geographical area: it is called a planet. Our lives are not that different from each other -even though you'd love to think that yours is different. We are all ordinary people living similar lives, doing similar jobs, feeling similar feelings, thinking similar thoughts, giving similar reactions to environment around us, doing similar things to each other.

When you are not involved in it, it is called karma. When it is a reward, you deserved it because your karma is good. When it is bad, of course it has nothing to do with you. it's either bad luck or people are evil.

"science is not about building a body of known 'facts'. ıt is a method for asking awkward questions and subjecting them to a reality-check, thus avoiding the human tendency to believe whatever makes us feel good." - tp

Aupmanyav

Quote from: Deidre32 on April 22, 2015, 11:21:43 AM
I believe in reaping what one sows…there’s nothing spiritual or religious about the sentiment, despite religions trying to hijack it for their own use. Bad things happen to good people, but good things happen to bad people, too. I happen to think though that a good example of karma/reaping what we sow is if you treat poorly, over time…you might find yourself alone. Common sense really, but karma sounds so …cool and hipster. ^_^
Agree to all that you write. Karma actually answers why bad things happen to good people and bad people may not be punished in this life. Karma and rebirth are extensions of your view.
"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya" (Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion)
"Sarve Khalu Idam Brahma" (All this here is Brahman)

Mr.Obvious

Quote from: Aupmanyav on April 25, 2015, 06:58:46 AM
Karma actually answers why bad things happen to good people and bad people may not be punished in this life.

I don't think Thats a question with a proper answer. That is to say; questions like why do bad things happen to good people never sit right with me. To me they always seem to imply and evoke Some sort of universal justice. Why do bad things happen to good people holds in it The implication that we have reason to suspect that it Should be different. But seeing as their is no evidence of a force (intelligent or otherwise) that acts like a Grand justifier The better question would be, to me, why wouldnt bad things happen to good people?
That question might lead you to answer such as being a kind soul will make those around you help you and be kind to you. If you want to call that karma, i don't think it is a fitting term; unhelpful and vague at best and deliberately confusing at worst. But either way it doesnt logically lead to conclude it goes beyond preventing only a share solely of deliberate man-made 'bad things'.
"If we have to go down, we go down together!"
- Your mum, last night, requesting 69.

Atheist Mantis does not pray.

Aupmanyav

Quote from: Mr.Obvious on April 25, 2015, 07:57:14 AM
I don't think Thats a question with a proper answer. That is to say; questions like why do bad things happen to good people never sit right with me. To me they always seem to imply and evoke Some sort of universal justice. Why do bad things happen to good people holds in it The implication that we have reason to suspect that it Should be different. But seeing as their is no evidence of a force (intelligent or otherwise) that acts like a Grand justifier The better question would be, to me, why wouldnt bad things happen to good people?
That question might lead you to answer such as being a kind soul will make those around you help you and be kind to you. If you want to call that karma, i don't think it is a fitting term; unhelpful and vague at best and deliberately confusing at worst. But either way it doesnt logically lead to conclude it goes beyond preventing only a share solely of deliberate man-made 'bad things'.
You see, Mr. Obvious, I am a strong atheist. I do not believe in karma beyond one life that we have. I was trying to explain the theist view-point in Hinduism. There is no ambiguity in it. Bad things happening to good people are the result of wrong actions of these people in their previous lives - that is the karma view of theist Hindus.
"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya" (Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion)
"Sarve Khalu Idam Brahma" (All this here is Brahman)

Givemeareason

Quote from: marymargaret on June 01, 2014, 01:01:37 AM
Hello. I'm not a Buddhist but I have spent some time reading about it. It appears that Westerners have a different take on some of the concepts. Maybe those of you who have a better understanding could offer your opinion.

One thing that annoys the heck out of me is hearing some one gloat over another person's problems by saying "it's karma" or "what goes around - comes around". They act as if there's a cosmic scorekeeper or god punishing people. I don't share this belief- I understand the basic meaning of karma as simply action. I get the cause and effect aspect, but I think it's more about the variables in play. Status, culture, and public opinion determine the outcome more than any metaphysical concept.

I visited a Buddhist site and by reading the threads on the subject- it's a hot button subject. They seem divided on the technicalities and how rebirth comes into play.  I'm curious how an atheist leaning Buddhist sees it.



Rather than feeling you need to adhere to a religion my suggestion is that you see what you can borrow or gain from it.  I have been been engaged for a very long time in ideas that I borrowed from budhism on a path of self realization.  So the question is what do you hope to gain from budhism?

I am a Hard Athiest.  I am thought provoking inwardly and outwardly.  I am a nonconforming freethinker.

Nihil-ist

Quote from: aitm on June 01, 2014, 09:32:05 AM
People like the idea of karma because it obviously means ass-holes get their just "reward" sooner or later. But rarely do we suggest karma when a person is nice and friendly to us. Its karma bitch, it what we say when the ass-holes finds a large dent in their car and no one to blame. But when a nice person gets a nice surprise we call that luck most of the time. We hope karma smacks the ass-holes but figure luck is for the nice people....or not.

There's many different versions of it. The mainstream one is from a materialist perspective. People who seek revenge through karma have no idea what it is about.


Part of the karmaic teachings is there are no separate events. The flame of the candle is many flames not just one. The end of a war isn't really an end it continues to have repercussions forever.
Treating someone rudely doesn't end with the event where you treated them rudely. The results of your actions continue to reap repercussions whether or not you see them.

It goes beyond material gain/loss.
If you do something and you "know" you shouldn't most of the repercussions will happen in the realm of your mind. 
If you follow your karma(true will) you will have a better state of mind, peace and calm come naturally if you don't then you'll been in constant fear, worry, and anxiety.



"At some point in human history there were no gods."
"Deus est mortuus logica obtinet"

aitm

Quote from: Nihil-ist on August 24, 2015, 06:14:17 PM
There's many different versions of it. The mainstream one is from a materialist perspective. People who seek revenge through karma have no idea what it is about.


Part of the karmaic teachings is there are no separate events. The flame of the candle is many flames not just one. The end of a war isn't really an end it continues to have repercussions forever.
Treating someone rudely doesn't end with the event where you treated them rudely. The results of your actions continue to reap repercussions whether or not you see them.

It goes beyond material gain/loss.
If you do something and you "know" you shouldn't most of the repercussions will happen in the realm of your mind. 
If you follow your karma(true will) you will have a better state of mind, peace and calm come naturally if you don't then you'll been in constant fear, worry, and anxiety.




sorry, if it takes that much crap to explain a simple idea then the crap is just crap.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

CrucifyCindy

Quote from: aitm on August 24, 2015, 09:43:10 PM
sorry, if it takes that much crap to explain a simple idea then the crap is just crap.

Can we have an Unlike button but that crap is getting really annoying. In fact I consider it trolling.
“Rational thought is a failed experiment and should be phased out.”
 William S. Burroughs

حسن اÙ,,صباح - Ù,,يس هناك Ù...ا هو صحيح ØŒ ÙƒÙ,, شيء Ù...سÙ...وح به

Nihil-ist

Quote from: aitm on August 24, 2015, 09:43:10 PM
sorry, if it takes that much crap to explain a simple idea then the crap is just crap.

Yeah gravity is shit for the explanation is far too long... Come on you can do better than that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity

Quote from: CrucifyCindy on August 24, 2015, 09:55:26 PM
Can we have an Unlike button but that crap is getting really annoying. In fact I consider it trolling.
Visual aids. We should be using all the tools at our disposal in this era of technology.
If I say don't think about an apple do you see
Apple the fruit
or
Apple the logo
or
apple the word
?
"At some point in human history there were no gods."
"Deus est mortuus logica obtinet"