How many people have the phrase "karma is a bitch" as a common phrase in their vocabulary? I know I did for awhile. How typical of Western society to turn a concept into something selfish. Karma is not a tool to justify good actions by saying that people who do "bad things" will "get what they deserve".
really... then what is it?? Just curious on your take as I see you have it labeled as society turning it into something selfish. As i understood it years ago, when and if you do good deeds Karma will indeed shine on you. Paying you back with good luck and or good things happening to you.. and those whom did not so nice deeds would also have such deeds come back on them. What goes around comes around... Do unto others as you would have others do unto you... But I am very curious on your perception of Karma?
Well I do believe people who do bad and selfish things will get what's coming to them... Is that what you're asking? Pretty much if we believe in karma?
People believe in karma as reassurance that the person who fucked them will get whats coming to them.
I do contend that is the concept of karma. I am not arguing so much against it meaning "what goes around around comes around". My issue is that the concept of karma can't be defined when you involve dualism into it. And western society is dualistic, thus it skews the meaning of karma. Karma means willed action, quite literally. It is more of a Natural law (like gravity is a natural law) to explain that your actions have energy that impact life in some way. I think the act of judging others as evil as a whole, or just judging an action as good or evil, contradicts what karma stands for. That is why I feel western society has warped it's meaning into something selfish. By saying "Karma is a bitch, they'll get what they deserve", it seems as if you are placing judgment that what you are doing is good, while what they do is evil, and they should deserve punishment for their evil (again, we are now willing punishment for actions on an individual, which seems in my eyes a bit selfish and ignorant). However, how I interpret this can be very, very wrong. My understanding of dualism and buddhism in general is pretty limited.
the belief of Karma is much like there is a reaction for every action. good deeds get you good deeds in return, bad deeds well they do the same... But we as humans tend to judge others, what we were brought up and taught may not be what others have been taught, of course there are certain things that are just obvious and we all would consider them to be bad, But other things that what i see as rotten you may say..well thats not so bad.. But Im a believer in Karma,, I am the guy that stops on the hwy when I see a woman broke down, I believe when and if I break down, someone will help me because of the nice deeds ive done for others.. I also believe the fool that passes by purposly hitting the puddle and splashing the woman with dirty water will have a horible thing happen to them. To me thats Karma... I may be wrong sheldon, It sure wouldnt be the first time or the last.. But thats how this yoda sees it..
Okay, I agree with what you are saying about judgment, interesting take on it that I really never heard before. but Karma is exactly that. It is the explanation of the reactions to certain actions. Karma literally means "action". But it is not the sole explanation either. Bad people don't always get what they deserve, and the good surely don't always get what they deserve either. The Budha himself said it was an error to believe everything is determined by karma. I do believe that positive actions equates to positive energy, and negative actions equate to negative energy, and that this energy has an effect on our lives. I just feel that the idea of karma is somewhat skewed in our society, and using it as a justification to do good seems silly. I don't do good for the sake of karma, I do good for the sake of myself, and karma is the result. Idk though. Dualism is a confusing, seemingly contradictory topic itself.
I dont help the lady just to make sure I get help...did I say it wrong. I do it becauise thats the way i was brought up, I was brought up to respect others and help when i can, that used to be the way we were raised, times have changed...
No no you misunderstood. I was just saying "I do good for the sake of myself, not for the sake of karma" to demonstrate how some people use it incorrectly. People who use it (was not trying to include you in that, because from what you were saying, you are in the category of people who "use" karma correctly) to justify their actions are doing it wrong because you shouldn't need justification to do good. That's why I feel it's skewed, the definition they have is correct, but they have the wrong mindset (selfishness) which negates what karma stands for. I believe in karma too. For the same reasons you do. My mama raised me the same way, funny I was saying earlier to since93 how I am known as the 'good guy' and how I feel it's because how my mom and dad raised me.
that great news sheldon... we need more good guys in the world.. Theres something to be said for the old school manners and respect. It will get you allot farther in life then you will with a chip on your shoulder and a bad attitude. imo of course...
OMG yoda liked my post, that has made my day. Good karma will come your way YODA!!! Edit: HE REPPED ME TO AND THAT UPGRADED MY TITLE TO "CAN BLOW O'S" omg.
Haha, its funny because I completly agree...lol...maybe I should have directed my rant more towards hypocrites than western society ruining what karma is... Hmm... Yoda, made me think today you did. LOL! I fuckin lost it in the library at the University. Conrgats If only I could give out +karma on this forum... Damnit... Because you could have been literally rewarded with karma *edit* Oh yeah, I just repped you recently didn't I.... Never mind... lol
Karma is in fact a very law-oriented concept, much like force and gravity. The best way to think of it is in the classic definition of the word, "consequential". Whatever you pour into the system affects the outcome of later results. Like if I add fire to a pot of water, it will eventually begin to boil, and even further eventually evaporate into steam. Cause and effect, essentially.
"the world keeps a balance, thru mathematics defined by whatever you've added and substracted" If you are a selfish asshole that likes doing bad, karma IS a bitch. karma is karma, it can be a bitch, as it can be on your side...that pretty much depends on you. But also there is casuality and bad fucking luck and good luck. shit happens man idk.
I don't know where the word karma came from, but this is a topic that I've thought about before. When I think about karma the way people use it, I feel like it's a word to give people hope. The way I see it, good and bad things happen to all people. It's just that when you keep doing bad things, some people recognize this and they treat you a certain way. The same with good people. There are people that appreciate good people, so in return they treat good people good. There are good people that recognize bad people, so in return, they treat them not so good. Just my take on it. Another thing I've thought about is that everyone in existence is the same person. That this is all one experience and that we can only experience one perspective at a time. If you do bad to somebody, you're just doing bad to yourself without knowing it. What I mean is, if you steal a piece of candy from Ashley, once your life is over, somewhere down the line you'll experience life from Ashley's perspective, and that same piece of candy you stole as your former self will be stolen again. But this time, you'll be Ashley and wont remember that your former self is the one stealing the candy from the present you.
Karma is an eastern religion/philosophy principle, stemming from Hinduism at first and more popularized by Buddhism.