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Karma

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knight

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Jan 24, 2011
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I think there are different kinds of karma, from what i remember. there is the direct karma which happens this life time as a consequence to previous deeds and then there is the cosmic karma that occurs, only after you have moved on and plays out over the course of your next life or lives....depends if you want to break it down payment into installments or break it down into one lump sum...:p.
(this is from the top of my head and with out google)

so what ever lot the life you are born into, if its crap, is a consequence of bad deeds from your previous life and anything bad that happens to you, possibly something you may not have deserved, even if you were a good person in that life.
(my opinion) to me the universe is not fair, and though its bad, its also somewhat of a good thing. we enforce what
laws, its our responsibility not the universe, if there is to be some peace and order. (correct me if Im wrong)
there are ways to avoid direct karma of ones bad deeds and its much easier
to avoid if you can get other people on board.

touching on if our past deeds following our souls into the next life....
I dont believe we have souls and so I dont believe that our past deeds will follows us in death to the great beyond or would be a next life.

Love Buddhism btw, something so natural about it. its kinda intricate.
 

Lux

Kraken down on piracy
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I believe that balance is real, however that plays out. Some may feel it is Karma, some a correction, some a superficial word. I think the striving for balance exists in all forms of nature, including the universe(s). However, who knows what the rules of 'balance' really are? They may be different than we think.
 
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Ginkgo

Guest
I think there are different kinds of karma, from what i remember. there is the direct karma which happens this life time as a consequence to previous deeds and then there is the cosmic karma that occurs, only after you have moved on and plays out over the course of your next life or lives....depends if you want to break it down payment into installments or break it down into one lump sum...:p.
(this is from the top of my head and with out google)

so what ever lot the life you are born into, if its crap, is a consequence of bad deeds from your previous life and anything bad that happens to you, possibly something you may not have deserved, even if you were a good person in that life.
(my opinion) to me the universe is not fair, and though its bad, its also somewhat of a good thing. we enforce what
laws, its our responsibility not the universe, if there is to be some peace and order. (correct me if Im wrong)

touching on if our past deeds following our souls into the next life....
I dont believe we have souls and so I dont believe that our past deeds will follows us in death to the great beyond or there would be a next life.

Love Buddhism btw, something so natural about it. its kinda intricate.

I believe that balance is real, however that plays out. Some may feel it is Karma, some a correction, some a superficial word. I think the striving for balance exists in all forms of nature, including the universe(s). However, who knows what the rules of 'balance' really are? They may be different than we think.

I've grown to believe in direct karma. I think that if you act with bad intent, then you will suffer. Not because an invisible hand is manipulating your fate, or anything that relates to physical reality, but because when that 'bad seed', if you will, surfaces, we become aware of it through the undesired consequences in our lives. Logically, then, if you always had good intent, then life would be perceived as rosey; not because nothing bad happened to you, but because you wouldn't feel responsible for your misfortune. My karma system dictates direct and indirect awareness. It is awareness that brings a sense of balance.

Of course, personal will and rules of cause and effect are essential for this theory to even have a leg to stand on.
 

Lux

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Conversely, 'intent' can be a true motivation, not the action. One can be 'pure' in action, but menacing in thought. Or vice versa. So how do you determine which is 'good'? Is it the action or the thought?
 

Saslou

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I understand karma to most has some sort of negative connotation but i believe it can also be applied when we haven't learned a particular life lesson so it plays out until we have that 'aha' moment and realise the valuable lesson thus able to move forward and progress.
 
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Ginkgo

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Conversely, 'intent' can be a true motivation, not the action. One can be 'pure' in action, but menacing in thought. Or vice versa. So how do you determine which is 'good'? Is it the action or the thought?

The thought. I think, however, in the realm of organized Buddhism, they would eventually draw the line somewhere and state that unintentional catastrophe is bad karma. If I were to decide, I would stick to the principle and say that that unfortunate individual would have no bad karma. But, perhaps it is only for the individual to decide, since he/she is the only one who can determine their feelings of responsibility. On a side note, strictly organizing your sense of responsibility would probably save your conscience.
 

Lux

Kraken down on piracy
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And maybe your 'conscience' (consciousness) is what determines whether Karma exists. You create your own reality.

When I was a young kid, I thought, that regarding religion, that it was each persons own true thoughts that determined what happened to them after death. If they believed in a God, then there was one for them, if they believed in nothing, then there was that, etc... As an adult, I know what feels 'right' and that it only feels right for me, and it's constantly being revised.

I love your threads, btw. *smile*
 
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Ginkgo

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And maybe your 'conscience' (consciousness) is what determines whether Karma exists. You create your own reality.

When I was a young kid, I thought, that regarding religion, that it was each persons own true thoughts that determined what happened to them after death. If they believed in a God, then there was one for them, if they believed in nothing, then there was that, etc... As an adult, I know what feels 'right' and that it only feels right for me, and it's constantly being revised.

I love your threads, btw. *smile*

:biggrin: It's funny because I thought that as well, or at least considered it. Yes, according to Buddhism, the world is an illusion and you create your own reality. That's what keeps the whole dingy floating. Same for me as well, but hopefully tomorrow I won't have some new revelation and suddenly become horridly embarrassed with this thread! :cheese:

What if you believed.... IN EVERYTHING!
 

Stigmata

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Feb 16, 2011
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Personally, I think the concept of karma is a crock of shit. The basis for it relies on the assumption that there's some universally objective form of negative and positive(right or wrong), which again, I don't think to be true; Everything is relative and context dependent.

Everything is simply a series of coincidences fueled by an infinite series of mathematical probabilities governed by every singe action we make, as well as those around us. Life is simply a giant do-it-yourself book in which the possibilities are endless, and in which opening of one door opens infinitely many in response, all with either slightly or substantially varying outcomes. In relation to karma, bad things happen to good people because there is no good or bad.
 
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Ginkgo

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Personally, I think the concept of karma is a crock of shit. The basis for it relies on the assumption that there's some universally objective form of negative and positive(right or wrong), which again, I don't think to be true; Everything is relative and context dependent.

Everything is simply a series of coincidences fueled by an infinite series of mathematical probabilities governed by every singe action we make, as well as those around us. Life is simply a giant do-it-yourself book in which the possibilities are endless, and in which opening of one door opens infinitely many in response, all with either slightly or substantially varying outcomes.

There are many variants of karma. Some of which have nothing to do with a universal code of ethics.
 

Stigmata

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There are many variants of karma. Some of which have nothing to do with a universal code of ethics.

Correct me if I'm wrong on this, but isn't karma related to the type of energy one expels, be it either negative or positive? I don't want this to boil down into nothing more than a semantical back and forth, but how can the concept for it exist without somehow being tied down the ethics to some degree?
 

copperfish17

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^ The way I understand karma... it's more of a "you get what you dish out" kinda thing. It can be good and it can be bad... ultimately it doesn't matter if what you did/got is good or bad, since it all depends on what you see as "good" and "bad" - that's totally up to your interpretation. Hmm... I don't think I've ever associated karma with types of energies. On a little side note, I think "bad" karma can also come in the form of guilt, anxiety etc.

Well, that's my take on the issue. I'd like to hear Ginkgo's thoughts too.
 
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Ginkgo

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^ The way I understand karma... it's more of a "you get what you dish out" kinda thing. It can be good and it can be bad... ultimately it doesn't matter if what you did/got is good or bad, since it all depends on what you see as "good" and "bad" - that's totally up to your interpretation. Hmm... I don't think I've ever associated karma with types of energies. On a little side note, I think "bad" karma can also come in the form of guilt, anxiety etc.

Well, that's my take on the issue. I'd like to hear Ginkgo's thoughts too.

I nearly forgot about this thread.

Yes copper, you are right. If if it is true, then those who have no sense of morality (note, not a universal distinction between good and bad, but rather a mere understanding of their personal morals) would be exempt from the rule. Sociopaths would be immune, though they do feel pain. The difference is that due to the guilt following bad intent, most people would project their feelings on their environment, which would remind them of their deeds. What comes around goes around. Although, in the case of instant karma, a person would immediately learn from their experience and never have to worry about dismal decisions. If you learn from your poor decisions, then you accept them. If you accept them, you are not in denial. Guilt is a nice concoction of fear and denial. Furthermore, if you have truly learned from your decisions, then you understand what is necessary to make different decisions next time. If you understand what is necessary, and have the tools to carry out which is necessary, fear is out of the picture. Everyone has the tools, as everyone has the capacity to understand their intent, even if it needs to surface from the unconscious. The Truth does not fear revelation.

Supernatural forces are not necessarily in play. The only energies at work are the energies of the psyche.

Yes, you are correct about the relativism. It's easy to get hung up on the idea that there's a universal moral order, but that's not what I'm saying. Everyone is responsible for their own morality, so it follows they are also responsible for their karma.
 

Stanton Moore

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Mar 4, 2009
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I don't believe in Karma. Bad things happen to good people, good things to bad ones. There is no magical cause-and-effect relationship in the universe.
Pol Pot lived to be a very old man. How to explain that?
 

Such Irony

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I don't believe in karma- instead I believe in coincidence. So good or bad things always seem to happen when you wear a certain shirt? Just a coincidence although some people will believe a shirt or some other everyday object has good or bad karma. It's superstition if you ask me.
 

dukkha

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Dec 26, 2009
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well here's one view...and here's my disclaimer...there is no one story, just different ways of seeing.

I used to think karma was a crock, but after studying ontological coaching I started thinking....if my own actions are influenced by my language (internal dialog) and emotional space, and as a child I grew up accepting certain stories (language) from my parents and significant others, as well as what emotions were acceptable and unacceptable to express, then I will to some degree make choices in my life based on these scripts and bare the consequences....inherited habitual ways of being....karma perhaps...

Unless we question the underlying scripts that run our lives then we we're at their mercy....past karma? I think there is karma at different levels too, ie karma of different levels of community in the world, though ultimately these are made up of individuals who have options. The options however may not be apparent unless the observer steps back to watch the observer, and asks the question, "how is my current way of being serving me?"

Righto...one too many red wines on a Friday night...time to hit the sofa and crash ;)
 
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