Revisiting that question about Karma...

[Poeticus]

Namaste,

Yes, it's a popular question,
no doubt, but...

Why do bad things happen
to good people?

Can we revisit this question
once more? I'm having a
difficult time finding answers
or coming up with ones on
my own.
​

 

[Aupmanyav]

You want the theistic explanation or the atheistic. The theistic explanation is karma, prarabhda karma.

 

[Poeticus]

You want the theistic explanation or the atheistic. The theistic explanation is karma, prarabhda karma.

Just an explanation will do.
...A very detailed explanation.​

 

[Vinayaka]

Why do bad things happen
to good people?

​

What's a 'bad' thing. How bad?

 

[Poeticus]

What's a 'bad' thing. How bad?

Ah! Semantics! We
meet again! But...

Really, really, really...​

...bad.​

 

[Vinayaka]

Ah! Semantics! We
meet again! But...

Really, really, really...​

...bad.​

You mean like an innocent bystander getting caught in a gunfight, and accidentally shot to death?

 

[Poeticus]

You mean like an innocent bystander getting caught in a gunfight, and accidentally shot to death?

Kind of...​

But, more like...​

John/Jane Doe is the nicest person
of all time, always doing good
and helpful, and unselfish things,
and bad stuff still happens to him/her.​

 

[Sumit]

Namaste,

Yes, it's a popular question,
no doubt, but...

Why do bad things happen
to good people?

​

Because there are always bad people out there. :tuna:

 

[Poeticus]

Because there are always bad people out there. :tuna:

Why must good people
suffer because of the
bad people, O' Master Jedi?​

 

[Sumit]

Why must good people
suffer because of the
bad people, O' Master Jedi?​

May be because those gud people are not smart enough to save them.
How Sad! A fox eat innocent and cute lamb.

 

[Vinayaka]

Kind of...​

But, more like...​

John/Jane Doe is the nicest person
of all time, always doing good
and helpful, and unselfish things,
and bad stuff still happens to him/her.​

You really think somebody like that Jane Doe wasn't on the Malaysian Airlines flight?

As for the nice guy at the workplace, sometimes they set themselves up as pushovers too, so the more instinctive people of a lower mindset just don't notice at all, and fall into a habit of taking advantage of.

 

[Poeticus]

A fox eat innocent and cute lamb.

I thought the Hitopadesha
mentions a squirrel and a
bird rather than a lamb...​

 

[Poeticus]

You really think somebody like that Jane Doe wasn't on the Malaysian Airlines flight?

As for the nice guy at the workplace, sometimes they set themselves up as pushovers too, so the more instinctive people of a lower mindset just don't notice at all, and fall into a habit of taking advantage of.

Well, could it be
something from
their past lives?

I'm confused as to how something from
a past life can contribute to something
in this one.​

 

[Sumit]

I thought the Hitopadesha
mentions a squirrel and a
bird rather than a lamb...​

It looks like I have got something new to read.

 

[Vinayaka]

Well, could it be
something from
their past lives?

I'm confused as to how something from
a past life can contribute to something
in this one.​

You're kidding me?
We are not the individual, we're a soul. That soul was spawned/emanated by Siva. For a guess, let's say each soul is predestined to have 108 lifetimes (the mala analogy is coming). Surely 4 or 5 or more of those is destined to be rougher than the others. If its a mala, the occasional bead will break even. So the mala, despite being a perfect tool for mantra japa, still has some imperfections in it.

The inability to see karma comes from staring at one bead, and not the mala.

 

[Poeticus]

You're kidding me?
We are not the individual, we're a soul. That soul was spawned/emanated by Siva. For a guess, let's say each soul is predestined to have 108 lifetimes (the mala analogy is coming). Surely 4 or 5 or more of those is destined to be rougher than the others. If its a mala, the occasional bead will break even. So the mala, despite being a perfect tool for mantra japa, still has some imperfections in it.

The inability to see karma comes from staring at one bead, and not the mala.

Perhaps, my wording was poor. What I
am trying to ask is that karma can't
really be controlled, correct? Since, it is
predestined?

I am unfamiliar with the theology of
past lives and their subsequent effects,
since the concept of liberation/moksha is
irrelevant in my school. For those like me,
"bad things" happen because it is the
occurrence of satya (truth) - that not all
truth is savory or pleasing to experience.​

 

[Vinayaka]

Perhaps, my wording was poor. What I
am trying to ask is that karma can't
really be controlled, correct? Since, it is
predestined?
​

We have no control over past karms that come to us now, yes that part is true. What we can control is the karmas that will come to us in future. Today's deeds return in future, so beware of today's deeds. To me, it is the perfect reason for ethical behaviour.

But I agree with your bit about truth too. It is a fact of life. Most schools consider suffering as part of life I think. How we approach it though, is another matter.

For example, a broken leg may just be what the doctor ordered in terms of a break from routine.

 

[ratikala]

Why must good people
suffer because of the
bad people ?
​

the suffering inflicted by these bad guys is at least only temporary , if for instance , as did happen to ghandi ji , ... he was assasinated despite his life long fight for fairness for all people .... but at the moment of his murder he cried out for sri ram , ..thus his murderer was the killer of his body but the liberator of his soul ,
his suffering was only momentary , only in this fleeting life , but his liberation is his final and eternal being .

 

[ratikala]

Perhaps, my wording was poor. What I
am trying to ask is that karma can't
really be controlled, correct? Since, it is
predestined?​

I am sure you know the Buddhist take on Karma , ...that it is a simple case of Cause and Effect .....therefore it can be controled to an extent , ...in that one can purify impurities , one can correct wrongs and imbalances , and one can create future benificial causes .

what is predestined by previous actions can be ballanced and ajusted thus the negative reactions of unconscious actions can become purified by conscious actions.

I am unfamiliar with the theology of
past lives and their subsequent effects,
since the concept of liberation/moksha is
irrelevant in my school. For those like me,
"bad things" happen because it is the
occurrence of satya (truth) - that not all
truth is savory or pleasing to experience.

this is true and for this reason lord Buddha taught that samsaric life is dukkha .

 

[Poeticus]

We have no control over past karms that come to us now, yes that part is true. What we can control is the karmas that will come to us in future. Today's deeds return in future, so beware of today's deeds. To me, it is the perfect reason for ethical behaviour.

But I agree with your bit about truth too. It is a fact of life. Most schools consider suffering as part of life I think. How we approach it though, is another matter.

For example, a broken leg may just be what the doctor ordered in terms of a break from routine.

I am sure you know the Buddhist take on Karma , ...that it is a simple case of Cause and Effect .....therefore it can be controled to an extent , ...in that one can purify impurities , one can correct wrongs and imbalances , and one can create future benificial causes .

what is predestined by previous actions can be ballanced and ajusted thus the negative reactions of unconscious actions can become purified by conscious actions.

this is true and for this reason lord Buddha taught that samsaric life is dukkha .

I apologize for the late reply, V and Ratiben.
I didn't remember that karma is "predestined"
only half-way - the other "half" is the karma
that will come in the future through the actions
of now. Thanks for reminding me with this key
point.​