Do you believe in karma theory?

[Mindmaster]

Karma isn't personal. Not in the way westerners often believe: that it is tied explicitly with the person generating it. The righteous do not necessarily benefit from any good karma generated, except to rub some of the rust off the copper.

Karma explains how actions effect things. That is basically all it explains, without getting deeper into other details.

All actions have a result, yes? That is karma.

You can do nothing to generate karma in this lifetime and still have karma. Karma is in essence why you are here and not free. (aka moksha, liberated...) It's perhaps improper to think in terms of good and bad karma, but rather that _all_ karma is a manifestation of attachment. The only good dharma does in the case of not piling up more debt in the system, so to speak. Enlightenment means you paid the debt in full and owe nothing, because there is nothing for you to lust after and you are incapable of harming others.

Debt is perhaps the best analogy to use when explaining karma to others so they cannot inject other concepts into it. It's not 'doing the right thing' so much as it is 'doing the only thing' that gets you out of hock. Until the debt is paid, you owe time served in reincarnations.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Everyone is proof of their beliefs.

I suppose. Allows for any explanation though, even a correct one sometimes.

 

[crossfire]

You can do nothing to generate karma in this lifetime and still have karma. Karma is in essence why you are here and not free. (aka moksha, liberated...) It's perhaps improper to think in terms of good and bad karma, but rather that _all_ karma is a manifestation of attachment. The only good dharma does in the case of not piling up more debt in the system, so to speak. Enlightenment means you paid the debt in full and owe nothing, because there is nothing for you to lust after and you are incapable of harming others.

Debt is perhaps the best analogy to use when explaining karma to others so they cannot inject other concepts into it. It's not 'doing the right thing' so much as it is 'doing the only thing' that gets you out of hock. Until the debt is paid, you owe time served in reincarnations.

Karma is your habitual thought patterns that you form through your intentional actions, but fall back on when you are unmindful. You program yourself--either skillfully, or unskillfully. Either way, you reap what you sow. You sow your habits, and reap the results when you are unmindful.

 

[atanu]

rule the world not to control or control the world
But I mean excellence and success in life
In the sense that the righteous get the superiority and success in life as a reward for their actions
And that bad people get down to life as a result of their actions
According to Karma theory
But this does not happen in reality

How do you know that it does not happen in reality? It is your feeling or you have some data?

OTOH, we can experience for ourselves the beneficial effects of leading dharmic life.

 

[Kapalika]

Karma has nothing to do with the good, just or wise doing well or being at the top.

Karma is all about attachment. Not good or evil. Although some attachments are good and some are 'evil'.

We should strive for "good" rather than "evil", after all.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I suppose. Allows for any explanation though, even a correct one sometimes.

All beliefs are correct. Some are more efficacious than others.

 

[Mock Turtle]

All beliefs are correct. Some are more efficacious than others.

Well it appears we have about 4200 or so to choose from - no conflicting ones?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Well it appears we have about 4200 or so to choose from - no conflicting ones?

Choose the most efficacious.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Choose the most efficacious.

I did. It's the one marked zero (the default, that is, no belief).

Edit.

 

[Nicholas]

Here is a short Buddhist teaching on Karma & its results:

Basic Buddhism: The Theory of Karma

 

[moon light]

Success also meaning rightenousness in your OP?

I guess someone who has success can run the world because of good deeds. In general, I guess, if it is towards the well being of others then maybe. Though, I dont see thr connection between good deeds and ruling the world. Ruling, to me, sounds more like pride. If your intent isnt right, how do you define good deeds?

Success and excellence is the result of Good deeds according to Karma
Not according to my opinion
I did not mean the rule of the world in the sense of control and dominion
But in the sense of success and excellence

 

[moon light]

Why should the righteous want to rule the world. My own life is challenge enough.

rule the world not to control or control the world
But I mean excellence and success in life
In the sense that the righteous get the superiority and success in life as a reward for their actions
And that bad people get down to life as a result of their actions
According to Karma theory
But this does not happen in reality

 

[moon light]

Here is a short Buddhist teaching on Karma & its results:

Basic Buddhism: The Theory of Karma

It is this doctrine of Karma that the mother teaches her child when she says "Be good and you will be happy and we will love you; but if you are bad, you will be unhappy and we will not love you." In short, Karma is the law of cause and effect in the ethical realm.

This is an explication of karma from Buddhist studies as previously reported as unrealistic

 

[sandy whitelinger]

rule the world not to control or control the world
But I mean excellence and success in life
In the sense that the righteous get the superiority and success in life as a reward for their actions
And that bad people get down to life as a result of their actions
According to Karma theory
But this does not happen in reality

I'm not sure the righteous should care about superiority.

I rule my world.

 

[moon light]

How do you know that it does not happen in reality? It is your feeling or you have some data?

OTOH, we can experience for ourselves the beneficial effects of leading dharmic life.

Do you see that all successful people
And the best in the world are the righteous

 

[Jainarayan]

Yes I believe in karma.

What he said.

 

[moon light]

I'm not sure the righteous should care about superiority.

I rule my world.

I speak of excellence as a gift and not a goal

 

[Jainarayan]

The truth is that rude and downright mean people constantly sail through life without experiencing any issues or upsets or "divine karma" kicking them in the butt.

There are plenty of future lives in which karma can rear its sometimes ugly head. Karma is way more intricate than the popular concept of "paybacks are a *****", or "I don't get even, I let karma do her dirty work". Well, a person's good karma from past lives may be enough to override bad karma created in this life, to manifest in a future life. So, the person hoping to exact revenge may be the one who gets karmically punked.... thoughts as well as actions create karma. Moreover, as Hindus we don't believe God doles out punishment, though he sometimes grants special grace.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I speak of excellence as a gift and not a goal

I have no idea what you mean by that.

 

[Jainarayan]

Do you believe in karma theory?

If you believe , why the righteous do not rule the world?

Those who are 'righteous' may not have been so in past lives. Thoughts as well as actions create karma. One who is outwardly righteous may harbor dark thoughts about others.

There are 3 main categories of karma, with some subsets:

1. Sanchita karma is the sum total of all karmas - good and bad - of all of a soul's lives. It's like a bank account that is deposited to and withdrawn from.
2. Prarabdha karma is the karma being experienced in this life. Also called karma phala, lit. karma fruit.
3. Kriyamana karma is the karma we create in this life, added to sanchita karma, to be reaped in a future life.