# Humanities & Anthropology > Philosophy >  Karma: My Name is...

## No-name

I was watching "My Name is Earl" the other night wondering what everyone else thinks of Karma. Do you believe in Karma? Explain.

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## No-name

Check out this article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11190559/

Teen saves life of woman who saved him
N.Y. teen performs Heimlich on nurse who gave him CPR years earlier

(And who says there are no miracles?)

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## kumo

I think Karma is a useful concept for some people, in that it makes them be more responsible for their lives, since they expect a "luck reward" for their deeds. We can say this is not much different from how Christians think, since they also expect a reward for their good deeds (both now and in the after-life). Useful as it is, it's still quite pathetic for people to act morally just because they'll gain something from it, but I digress... The idea of Karma is not really harmful when it's used for "this life" only, but it becomes really dangerous when reincarnation is incorporated.

The problem reincarnation introduces is quite obvious: all the suffering and injustice in this world are attributed solely to the individual, but not only to what he/she has done in this life, but to all his/her previous lives too. In other words, if something bad happens to you, it's because you deserved it.
This line of thinking led to the creation of the most morally disgusting, racist religion ever -- Kardecist Spiritism (which for some reason is quite big here in Brazil). Spiritism tries to explain the difference between "civilized" and "uncivilized" nations by saying they are due to differences in race intelligence and "spiritual development". But it gets worse, Spiritism teaches that being born in an "inferior race" is a punishment for your past lives misdeeds, and that if you be a "good person" in this life you'll be blessed by being born white on the next one. In fact, if you mix Karma with reincarnation, this is the only possible explanation for why "black countries" are less developed than "white countries". Of course, if you are white and poor it's probably because you were a rapist or something in a past life... Yes folks, this is the fastest growing religion in Brazil.

The concept of Karma is not a good explanation for why some people are more "lucky" than others (since in many cases a bad effect comes from a good cause, or no cause at all; or vice versa), unless you also incorporate reincarnation, which leads to all sorts of sick ideas. Like most religious concepts, Karma only becomes useful and beneficial if you ignore all evidence and logic, but we can say the same about any kind of crazy ideas...

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## No-name

There is probably a lot more to Karma than the popular notion. I'm not certain the "luck reward" is anything more than our popular notion of it, but I'm not the right person to comment. There is a point to doing the right thing simply because it is the sum of all these things that creates the world we live in.

Have you read the book or seen the film "Pay it Forward?" The concept was to do something kind to three people and they could not pay you back. Instead, they would have to find three people and "pay it forward." In this way, one child could change the world.

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## PRIZMATIC

:Blush:  Why that is accepted to carry word "Karma" to the Indian concept... Because of a spiritual impoverishment, by " the elite of the Indian ancient society do " redaction religious doctrines of India under they" the tasks ", in India arises the Buddhism... And because of a low spiritual (!) level of a society the Buddhism in India merges with " local traditional representations " and receives the real development - in other countries... In it also is "Karma" India - being the native land of the Buddhism, it not could take much from it...
First of all "Karma" is "investigatory - causal relationship" of those or other events...
"Karma" - can be corrected and corrected during a life... For this purpose it is necessary to find only " real vision of an event both in itself, and in world around of people, the nature "... It can be named " a spiritual enlightenment ", but I very much do not like such " grandiloquent expression "... Actually it " System Myrxu~yu " and " practice of following to this system " (which, " to a word ", it was not created still never...)...
And the very first "Kprma" for all of us is an absence of this "System"... 
About this it is spoken and in 1 chapter, verses 9 - 10,11,12,13, of " the Gospel According to St. John "...
Such symbols - as a name of the person - serious enough " the system information " capable to lead to to " internal serious contradictions " with external " the information environment "...
Recollect, for example, " motives of construction of the Babel tower " - to reach the Sky to find out "Name"... :Angel:

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## Ma Cherie

Karma is almost like the concept of "You reap what you sow." At least in my opinion. Something that the bible talks about, I think.

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## No-name

Biblical concepts: “…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7). “. . . they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.” (Job 4:8). The Japanese believe in luck- "en", including pay-back bad luck or "bachi" In a modern sense, a popular way of saying the same thing is: "What you give is what you get." "What goes around comes around." "You get exactly what you deserve." "You always get what's coming to you." "Everything that you do will come back to you." or even "See, I told you so."

The question is do you believe it?

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## nice gaijin

I believe that our actions now greatly affect our futures as well as the futures of many other creatures, but I think that only a truly awakened individual is capable of understanding exactly what that impact might be. In this sense I believe in karma.

I do not believe that the effect our actions have turn out to be necessarily good or bad for our future selves. The nurse who was saved could have just as easily been shot dead by someone she had administered CPR to in the past. In this sense, I do not believe in karma.

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## Tsuyoiko

I don't believe that we should do good deeds in the hope of getting some reward. But I do believe that everything we do, no matter how small, can have some effect on the person we become - I believe in 'the butterfly effect'.

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## PRIZMATIC

P.S...."Karma" - can be corrected and expiated... The person varies and the person report before Universe varies "Karma..." the affairs writes down in " the Book of the Life "... And only the God and the person know about "expiation" of this or that "Karma"... This dialogue is personal... When someone - "uninitiated" in " this dialogue " begins to interfere with "It" it "gives rise" Karma "...
"Karma" - at each level it " dialogue with the Universe " - the person, a society... :Angel:

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## miu

> I don't believe that we should do good deeds in the hope of getting some reward. But I do believe that everything we do, no matter how small, can have some effect on the person we become - I believe in 'the butterfly effect'.


That's the way I see it, too. If you do things only expecting some reward from it, the chances are you'll eventually be extremely disappointed. When you do nice things for others because you actually like it makes you feel good yourself, too. Then there's no expectations of getting somethign back and you'll be happy if you get a nice response. Besides, more often that not, things like that are really small and dont' take a lot of effort but can still make someone's day.

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## No-name

I'm not so certain that we are talking about "instant Karma," where reciporcation is immediate and there is a cause effect relationship. The longer term sow-reap connection is more of a generalized eventuality... a cosmic kind of thing if I understand it.

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## PRIZMATIC

P.S.-2 
............... :Clueless:   :Blush:  
"Karma" can sometimes change " during an instant "...(one instant and change of...)
The society can sometimes be in it - millenia, tr| by this "Karma" all living in this society... With individual "Karma" it is easier...
And as against Christianity where for " all are asked by the Christ ", here the person answers before the God... :Angel:   :Music:

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## Tokis-Phoenix

> I don't believe that we should do good deeds in the hope of getting some reward. But I do believe that everything we do, no matter how small, can have some effect on the person we become - I believe in 'the butterfly effect'.


I agree with Tsuyoiko, i believe you should do good or positive things for the sake of doing good things, and not because we believe there's some reward involed for doing so or punishment for not doing so etc.
Good deeds and kindess should come from the bottom of your heart and not be tainted by selfish desires.

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## PRIZMATIC

:Music:   :Clueless:   :Note:  
P.S. - 3.... Correction of "Karma" is not good affairs or acts... This change in the person... :Angel:

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## Mars Man

I have enjoyed reading these posts here. I don't have anything to input, really, at this moment, however. 

I'm not sure if the karma concept, as PRAZMATIC pointed out, being primarily derived from the articulation of it in Hinduism (although one can find understandings which echo that concept in distinct teachings time wise and culture wise) is an actually understandable thing, or if, in fact there is any real physical, natural 'law' (if you will). 


I'll keep following. (That does sound like a terrible sect down in Brazil though...ooo. we are counting on you to keep them at bay kumo san !!!j hee,hee,hee.....

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## PRIZMATIC

P.S.-next 
 :Blush:  I already mentioned, that I do not think, that in the Indian concepts " the primary version " is kept... By virtue of lines of the reasons... Properties of culture of people in this country... :Angel:

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