Community Chat

[italia8140]

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@AliJoi5 wrote:

This is an interesting question, and I think faith, religion, spirituality, etc. will naturally play a part in the way people answer.  I don't believe in karma as far as any higher power or hocus pocus is concerned.  But, scientifically speaking, I do believe in the law of averages.  And there are only so many times you can leave destruction in your wake and not have it come back to bite you in the azz.  I think we all know someone like the miscreant you describe in your OP, and, sadly, retribution doesn't always come to those who deserve it.  Of course, he's not out of the woods yet though!  Did you ever see Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors?"  It touches on this very topic (and is one of my all-time favorite films).

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 One of my favorites and one of his best films.

[italia8140]

YES, and I've seen it happen many times.

[Pearlee]

But Karma never happened in Crimes and Misdemeanors (I agree an excellent film, and better than what was essentially the same film, Allen's subsequent Match Point).

[dooBdoo]

I've never been that sure about the principle of "karma" or exactly what it means.  In my spiritual faith, I believe we all receive our "just rewards" for the good and for the bad that we do, think, and act upon, and for the most part I think the pleasant or unpleasant "rewards" come after we pass from this earthly plane.  

I think that's probably one reason I've never understood anyone putting on a façade since their genuine words and deeds are their "investment" into their life and afterlife, and it's also a reason I don't hold grudges.  After all, we only see part of a person and their life so our perception of them is just that -- a perception.   This is a very personal issue, however, and these are only my personal beliefs.  Very interesting thread, insightful contributions from everyone.

[dooBdoo]

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italia8140 wrote:

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AliJoi5 wrote:

This is an interesting question, and I think faith, religion, spirituality, etc. will naturally play a part in the way people answer.  I don't believe in karma as far as any higher power or hocus pocus is concerned.  But, scientifically speaking, I do believe in the law of averages.  And there are only so many times you can leave destruction in your wake and not have it come back to bite you in the azz.  I think we all know someone like the miscreant you describe in your OP, and, sadly, retribution doesn't always come to those who deserve it.  Of course, he's not out of the woods yet though!  Did you ever see Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors?"  It touches on this very topic (and is one of my all-time favorite films).

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 One of my favorites and one of his best films.

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@AliJoi5 and @italia8140, I totally agree that "Crimes and Misdemeanors" is a fascinating film.  It has many themes, including vision, perception, values, and choices, and the question of whether virtue is rewarded and whether misdeeds are punished.  But we don't know what happened to those characters as their lives continued...  that would be interesting to know, I think.

[ChynnaBlue]

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@GingerPeach wrote:

It seems to me it first should be defined.  

Here is one definition I found:

1. (in Hinduism and Buddhism) the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.

   • informal

     destiny or fate, following as effect from cause.

     Whether one believes in it or not seems rather immaterial if one's fate is only enacted in "future existences."  

     It's not a fatalistic doctrine.  People have the opportunity to improve/alter their "future" futures.

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This is correct. It seems the OP is talking about "instant karma," vs the traditional Hindu Karma, which comes back to you in a future life. The belief that things balance in future lives isn't just a Hindu belief. It's why people sometimes say something like, "I must have been a terrible person in my last life, because things are so hard for me now."

I think the Indigo Girls expressed it well in their song, Galileo:

"And then you had to bring up reincarnation
Over a couple of beers the other night
And now I'm serving time for mistakes
Made by another in another life time"

America is an instant gratification society and we want everything to happen immediately, including karmic retribution. Hindu Karma is about lifetimes of balance.

[LilacTree]

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@hyacinth003 wrote:

I know someone (a family member) who I consider one of the worst human beings on Earth.  He leaves destruction wherever he goes.  Yet, he seems to live a "good" life.

He does well financially, has been very healthy, and nothing seems to bother him.  He hurts others without remorse.

So, it has made me wonder, is there such a thing as "karma?"  Is it selective, or are we all in for a dose of it sometime?

Hyacinth

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I don't think so. Every bad person I've ever known has always wound up living a great life.

[qvcfreak]

Romans 12:19

[cotton4me]

I believe what we wish for others we also wish for ourselves; therefore, we need to be careful of our thoughts and deeds regarding others.  I try to project good thoughts towards others, even those that have done me harm.  For instance, I had a horrible boss who enjoyed hurting others.  My co-worker always wished him dead; whereas, I hoped he would find a better job and leave.  In both cases he would have been gone but the intentions were much different. 

It’s a perfect system of justice when you think about it.  It certainly keeps me on my toes.  I’ve seen incidences of it all around me, not only in my life but in the lives of others.  It’s made me more aware of what I wish for others.  This scripture speaks of it somewhat.    

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”  Matthew 7:12

[chickenbutt]

I've tried to, in the past.  But I just don't think I do.    Thinking about it right now, I think I just believe in the basic concept that life isn't fair.

I understand how it is probably comforting to believe in some kind of karma or some entity that watches over us and all that.  But none of it makes one iota of sense to me.

Some stuff happens, some stuff we make happen, but I don't think anything is destined to happen. 

It's probably not very productive to believe that something bad will happen to somebody who does bad.  I DO, however, understand it.  I've thought that way many times.  But when it comes down to it, I don't expect that is the way it will be.