Truth of Karma?

Question

When we discuss about Karma and ask why we experience such and such sufferings in the present life, we'll always get the answer that it all has to do with our previous Karma. Good or bad our present life, it'll always be because of our past Karma and nothing else. We suffer in this present life because we created bad Karma in the past. If it's not our bad Karma, then it'll be the Karma of the land, country, etc that we're living on. Study buddhist teachings and that's all the answer you'll get. It sounds like we are the creator of Karma and nothing else. This gives rise to the delusion that creating good Karma will actually give us the immunity to all kinds of sufferings as long as we don't create bad Karma. Well, then what about the Karma that others beside us create? Doesn't the Karma that we experience in this life includes the Karma that's created by others as well? Now that's where the mistake of modern Buddhist teachings lie.

It's teachings of Karma indirectly create the notion that we're some sort of the center of the universe, that all the Karma we ever experienced and will experience were, are and will always be from our own doing and no one else's other than our own. It dismisses the fact that all this while we also experienced Karma created by others. Now just because a person never create bad Karma doesn't mean he/she will never experience bad Karma by others. What is Karma, really? Karma is simply cause and effect. But buddhist teachings taught about good and bad Karma. Now where do good and bad Karma dwell if not in our mind? Good and bad, right and wrong, tall and short, beautiful and ugly, etc are existent only in our mind and this world of dualistic nature is no other than our own self/mind-projected world. There is Karma of cause and effect but there's no good or bad Karma. Consider this, you slap a person and Karma is created. But what's the effect? Your hand feeling pain after the slapping is the immediate effect. On the other hand, you may see the other person getting angry and slap you back as the real Karmic effect. But what if this person forgives and ignores you? Then you'll bother yourself by thinking that this person will one day return to you in your next life and return the bad favor. And I'll say that's just your biased imagination. When you slapped that person, your hand will feel pain and Karma is done. If that person slaps you back, Karma is also done. If he/she forgives and ignores you, Karma is also done. But the immediate Karmic effect will still be your hand feeling pain.

Karma isn't like bank account where we will have good Karma when there's surplus and bad Karma when there's deficit and everything is still about the past, even when the future comes. The real Karma doesn't accumulate. It comes and goes purely and naturally just like that without discrimination. What's effect from a cause is also a cause to another. Only the good and bad Karma that exist in our self/mind-projected world can accumulate and discriminate. They accumulate and discriminate because of our anger, hatred, attachment, desire, etc. If a person slaps us and we ignore it, Karma is done and it's that simple. But usually that's not the case. Instead we become angry and feel vengeful and keep on reminding ourselves to pay back the favor. While that slapping Karma cause-and-effect was long gone, our vengeful nature cause us to "carry" forward and create another new set of Karma by slapping that person "back" when the opportunity comes in the future. And if that person is also as vengeful as us, then a long string of conflict will take hold until one of us stop this slapping silliness. All in all, in other words just because we never create bad Karma doesn't mean we'll have the immunity to any sort of sufferings or bad Karma created by others. When we understand this very well, we'll be able to understand why some times good deeds were repaid with bad outcomes.

Then you might ask if that's really true, then doesn't that mean creating evil (murdering, cheating, stealing, etc) will not get us into bad Karma as long as we're smart enough to recognize and find ways to avoid it? Honestly, I'll say yes. And honestly, I'll also say that those who truly understand what I've written thus far will start to see a big part of Reality and instead of committing evil, they'll commit good as a new way of life for different reason. Why? That is because everyone is inherently good in nature. A person may steal/kill/rape/etc because he ignorantly believes that stealing/killing/raping/etc is the only way of getting the good that he wants. That's why he did evil, or else he won't. No wise person will commit evil when he clearly know that's evil. Only the ignoramus and the foolish will, but only because they are ignoramus and foolish. When we realize these well, only then will we finally be able to take control of our life and destiny un-encumbered by external influences. Before this, we'll do good when we're happy, satisfied, contented, peace, etc. And we'll do bad when we're sad, dissatisfied, discontented, chaos, etc. But only after realizing the real truth and nature of what Karma really is, will we be able to take control of our life and destiny. And our life and destiny will revolve around goodness, the true and honest goodness that will continue to prevail even in the midst of happiness and sadness, light and darkness, peace and chaos.

A person by the name Kent M. Keith developed a very powerful commandments that I believe is blessed by God. And his commandments go like this...
1. People're illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people'll accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3. If you're successful, you'll win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
4. The good that you do today'll be forgiven tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
6. ... (until no. 10.)

And I believe his commandments are the closest to the goodness that I've mentioned, a goodness that is the real function of life regardless of how our life turns out and most importantly, regardless of how our Karma turns out. With that realization in mind, we'll finally be the Master of our own destiny. And this is wisdom.

This is not a question and if you've read this far, I say thank you to you.

Answer 1

Can a subculture of people have karma attached to them, those who glare constantly and spread rumors and try to degrade others all the time...how does that work?

Answer 2

I'm sorry, mate, but ur definition of Buddhist karma is not even close to the real Buddhist definition of Karma, as well as its working. I'm not sure where do u get that but I suggest u to read more and revise that part in ur argument cz it's misleading.

Cheers.

Answer 3

Very sad that you have a half bake knowledge of the working and the law of karma and trying hard to talk like expert.

Answer 4

Dear friend why you tell such a long story? I didn't manage to complete reading your story, but I like to share with all that in science every action has an equal reaction, and in chemistry we learn that no particle is created or destroy, they just change in form endlessly..

Answer 5

Yes, this is not a question, so I cannot answer. But I will say that I agree for the most part. (...and I usually don't read such a long "question" but it's late and I was intrigued by the subject.)

Peace

Answer 6

your post has already illustrated your understanding of Buddha's teaching on karma to be incomplete. Although I must say... if you are not a buddhist, you sure know a lot more than many who are Buddhists:)

Answer 7

What happens to you is by your own hand. Your choices make your future. Good or bad intelligence, your life is up to you and you alone. No Gods, No Karma, only your choices.

Answer 8

What goes around comes around threefold.

Answer 9

there is no truth about the word karma it is just a word of utterances in order to let you stop from cursing another person