Fate, Karma and Reincarnation: Your Thoughts....?

Question

I'm interested in what people think. How do you know when something bad happens to you in this life that it's not negative karma from your past life coming into play - or is it fate? What is Fate? Who or what determines your "fate" in this life? And also, who or what determines what you are reincarnated as into your next life the day you die...How long does reincarnation take?... I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the subject :)

Answer 1

While I think fate does have something to do with your life and the way it unfolds, one should not totally give into fate and just sit back for the ride. You have to be proactive in where you life goes, regardless of whether there is good or bad predicted in your future. By accumulating good karma, you could perhaps avoid any bad spots that may have otherwise hindered your path. Good karma also ensures a higher state of life in the next birth, or can even set you free from the cycle of births and deaths.

Answer 2

Sorry for throwing a Buddhist perspective at you.
Fate is when the outcome of an event or a series of events is predetermined and you have no control over the outcome. Buddhism does not consider that the future is already written and that the individual does not have the power to shape what happens. There is no script which we are all tied to following and we have the power to choose what we do and shape the events which follow.
Karma is the accumulation of attachments to people, events, actions and places which we collect during our lives. Our hunger for money, power, pleasure etc are all part of our Karma and the more actions we take to satisfy those hungers the more Karma we accumulate. By practicing and displaying our hungers we pass them on by example and as direct teaching to others and cause increase in their Karma. A hunger to be seen as good and kind is just as difficult and unnecessary as a hunger to do evil. By acting without Karma out of a spirit of doing without thought to personal gain we reduce Karma and do not pass on the hunger.
For reincarnation there is a lot of confused thinking. One Buddhist principle is that nothing is permanent and that includes "I". What I consider to be "I" today is not the same thing that I considered to be "I" yesterday. On this basis their is no "I" that I can pass on to another at my death. My thoughts and experiences through this life cannot be passed to another body and we do not believe that a soul which carries this information exists either. All that I can pass on is my hunger for approval, wealth etc. These I pass on all the time that I am alive and the legacy lives on after my death. God does not issue you with a shiny new body after you die because there is no permanent you and there is no God in the sense that this sentence requires.
A lot of what I say may not be acceptable to some Buddhists and may just reflect my lack of understanding but Buddhism is about seeking knowledge and if I thought that I had it all I wouldn't be here looking.

Answer 3

There are many problems with the salvation-by works doctrine of reincarnation. First, there are many practical problems. For example:
1. We must ask, why does one get punished for something he or she cannot remember having done in a previous life?
2. If the purpose of karma is to rid humanity of its selfish desires, then why hasn't there been a noticeable improvement in human nature after all the millennia of reincarnations?
3. If reincarnation and the law of karma are so beneficial on a practical level, then how do advocates of this doctrine explain the immense and ever-worsening social and economic problems - including widespread poverty, starvation, disease, and horrible suffering - in India, where reincarnation has been systematically taught through out its history?
There are also many biblical problems with believing in reincarnation. For example, in 2 Corinthians 5:8 the apostle Paul states, "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." At death, the, the Christian immediately goes into the presence of the Lord, not into another body. In keeping with this. Luke 16:19-31 tells us that unbelievers at death go to a place of suffering, not into another body.
Further, Hebrews 9:27 assures us that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." Each human being LIVES ONCE as a mortal on earth, DIES ONCE, and then FACES JUDGMENT. He does not have a second chance by reincarnating into another body.

Answer 4

When something bad happens we often look for a reason. Often there is one. I interpret fate and karma to be two names for the same thing, the fact that all of our actions have consequences.
I am not sure about the past life stuff, but believe we are quite capable of generating karma in this life.

For example, if you use your living room carpet as a toilet, the carpet will smell, the carpet will likely be stained, and the mess may attract flies. And somebody will eventually have to clean it up. That would be bad karma.

If you exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and get enough sleep,
you will improve your health. That would be good karma.

Answer 5

I don't believe in reincarnation. I personally don't believe in past lives. Just like other things in this forum, there is no solid proof of it.

I believe you reap what you sew in this life alone. In that, you might say I believe in a karma of sorts within your life.

I don't believe in fate. I don't believe anyone is destined to do anything. I believe you make your life what you will. Sometimes things get in the way, but you work with what you have. Some people have made mountains out of what some would call a nothing life. Some make nothing out of mountain beginnings. I believe that capacity is mostly in each individual.

Answer 6

if you believe in Fate, then you are unwilling to take control/responsibility for your actions..

Karma, yes..you do something bad, you will pay for it later...

Re-incarnation, I'll leave that to the after life (and I'm going to ramble here)..
I'd like to think that we do have a soul, and that some of us have souls that are older then others but how in mortal form can we touch that soul, and reach that wisdom. In a sense I think that soul does guide our actions (not so much like fate), but the wisdom that our (re-incarnated) soul does have is shown in our every day life.
I however dont believe all of us were some famous prince in a previous life time. Someone had to be a sheep herder, and house builder...

Answer 7

Gods,you're gonna get a lot of people snarling at you about this.

However-I'm not one of them! YAY!

Your fate is based on your karma. So they sort of work hand-in-hand. As for who and what determines everything? You do,in your past lives. Unfortunately,a lot of us tend to screw up and BAM. We're a fly being smashed into a windshield. =(

As for how long reincarnation takes? I'm of the opinion it depends on how old your soul is. Younger souls cycle faster-they need the experience. Older souls can take time to mend and relax.

Answer 8

I don't think I believe in fate. Things are too random. And as for reincarnation, I wouldn't be suprised if part of our soul becomes part of a new one, but who can do anymore than speculate about the afterlife?

Answer 9

None of the above. I believe that we have only one life time and that we decide what happens to us through the choices that we make. When we make a bad choice, God allows us to endure the consequences of that choice, and we get to reap the benefits of good choices.

I know that things happen outside of our control which may effect us, but usually that is because of the choice that someone else has made. Even our choices can have an impact on other people.

Answer 10

I dont believe in Karma. the more u spice up the more it will taste.

I believe everything is pre-written.. and Karma doesnt work all the time and everytime. sometimes we give a lot, nothing gets in back. It more depends on our personalities, nature and souls.