Karma? Good reasons for it's belief?

Question

Well I've only been familiar with the idea of Karma. I don't know if its from some god of some cult or whatever. I just know it's what you do that affect you later. If you do something good, karma will smile on you. that's what I believe it to be. Would that be proper? How does it work actually? Do I have to help people or do something that will benefit mankind? I know if I'm nice, I'll have a nice life. But how else does Karma work?

Answer 1

none its not biblical

Answer 2

~~~ JK ,,,, Karma is the Concept of Divine Justice in that every Individual is Accountable for every Action they take. Whether that action is Negative or Positive will determine which energy the action will generate,,,, also by degrees of The Weight of The Action. Karma, as an aspect of The Reincarnation Process, gives The Soul the opportunity to experience Human Lifetimes to Grow and eventually become the Enlightened Being that Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, etc, etc, taught in their preachings. The christian equivalent is "As you sow, so shall you reap." Whether that is a good enough reason to believe is entirely up to you,,,,

Answer 3

I don't believe in karma per se, but I do follow accept something quite similar which in many ways I think is close to the same thing. Everything is composed of electromagnetic energy. Everything, including our thoughts, actions, etc. So when we think hard enough on something negetive, we send out that thought which manipulates the electromagnetic energy, thus causing a chain reaction of events that will eventually return to us, our "karma" so to say. Every action has a reaction-known fact. Too, I follow what's called the three-fold law, which states that what we do, good or bane, is returned to us threefold. This doesn't mean if you slap someone you will get slapped three times, it means that what you do can affect you spiritually, mentally, and physically.

Answer 4

Karma is about "cause and effect". Actions, thoughts all put a "seed" or a "push" in your mindstream and when the causes and conditions for that seed to ripen, arises then it does. The result is always bigger than the seed and similar to the seed in likeness.

As stimuli hits your sensory organs and filter through your brain and mind, people tend to react to them with attachment, aversion or disinterest. How you react to stimuli, via your perception of them "good", "bad", "don't care" is what continues to plant seeds. The thought starts in the mind, then you either act on it physically or not, but the idea is that if you meet something with equanimity (i.e. NO aversions or attachments) or learn to subdue the reactions, you start to change the karmic flow for yourself. Meeting what you perceive as "bad" with understanding of what causes things to arise is the antidote, same goes for over-attachments to things. It's not about throwing away things you enjoy and becoming a bore, or letting someone punch you in the head and be grateful, you STILL must use common sense, but it's about a MIDDLE WAY approach.

edit/add in: I'll use anger as an example since it's my greatest defilement, when met with bigotry, hypocrisy and hate. I perceive such things because I've created the causes and conditions to be born into a world where such things exist, from a previous life. I've also had the good karma, from possible previous virtuous deeds of some sort in that past life, to have been exposed to and can understand the Dharma (The Buddha's teachings), so I have the opportunity to understand why I'm perceiving things that upset me terribly like this, and what kind of mindframe to meet these perceptions... with whatever equanimity I can, per my ability at any given moment in the Dharma. If I react with extreme anger and fail to have compassion for the person who has done something bigoted or hateful, then I replant another seed in my mindstream of "anger" which will eventually arise again, bigger than that moment of anger and I'll experience something unpleasant again. However, if I try to stop their bigotry or hate with patience and understanding, then I create the causes and conditions for that karmic seed to become "neutralized" (I'll say for simplicity's sake) and it won't "grow" nor have a result. Hope this gives you some insight.

So, the bottom line is to learn about what you perceive, how you perceive things and learn to cultivate a calmer mind in light of all the constant stimuli that slams your brain/mind incessantly. Add to that virtuous, altruistic deeds and you begin to clear your karma.

It's been said, from all of the precious teachers, that both action and wisdom are like the two wings of a bird. They will carry you toward enlightenment if you let them.


_()_

Answer 5

For the Materialist, who calls the law of periodicity which regulates the marshalling of the several bodies, and all the other laws in nature, blind forces and mechanical laws, no doubt Karma would be a law of chance and no more. For us, no adjective or qualification could describe that which is impersonal and no entity, but a universal operative law. If you question me about the causative intelligence in it, I must answer you I do not know. But if you ask me to define its effects and tell you what these are in our belief, I may say that the experience of thousands of ages has shown us that they are absolute and unerring equity, wisdom, and intelligence. For Karma in its effects is an unfailing redresser of human injustice, and of all the failures of nature; a stern adjuster of wrongs; a retributive law which rewards and punishes with equal impartiality. It is, in the strictest sense, "no respecter of persons," though, on the other hand, it can neither be propitiated, nor turned aside by prayer. This is a belief common to Hindus and Buddhists, who both believe in Karma.

Answer 6

karma is also called as Adrista (not seen), which means the effects of karma are not seen grossly but anyway the effects of karma are experienced.

Karma=Action & Karma Phala=Reaction to Action.
If the Karma(action) is that my fingers type on the keyboard, then the Karma Phala (Reaction to my Action of typing) is appearance of alphabets, words, paragraphs on the computer screen.
Karma is as simple as that. It is not a complicated theory.
It is very much simple practical truth.

Karma is scientific, the same as the Newton's third law of motion, every action has equal and opposite reaction.Bible also says, "As you sow so shall you reap" If someone plants apple trees, one will get apple fruits.

Becasue of one's Karma only,somebody is born with diseases, poverty, foolish etc...and suffers because of that. That is the reason why somebody is born with good health, richness intelligence etc... and is happy because of that.
It is the misconception people have that God puts one in that condition. The all merciful Lord who is compassionate would be showing partiality to put somebody in misery while somebody is enjoying life happily.

"I am no Hindu, but I hold the doctrine of the Hindus concerning a future state (rebirth) to be incomparably more rational, more pious, and more likely to deter men from vice than the horrid opinions inculcated by Christians on punishments without end." -Sir William Jones

Bad people may not live miserable life in a recent times. But in future the reaction will come. It is only the question of time. When one plants seeds the tree doesn't grow immediately. It takes time to grow, fructify and bear fruits. Just because we don't see the fruits in the tree immediately, we cannot say that the tree will not give fruits in the future.

Excerpts from the Introduction to Bhagavad-gita-as-it-is
by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
Founder-Acharya of ISKCON
(International Society for Krishna Consciousness)

The subject of the Bhagavad-gita entails the comprehension of five basic truths
1. Isvara-the supreme controller,
2. Jivas -the controlled living entities.
3. Prakrti-the material nature
4. Kala- time (the duration of existence of the whole universe or the manifestation of material nature)
5. karma (activity) are also discussed.

The effects of karma may be very old indeed. We are suffering or enjoying the results of our activities from time immemorial, but we can change the results of our karma, or our activity, and this change depends on the perfection of our knowledge. We are engaged in various activities. Undoubtedly we do not know what sort of activities we should adopt to gain relief from the actions and reactions of all these activities, but this is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita.

Material nature itself is constituted by three qualities: the mode of goodness, the mode of passion and the mode of ignorance. Above these modes there is eternal time, and by a combination of these modes of nature and under the control and purview of eternal time there are activities, which are called karma. These activities are being carried out from time immemorial, and we are suffering or enjoying the fruits of our activities. For instance, suppose I am a businessman and have worked very hard with intelligence and have amassed a great bank balance. Then I am an enjoyer. But then say I have lost all my money in business; then I am a sufferer. Similarly, in every field of life we enjoy the results of our work, or we suffer the results. This is called karma.

The living entity forgets what to do. First of all he makes a determination to act in a certain way, and then he is entangled in the actions and reactions of his own karma. After giving up one type of body, he enters another type of body, as we take off and put on clothes. As the soul thus migrates, he suffers the actions and reactions of his past activities. These activities can be changed when the living being is in the mode of goodness, in sanity, and understands what sort of activities he should adopt. If he does so, then all the actions and reactions of his past activities can be changed. Consequently, karma is not eternal. Therefore we stated that of the five items (isvara, jiva, prakrti, time and karma) four are eternal, whereas karma is not eternal.

Answer 7

When you do nice things you tend to have a happier outlook on life. That is all.
If you do nice things to people they might be nice in return. That is all.

Looking logically and psychologically, it is not some mystical "force" that does this, but if you want to believe so then by all means do.

But it would be unhealthy to not understand WHY karma works and believe it to be 100% mystical.

Answer 8

Karma is the result of past actions. It comes from Hindu and Buddhist belief.

Answer 9

well, if by "Karma" you mean for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction it makes sense. but if by "Karma" you mean that souls are reincarnated into horrible lives in order to be punished ... it's just another religious scare tactic (like the Christian's Hell concept) the Hindus use to justify and re enforce their unjust cast system. if you're born into the untouchable cast it's tough turds because your past life karma dictated your reincarnation. if you're born into wretched poverty you must stay forever in that cast (your children and their children as well) because you deserve it.

Answer 10

Basically, yes. You get back what you put out. It's not a god or any such thing. It's a concept about how life works... a simple definition for a vast idea.

Answer 11

The theory of Karma is beneficial in its ability to persuade people to do the right thing.

It isn't documented with evidence as reality though.