Does the law of Karma pressupose an 'objective' morality?

Question

and if so, how can I establish what is a good act or rule or virtue?

If not then how does karma function?

Answer 1

Good question.
If it depended solely on an individual's conscience, then very contrary acts could be positive with respect to Karma.
In a western idiom, many conflicts have been fought with both parties convinced that they had "god on their side".

But otherwise,one could quite innocently acquire "negative" Karma by doing only the best one knew, if it happened to be at odds with the only-guessed-at rule of the universe.
(does this assume an overseeing, observing, mind? The nature of the relationship between the universal and the individual varies within the branches of Buddhism and Hinduism... This range has not helped me come to terms with the concept.)

Answer 2

Karma is the result of thought, speech, or action and can be manifest as positive, negative or neutral. Karma means "action", and in simple terms is a chain of events arising from certain causes and conditions, which due to other causes and conditions remain in continual state of progression.

By acting (thinking, speaking, doing) in a positive manner, one creates or rather promotes positive karma onto other beings, which then further those positive actions on and on - creating loving kindness, genuine compassion, tolerance, non-judgment, many other good qualities.

Likewise negative karma can manifest in the same way.

This is just a brief summary of karma and hopefully it helps to give you a beginning. Actions can be the result of many related and unrelated causes and conditions, and karma can manifest in relation to the significance of those causes and conditions, as well. For example, intention counts - if one were to cause harm to another being by accident or by lack of intent it does not carry the same weight as with maliciousness.

As far as the question of 'objective' morality, I suppose I can only speak from the Buddhist perspective. What is objective morality is the Eightfold Path which encompasses Wisdom (right view and right intention), Ethical Conduct (right speech, right action, right livelihood) and Mental Development (right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

That being said, don't forget there is neutral karma as well as various ranges between positive and negative. It is much more complex than can be adequately written about here.

Answer 3

in the law of karma there is no priest or mullah to tell u right and wrong. u follow the texts such as the bhagavad gita, vedas, puranas etc.
indian philosophy does not have written laws on good and bad deeds. it is derived through traditions and culture.
follow it sincerely with compassion and love, the indian way, then u are doing a virtue, ur acts will be virtuous.
karma functions as result of good or bad deeds.
most people think karma is just a bad or good reaction to your bad or good action and u will pay if u do something bad.

lets suppose u did a bad deed and pay for it in this lifetime or the next, karma will make u understand through that pain. i see it as a source of enlightenment for the most of us, not all of us, rather than a method of universal repayment.

Answer 4

GOOD AND EVIL are just words in a language created by human beings like you and me. In itself they mean nothing more than acts accepted or not accepted in a society or community.

If there is such a thing like Karma, it must not demand to follow these rules, since Karma must be true in every time and in every society, irrespectively from the rules and customs of that society.

Karma is a way to behave and handle life itself. It teaches free will and the chance of free choice, and that an educated choice is always better than the blind obligation to any religion or dogma. You must do what you thing is good for YOURSELF and not for others or the society. Because your very survival is important. Of course in some cases what is good for the society is also good for you. But we must act for ourselves, and yes...we have to kill others instead of being killed by them, even if we consider murder the highest possible sin. We must seek the good for us, in order to live a happy and really noble life. Because a noble life is not about being noble with others, but being noble with ourselves.

Answer 5

The classification "good & bad " determines the objectivism in morality, again using comparisons to have a yardstick.
The law of karma operates in its own 'natural' sphere, more or less like the cause and effect, action and reaction etc, only that the karmic laws are better understood with atleast a small dose of experience , a bit deeper than sensory levels of perception.

Answer 6

I don't believe it does, except in some doctrinal sense, which doesn't have much to do with actuality.

Karma's a label. An attempt to explain a phenomenon, nail it down on all the corners, so's it can be used as a tool for understanding.

But the doctrinalization of the word draws boundaries around the actuality of it, creates fences to prohibit the meaning. What's beyond the fences isn't much influenced by the fence.

Answer 7

My understanding of karma is simplistic:
Live by the sword, die by the sword
As you sow, so shall you reap
Above all, do no harm

But the reward/punishment hits in a future incarnation.

I don't know that I buy the idea of karma, because it doesn't seem like it makes a lot of sense to punish someone when there is no means of redemption. But maybe that is one of the eternities of hell.

I'd guess a good act, rule, or virtue is one that doesn't make you condemn yourself for contributing to somebody else's pain. For instance, if you steal someone else's car, you may condemn yourself for making it impossible for them to achieve their purpose.

Even though you may not lose a car in the next incarnation, you may agree to be stopped from reaching purpose in order to balance the scales.

Guesswork for sure, but some of the most interesting ideas have been posed by those who work with karmic debt.

Answer 8

karma is the most perfect of laws,because its universal. no one is above it. no one gets the proverbial "get out of jail free" card. in this system.ill rather believe in this than in a "jealous god"

and its so obvious that even the most stupidest of beings can understand it. simply " you reap what you sow" (in other words "what goes around, comes around)

Hmmm do go a little deeper is a simple question to yourself!
If you treat people badly they will usually respond likely the same.
If you love, then love is returned. Is that Karma? Good Question!
Karma is what you make it to be, it's that simple!

Answer 9

Law of Karma is not a written law, it is from the elders and eventually pass to our generation. I do believe that when u owe some1 something, u need to pay him, whether is in this world or another world; and it goes the same to ppl who owe u. We do not know how karma really function, but it happens to us.

Answer 10

nature's working is - purely based on the good deeds and bad deeds of a person. good deed need not necessarily bring in wealth, but it brings contentment and satisfaction. similarly bad deeds brings misery. but interpretation of bad deed is quite complicated. only a person of realisation will be able to better identify this. a deed conducted by one person may be a normal action considering his background but may be bad with another considering his background. that is why, many times same actions by 2 different persons brings different results.