do you believe in karma?

Question

is what we reap what we sow?
are our difficulties our punishments?

Answer 1

I am not religious inany way, but I do strongly believe in karma, you get back what you put out, but it is not for us to go round dishing out other peoples bad karma,as I also believe that one should treat others how we wish to be treated, NOT how they treat us ( its easy to say but not always as easy to do) as we are always being put to the test. I dont look on my difficulties as punishment, I look on them as lessons, and if I find they are repeating themselves then it is because I dint handle them right in the first place, a lot of the time I find it is our attitude towards something that could change and make the whole situation better. Our thoughts are very powerful, negative thoughts send out negativity and thats what we will get back. So I try to be aware of what I am thinking.

Answer 2

Karma is basically about cause and effect. The most important part of the teachings of Karma is what it shows about our habits. If you do something many times (for example arguing, beating people, drinking coffee, swearing, brushing your teeth, skipping classes, smiling to your neighbours or helping your friends), it obviously becomes a habit and thus changes your personality. Some habits make you a better/happier person (i.e. creates good Karma) and some habits make you a worse/more unhappy person (creates bad Karma). The Karmic effects show on many leves - they give you good or bad consciencs, they make people like or dislike you, they give you inner peace or inner agitation, and so on.

The more you study Karma, the clearer you will see it's not about some superstitious, religious mumbo-jumbo, but about rational observations about how your actions and attitudes will effect you and others (including how a groups actions and attitudes gives effects on themselves and others - so called "collective Karma").

More and more clearly you will see it's actually self-evident (which doesn't mean it's not complex and difficult to fathom in depth).

As others already said, "punishment" is not an appropriate word in this context. There is on one who "punishes", it's just effects of thoughts and actions. If you put your hand on a hot plate, you wouldn't say the pain is a "punishment", would you?

Answer 3

I LOVE karma.

I'm not religous in any other way.. but I do believe that some where along the line bad people will get bad back, good people will find goodness.

I dont believe though that our difficulties are our punishments.. learning curves perhaps. I did a couple of months back think that I was being punished cos EVERYTHING was falling apart or going wrong... but it makes me stronger. I have to believe that otherwise I'd cry lol.

Answer 4

We reap what we sow, yes. Consequences naturally follow actions. What's more, those consequences can happen to other people: if I go out and kill myself, my family will suffer.

However, "karma" generally implies reincarnation, which is against the teachings of Bible. ("It is appointed a man once to die, then the judgment...") If you are using "karma" to mean consequences in this life, I don't have a problem with it, but other people will probably be confused as to your meaning.

Answer 5

I don't know whether I do or not, I believe that we reap what we sow, but I think that relates to our own lifespan, not lives in the future, like my sons and daughters, I just feel, that if you live by priciples and morals you will live be rewarded with a good life, but that is because of the way people perceive you and judge you. does that make sense?

Answer 6

Say you did something to someone years ago, and didnt see them anymore. then, you became a christian (which is what I am), and through acceptance of Christ, you become a new creature, and are forgiven for your sins. Then, you see the person that u hurt and asked them for forgiveness, they may punish you by not forgiving you, and then you feel badly, and if you let it (the thought can torment you). this perhaps is what we reap what we sow is.

Answer 7

I believe in sowing and reaping, but not in karma and reincarnation.

Answer 8

It's funny how people tend to think of karma as 'bad' or as 'punishment'. Karma is just consequence, like cause and effect. If I tap the table with my hand, I make a sound. That is the effect, and is neither good nor bad. It just 'is'.

Answer 9

It is not always 100% like-for-like.

We can perform ahosi (modifying) kamma.

As in law, a wrong-doer can be given a lighter sentence for good behaviour.

Thus Buddhist monks teach that any bad situation can be remedied, eventually by patient persistent efforts, in the good.

One must dig one's faith in deep, in challenging times, and resolve to develop, to meet the challenges bravely & determinedly; heroically - not backing down.

Not all difficulties are due to kamma per se. Some might be due to biological or meteorological reasons, for example, the Buddha has said.

Or even mismanagement.

What doesn't kill us, only makes us stronger. :-)

What is certain is that all conditions change, eventually - bad times pass, and give way to the good.

We must be patient enough to see it through.

Good Question, love. :-)

Answer 10

Yes. Eventually.
2 Corinthians 9
6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Galatians 6
7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Matthew 12
35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

1 Corinthians 6
2Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

3Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?


There are many injustices in the world. Not all will be made right before the death of the wrongdoer - the Psalmist cries out against this injustice:

Jeremiah 12
1Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

Psalm 94
3LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

4How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?

but as the poets write -

Saturday, July 15, 2006
God's Wheels Of Judgement Grind Exceeding Slow, But They Grind Exceeding Fine!

God moves kind of slowly, but He moves very thoroughly. The picture of His judgments is two great millstones grinding the grain: The grain is poured through the hole in the top millstone, which turns around & around, & the grain works its way out from the center to the edge of the stone. By the time the grain is out to the edge it's like fine powder or dust & you have flour instead of grain. Although His wheels of justice sometimes seem to grind exceeding slow, they eventually grind exceeding fine, & he that fails to be broken upon the Rock of God will someday find the Rock falling upon him & crushing him to powder & dust which the winds of His judgments will blow away, & the place thereof shall know him no more! (Mat.21:44)

But we can thank the Lord that "judgment begins at the House of the Lord!" (1Pet.4:17) We're the House of the Lord & we're already judged by the Lord, because we've accepted Him & received Him as payment for our sins. Therefore we don't have to undergo the literal judgments that the World & the unsaved are going to suffer. (1Cor.11:31,32) Thank You, Jesus, for taking our punishment for us!