Does Karma exist?

SW-User

Myself, I don't think that there is some bean counter in the sky keeping tabs and dealing out rewards and retributions. But I do think - and find - that there is a way that Reality "works". We do not live in a totally random world which is ultimately a tale "told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing".

Given the billions of people who have ever lived, obviously all their thoughts and acts will inevitably have effected and influenced our own lives in indeterminable ways beyond our understanding or our control, yet we do have some ways of controlling our lives.

The Buddhist Dhammapada (OK switch off if you you can't stand any "religious nonsense"....😀) begins:-

[i]1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow

3. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred.

4. "He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me." Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred.

5. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.

6. There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die. But those who do realize this settle their quarrels.

[/i]

So, if we so choose, if someone kicks us, we do not have to kick them back...etc etc etc. We do not have to become a mini bean counter, dishing out our rewards and retributions. We can in fact have the determination to choose our own ethical position.

So, as I see it, we [i]are[/i] our karma. We carry it along with us. What we are is what we get. We are what we understand. That is how it works.

This is Christianity at its best. Not [i]believing[/i] in Jesus to try to save our own arse, but to seek to be Christlike. Taking all the flak yet responding with love, compassion and empathy. A mercy that endures forever. Some will no doubt see this as becoming a doormat. So be it.

Now this post can safely be ignored.

May true Dharma continue.
No blame. Be kind. Love everything.

GuyWithOpinions · 31-35, M

It does but i think its has a different meaning than we think it has. When we do something through karma your literally just acting on a thought. The idea of good verse bad is a different concept. You can try to balance your karma by changing your understanding of duality at your own will. Thus changing how you perceive your actions.

Example: someone might think to themselves stealing is good because they earned a meal. While others view stealing as bad because they are focused on the fact they loose something. Therefor your karma (thought led action) is bad karma throught thier perspective.