Karma - if you are like me you have heard this word many times and wondered exactly where it came from. Karma seems to have come from several ancient religions but is most prevalent today in Buddhism and Hinduism. It also has generic roots in today’s culture with no religious implications. The natural consequences of an act - cause and effect. The primary difference in between the natural order and religious implications is that the religious believe that God has a direct involvement in the process.
I certainly don’t want to offend any Hindus or Buddhists and they are free to believe as they wish. My belief of karma just seems to be different from the religious views and no offense is intended. I believe that God gives man free will and man can therefore choose as they please. Some are good choices and some bad. The cause and effect of bad choices gives the term ‘what goes around, comes around’ its meaning. It is a cause and effect process that can have the reverse effect than the one originally intended.
Karma to me represents man's ability to make poor choices that tend to come back and bite him in the posterior. Much like the law of physics that says for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The word karma tends to reduce a law to a single word. God’s only involvement was in giving us free will to make choices. If anything, mankind needs divine intervention to avoid karma as we tend to often go astray. So the above helps define my concept of karma plus how it has influenced mankind over the years. We need protection from ourselves more than from other influences.
So this is not a religious definition but one that is the natural consequence of man's own actions in the natural order of how things have worked over the years and will continue to work in the future. Karma is an ancient word that goes back to BC, but still has significance today.
3 comments:
When I was creeping my way out of the darkness some years back, I discovered the saying "It is what it is"---I found a 18" wooden wall plaque in a catalog and have it hanging under my kitchen clock. Seemed like such a good idea that I bought a smaller/read more discreet sign for under our clock in the office. It is nature to look at a clock and what a great place to place a reminder that we can not control every thing. It sure helped me change my focus and find the sun again.
Good article Bruce. I agree with you 100%. I have seen it happen time and time again. Treat people badly and it will come back to haunt you. It might not happen right away, but it happens.
This is where I often see the two sides of human nature. Those who wish that when the "rooster’s come home to roost" the person who has been given out nasty treatment to others is treated worse than the treatement that person has given out. Then the other side of human nature where even when the person who gave out nasty treatment finally gets it in return, that prayers are said they will not get it as harshly as they gave it out.
Post a Comment