What is Karma?

[Sunstone]

Please explain what karma is. Someone was talking of good and bad karma recently. But how could that be possible?

 

[Riverwolf]

Karma is simply the law of cause and effect.

I prefer not to add labels such as "good" and "bad" to it, but the idea is that if you do "bad" things, then, by law of cause and effect, "bad" things will happen to you, whereas if you do "good" things, then "good" things will happen to you. It must be stressed, however, that the "good" or "bad" effects are always relevant to the "good" or "bad" cause.

 

[YmirGF]

Please explain what karma is. Someone was talking of good and bad karma recently. But how could that be possible?

Karma is merely value-judgment taken to unsubstantial levels. Given this reality the explanations of karma ought to be most amusing.

*gets out bag of popcorn*
*starts munching*

 

[K.Venugopal]

From what I understand, Karma is what Riverwolf said - Karma is simply the law of cause and effect. "As you sow, so you reap" stuff. We would be wise if we see that there is perfection in the cause and effect mechanism. If we are unhappy with our circumstances, we must realize that our unhappiness is not per se caused by an 'unfavourable' effect, but by our inability to transcend our 'like-dislike' dichotomy. If we are able to accept all effects as opportunities for us to delve deeper into the mysticism of living, we would have become free – free from any sense of loss in the operation of the inexorable law of Karma.

 

[LuisDantas]

From what I understand, Karma is what Riverwolf said - Karma is simply the law of cause and effect. "As you sow, so you reap" stuff. We would be wise if we see that there is perfection in the cause and effect mechanism.

That is one of various constructive ways of dealing with Karma, true. Not the only or best one, however. An alternate way, more fitting for atheists like me, is to understand that perfection is either in the eyes of the beholder or a permanent goal, and use Karma to our advantage in a Utilitarian Ethics sense.

If we are unhappy with our circumstances, we must realize that our unhappiness is not per se caused by an 'unfavourable' effect, but by our inability to transcend our 'like-dislike' dichotomy. If we are able to accept all effects as opportunities for us to delve deeper into the mysticism of living, we would have become free – free from any sense of loss in the operation of the inexorable law of Karma.

Or, what IMO turns out to be the same, we will be accepting the duty we always had with existence itself.

 

[blackout]

I think it's more a thing of perception and 'change'.
As we percieve the world, so it becomes for us.

Very few people harness this tendency with personal vigalant awareness.
Most people see their percieved reality as a "solid" thing
that just 'happens' around them.
So when there are "coincidences" of sewing and reaping,
they call it karma.

(good and bad is ALSO largely a personal perception)

 

[nameless]

karma simply means action, but its mechanism is mind based.
good karma - those actions which mind labels as good, bad karma - those actions which mind labels as bad.

 

[Valjean]

Karma's Sanskrit for action. It refers to both specific actions and the results of actions.
One's actions can either retard or accelerate spiritual development, ie: the development of enhanced awareness or "higher" states of consciousness. So "bad karma" can refer to both bad actions and bad results.

In the karmic religions the "goal" isn't a God's blessing and admission to Heaven, but expanded consciousness. This refers to one of several states of multidimentional awareness, or 'enlightenment', beyond the three we currently experience. Hinduism, for example, has been called more a psychotherapeutic modality than a religion in the Abrahamic sense. Thus 'good' action (karma) enhances development (also karma).

 

[blackout]

Our actions though are inextricably linked to our perceptions.
and vice vers'a.

Purpose, intent, emotion, vision, haphazardness, power... or victimization
are all things that do or don't accompany our actions.

 

[enchanted_one1975]

I think the description has been pretty well covered. I figured I could add one thing though. In my faith, Karma pays back (or forward) times three. In other words, if you generate bad Karma upon someone, expect three times the negativity to come back to you. If you do good, expect triple the good in return. Oh, and there is no timetable for the payback (or pay-forward). It could take months or years so doing one good deed because you need luck at an upcoming job interview or something won't work.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I tend to view karma, as a practical concept, as a concept regarding probabilities. The way you live your life, the choices you make, the way you treat people - these all contribute to an overall environment of increasing the probability of "reaping what you sow."

 

[Ozzie]

Karma is merely value-judgment taken to unsubstantial levels. Given this reality the explanations of karma ought to be most amusing.

*gets out bag of popcorn*
*starts munching*

Plenty of Aussie corn waiting for you at the counter of the Karma bank.

 

[whereismynotecard]

What goes around comes around:
YouTube - Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around... Comes Around
(there's nothing wrong with me. Justin Timberlake is a cool sort of guy...)

In other words, if you are nice, good things will happen to you. If you are a dick, bad things will happen to you. Let's say you cheated on your math test. (I guess the karma people don't like cheating) so maybe they'll make you get hit by a car later that week. Let's say you give money to charity; the karma people like this, so you'll maybe later get a free pizza from a guy on the street! And he didn't even do anything nasty to it! That happened to me, except I hadn't given to charity... I hope he didn't do anything nasty to it...

 

[Valjean]

"If you are nice good things will happen to you..."
Not quite that simple, Hannah. You're describing what's commonly called instant karma, but this is usually said to occur only when an individual is near phase-shift anyway, ready to awaken to the next stage of expanded awareness.
Usually perceptable karmic 'benefits' occurr either in another lifetime or in another state of consciousness. You don't reap what you sow the next day.

 

[Ozzie]

"If you are nice good things will happen to you..."
Not quite that simple, Hannah. You're describing what's commonly called instant karma, but this is usually said to occur only when an individual is near phase-shift anyway, ready to awaken to the next stage of expanded awareness.
Usually perceptable karmic 'benefits' occurr either in another lifetime or in another state of consciousness. You don't reap what you sow the next day.

The reap what you sow BS is not it at all as is the chain of causation argument.

 

[YmirGF]

Usually perceptable karmic 'benefits' occurr either in another lifetime or in another state of consciousness. You don't reap what you sow the next day.

The reap what you sow BS is not it at all as is the chain of causation argument.

Can anyone here actually provide any meaningful data to backup the concept of karma?

 

[whereismynotecard]

By the way... I'm just repeating what other people told me. I don't belive in karma and have never done any research on it... I guess in a way karma could happen in a manner such as if you're a dick to everyone, no one will like you and people will be more likely to do mean things back to you... Similarly, if you are nice, people will like you and will be more likely to do favors for you. SO that's like getting back what you give out...

 

[Valjean]

Not a jot or tittle, Ymir -- anyone accepting this on my authority is a credulous bliss-ninny.

 

[YmirGF]

By the way... I'm just repeating what other people told me.

Don't feel bad, Notey. I am fairly confident that that is all anyone can say on this topic. At least you have the decency to admit it.

Not a jot or tittle, Ymir -- anyone accepting this on my authority is a credulous bliss-ninny.

 

[Ozzie]

Can anyone here actually provide any meaningful data to backup the concept of karma?

I think culture is data since personal data is meaningless. You have to provide some sort of context within which a proposed law such as Karma may operate. The rub is that in extrapolating a context, personal data is rendered meaningless. :clap