what is karma? how do you get good karma?

[LostSouls7]

Yeah so let's talk about karma. I suppose the belief is that if you curse or do things to screw other over it comes back to you.

But what if you do good deeds to help someone out? or good things to help them feel better, teach them new things to better their lives?

does this good energy now come back to even stronger? or do you get more blessings from your good actions??

Tell me what you think. Lately ive been on a positive mental and spiritual high. So i've been doing good to others around me.

Things seem to be going pretty hunky dory for me. A million times better than when I was angry and dark inside....

[UFO_Monster]

If karma were real, many people in politics would be eating dirt right now. I don't believe it has any basis at all. When I have positive thoughts, bad things tend to happen. When I expect the worst, things sometimes come out in my favor. Sometimes. But I doubt some outside force is causing it. I simply believe that's just how life works.

[dlonewolf85]

Yeah so let's talk about karma. I suppose the belief is that if you curse or do things to screw other over it comes back to you.

But what if you do good deeds to help someone out? or good things to help them feel better, teach them new things to better their lives?

does this good energy now come back to even stronger? or do you get more blessings from your good actions??

Tell me what you think. Lately ive been on a positive mental and spiritual high. So i've been doing good to others around me.

Things seem to be going pretty hunky dory for me. A million times better than when I was angry and dark inside....

I think that usually, the goal is to escape Karma through detachment, through lowering one's expectations, getting less involved in the drama, etc.

Karma, either good or bad, means the debts of one's existence, or the consequences of one's deeds in a lifetime. Karma is said to be like an illusion and it sort of binds the spirit to undergo more and more experiences that ultimately lead to maturity and growth and therefore enlightenment.

Edit: PS - Think of it as some sort of divine justice if you will... I hope my opinion gets through to you.

Edited June 18, 2014 by dlonewolf85

[Dark_Grey]

If karma were real, many people in politics would be eating dirt right now. I don't believe it has any basis at all. When I have positive thoughts, bad things tend to happen. When I expect the worst, things sometimes come out in my favor. Sometimes. But I doubt some outside force is causing it. I simply believe that's just how life works.

This all day long.

[karmakazi]

Karma is essentially the butterfly effect. Every thing you do in life affects other people and things which in turn changes things throughout the world and ultimately affects you again.

While in Buddhism it is described as a sort of energy tied to the soul I think of it more as a energy humans create in our actions that ultimately affects us all.

[StarMountainKid]

Your karma is where you are right now. Karma is always in the present moment. The past is only memory and the future is unknown. What you do moment to moment is your karma, as you live only in the present moment.

One's state of consciousness and behavior always exists in real time. Your thoughts and your behavior right now, this very instant, are the only actions that are important.

[libstaK]

Funny thing with the principle of karma I've noticed. People look upon others that they have judged somehow to be "bad" people and wonder why things keep going well for them. Why, if karma is real, aren't bad people being punished?

Fact is, we don't know what sort of suffering lives in another beings life. We don't know what causes people to do bad things, so we don't know if they are in a deep state of suffering we cannot see or understand from where we view the situation or are experiencing happiness in the act of causing harm to others. My bet, even if the people themselves would disagree, is that a deep state of suffering exists in those places because joy has no harmful intent, only something dark and ugly disguising itself as joy in the world can be doing that.

Moreover, we see only snapshots, moments in time. Karma applies itself throughout lifetimes and arrives in it's negative and positive manifestations when the circumstances are ripe for it's fruition to correctly balance the books if you will. We think bad people get away with it and live good lives, but we do not see their whole life and we most definitely do not see the impact of cause of effect on their internal lives - their emotional state.

The most important thing to understand though is this: If you look upon another with judgement and the wish for "karma" to bring justice - you have just created a karmic imbalance in your own life. I like how Jesus presented the issue of cause and effect the best to understand this. He gave some very good clues as to how the law operates.

"Judge not, lest thou be judged. For in whatsoever manner ye judge, so shall ye be judged."

"Love one another, as I have loved you".

"Love your neighbour, as yourself."

"Love your enemies"

And very clearly karma or what truly good works are shows itself here in Matthew 5:40

"But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

"If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.

"Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.…"

The final act of release from Karma?

"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

[SaraT]

From what I understand, karma is said to be cause and effect, but I'm more convinced of the idea that what you do "sticks" to you somehow. If you kill people, this sticks to you. If you steal, this sticks to you. If you lie, this sticks to you. If you're negative and cynical, this sticks to you. And it's hard to get out of all this "sticking" once you've done it enough. IMO that's why we're urged to habitually do good so that it "sticks" to us. A bad person may have a lot of worldly success and prosperity, but he'll likely never be rid of what "sticks" to him, whether he receives any worldly comeuppance or not.

[Grandpa Greenman]

The definition of Karma depends on whether it is Hindu or Buddhist thought.

http://hinduism.about.com/od/basics/a/karma.htm

http://buddhism.about.com/od/abuddhistglossary/g/karmadef.htm

[JJ50]

I have no idea what karma is, so I definitely don't need it.

[Himalayan Mystic]

Yeah so let's talk about karma. I suppose the belief is that if you curse or do things to screw other over it comes back to you.

But what if you do good deeds to help someone out? or good things to help them feel better, teach them new things to better their lives?

does this good energy now come back to even stronger? or do you get more blessings from your good actions??

Tell me what you think. Lately ive been on a positive mental and spiritual high. So i've been doing good to others around me.

Things seem to be going pretty hunky dory for me. A million times better than when I was angry and dark inside....

When the intention is to make someone feel good, you will feel good................

when the intention is to make others smile, you will smile...............

when the intention is to help, you will open up.................

[Ayurveda180]

I was searching for articles about spirituality in internet and i came across this site http://www.andrewcharalambous.co.uk/. Check it, it has interesting articles.

[Frank Merton]

If you are on your way to a casino and you see a frog trying to cross a highway and know he doesn't stand a chance, so you get out and carry him across into the swampland next to the road, then when you go into the casino and win a jackpot, that's good karma. If you don't win the jackpot it just your luck.

[Leonardo]

The idea of "good" and "bad" karma is, to the best of my understanding, a corruption of what the concept of karma is intended to convey - that being a metaphysical explanation for cause and effect.

This concept of karma arose, I believe, from our natural ability to match patterns and make associations. However, that we have this ability does not mean all the patterns we match or associations we make are necessarily true.

[LostSouls7]

I think that usually, the goal is to escape Karma through detachment, through lowering one's expectations, getting less involved in the drama, etc.

Karma, either good or bad, means the debts of one's existence, or the consequences of one's deeds in a lifetime. Karma is said to be like an illusion and it sort of binds the spirit to undergo more and more experiences that ultimately lead to maturity and growth and therefore enlightenment.

Edit: PS - Think of it as some sort of divine justice if you will... I hope my opinion gets through to you.

Interesting.. ive sort of detached myself from many things.

I just do my own thing.. but i have inner peace and a sort of zen thing going on.

Perhaps I am maturing...

so karma is like getting your soul sent back to earth because you were bad and have to pay for you

evil deeds in a past life ?

[dlonewolf85]

Interesting.. ive sort of detached myself from many things.

I just do my own thing.. but i have inner peace and a sort of zen thing going on.

Perhaps I am maturing...

so karma is like getting your soul sent back to earth because you were bad and have to pay for you

evil deeds in a past life ?

As I understand it, there is no good or bad Karma, it is the cause and the consequence of our actions. In essence, anything that affects us, also binds us. Our actions, our thoughts, our experiences, even our death has a consequence in this reality, in one way or another. To escape Karma, doesn't mean that the goal is to escape any punishment for our actions, it also means to have no expectations of any reward for our actions (...even if the actions were from a past life, but then again, reincarnation is a very different topic, so let's leave it at that. )

[LostSouls7]

i want my rewards!

either stuff just goes good when I go good..

or im just willing it all to happen..

either way.. doing evil... doesn't get get results in life..

from past experience..

so let's have a drink and relax now

[Frank Merton]

It is usually seen as a combination of both the consequences and the motives of our actions. The best karma then is achieving good things for the right reasons.

I dunno about karma. It is actually better translated "cause and effect." It generally goes untranslated because to many there is more to it than physics -- a spiritual or magical component. It is an extension of the "if you sow corn you will reap corn" principle by analogy to practically everything we do.

To a large extent this works: if you are friendly and polite and honest with people, they are very likely to be the same back; if you commit crimes, society is very likely to lock you up. That there are exceptions to this pattern can be rationalized -- some criminals prosper and get away with it (maybe) but how do we know for sure that they are not being punished by their own consciences or by their fear of discovery?

I personally think causality is an illusion caused by statistical probability, but that is too much for this little essay, so let me just close by saying we should forget about karma. It provides too convenient a tool for judging others unfairly and we should not be motivated by it. We should do what is right because it is right, end of story.

[TheGreatBeliever]

If karma were real, many people in politics would be eating dirt right now. I don't believe it has any basis at all. When I have positive thoughts, bad things tend to happen. When I expect the worst, things sometimes come out in my favor. Sometimes. But I doubt some outside force is causing it. I simply believe that's just how life works.

I feel exactly the same. Sometimes it has to do with luck some have it some don. Have frens who hardly believe in religion but they still became successful. N they have attitude problems

Edited June 24, 2014 by TheGreatBeliever

[Omnaka]

Funny thing with the principle of karma I've noticed. People look upon others that they have judged somehow to be "bad" people and wonder why things keep going well for them. Why, if karma is real, aren't bad people being punished?

Fact is, we don't know what sort of suffering lives in another beings life. We don't know what causes people to do bad things, so we don't know if they are in a deep state of suffering we cannot see or understand from where we view the situation or are experiencing happiness in the act of causing harm to others. My bet, even if the people themselves would disagree, is that a deep state of suffering exists in those places because joy has no harmful intent, only something dark and ugly disguising itself as joy in the world can be doing that.

Moreover, we see only snapshots, moments in time. Karma applies itself throughout lifetimes and arrives in it's negative and positive manifestations when the circumstances are ripe for it's fruition to correctly balance the books if you will. We think bad people get away with it and live good lives, but we do not see their whole life and we most definitely do not see the impact of cause of effect on their internal lives - their emotional state.

The most important thing to understand though is this: If you look upon another with judgement and the wish for "karma" to bring justice - you have just created a karmic imbalance in your own life. I like how Jesus presented the issue of cause and effect the best to understand this. He gave some very good clues as to how the law operates.

"Judge not, lest thou be judged. For in whatsoever manner ye judge, so shall ye be judged."

"Love one another, as I have loved you".

"Love your neighbour, as yourself."

"Love your enemies"

And very clearly karma or what truly good works are shows itself here in Matthew 5:40

"But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

"If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.

"Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.…"

The final act of release from Karma?

"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

♡

Edited June 25, 2014 by Omnaka

[libstaK]

♡

Hi Omnaka

Was that supposed to be a link, I don't think you copied it all across ... ?

[Omnaka]

Hi Libstak, No, sposed to be a heart. I liked your post very much

Edited June 25, 2014 by Omnaka

[The Silver Thong]

Karma is like dark matter and matter both destroy each other. Karma can not exist due to the fact that those that believe in Karma with ill will onto others. So by believing in Karma you becaome as bad as those that wronged you because you wish harm on them.

[Omnaka]

Karma is like dark matter and matter both destroy each other. Karma can not exist due to the fact that those that believe in Karma with ill will onto others. So by believing in Karma you becaome as bad as those that wronged you because you wish harm on them.

are you kidding? I dont wish ill will on anyone. And I know some Tibetan monks that dont either.

You are joking right? .

Edited June 25, 2014 by Omnaka

[The Silver Thong]

are you kidding? I dont wish ill will on anyone. And I know some Tibetan monks that dont either.

For most people that are wronged that believe in Karma want some sort of ill will to those that wronged them. I am talking about Karma right. When someone for example say, has a phone stolen they use Karma to wish ill harm on those that took the phone hence it`s a self enduldging form of revenge. If it was real it could very easily be proven.

Edited June 25, 2014 by The Silver Thong