Embroidery of Thoughts

Karma

We were out on an evening walk with hubby. As we passed by a parked car by the curb that has a sticker with the master card logo on it. It says "KARMA". Then hubby went went on saying that he didn't believe in "karma". Well, I am a believer in karma, so we went on desputing about it. He claims that he knew of people who had done bad things and got away with it. I told him, they may get away from it for a while, but then it would catch up with them. Then I went on saying that I think it's a great thing to be a believer of karma because that would encourage people to do good things. I believe that there are unseen powers in the universe that does punish wrong deeds. So he says, how about the saying that says "No good deed unpunished?" Well, there are instances that we do good things and gets a bad result, but that's not usually the case. I believe if we get bad reactions from a good deed, we would be somehow rewarded in another way. Then I said that I believe that when we do good things, it comes back a hundred fold. He says, that seems selfish, because we only do good things because we expect something in return. I think, often times it's all in the intention. If your intention is really to do good things, enjoy doing it and is from the heart. The good deed would come back to you one way or another. My belief is not just based on theory, I have experienced it. I have seen it with other people. And of course people don't see what's in people's hearts. It's all with one's intention or motive in doing a certain action.

Hubby says, what if we do good things to people and they don't do good things back. I said " Atleast I am not the one doing bad things. They are the one's doing it, not me." And of course it always feels good. I think that's one of the signs that we are doing good things, we would feel good afterwards. Not if you are a sadist or a masochist. Surprisingly, there are people who enjoy inflicting pain on other people or to themselves. But of that's another story.

Karma cannot be fully explained. According to this any activity which gets the physical body into material etanglement is called karma. The law of karma is mostly associated with Buddhism but also in Philippine beliefs. I have often heard people saying "makarma ka sana" which is translated to "I hope karma will get you" or something like that. But of course saying that to someone doesn't necessarily make bad things happen to people since it's wishing someone bad luck. Or sometimes they would say "Tamaan ka sana ng kidlat!" meaning "I hope lighting strikes you!" Mostly people utter such grave wishes when they are mad. As I said earlier, sometimes it's all in the intention. A lot of Filipinos believe in karma. When some misfortune happens to someone, especially if they know that, that person had been doing something bad, they would associate that misfortune as a result of his bad deeds. And I think that belief in karma makes people try to do good. And I think it should be " No bad deeds go unpunished!"

What I don't believe is when people associate illnesses as a result of karma. I think some of the illness' causes can be scientifically explained. It is even sad that when people believe that some bad spirits caused a certain illness and lots and lots of ritualistic measures being done causing complications instead of bringing them to the doctor.

If in case we did one bad thing, can we cover it up by doing five good things? Not according to this:

Another very important aspect of the Law of Karma is that there is a common belief that we may do one bad deed, and then to cover it up we may do five good deeds and think that actually we have a balance of four good deeds to enjoy the fruits of, but this is totally a wrong notion.

The Law of Karma acts as follows : You may have done one bad deed for which you will have to suffer and for the five good deeds you will enjoy the fruits of all the five good deeds, there is no such accounting in which you can add or subtract good and bad deeds (karma) - As you sow, so shall you reap.

How about you, do you believe in the law of karma?

posted by Unknown @ 7:20 AM