Karma the vengeful elephant

Posted on September 11, 2006
Filed Under Uncategorized |

Do you believe in Karma?

Does believing in karma mean that you believe that some people deserve bad things to happen to them? Because they have somehow done something terrible that has caused the bad thing to happen?

I am not sure that I can buy into that. I know a lot of really lovely people that have had some totally crappy things happen to them. But hey none of us are perfect… maybe you don’t have to do something totally horrendous to have something equally nasty come back and bite you on the bum?

But then that would make life pretty horrible and somehow that just doesn’t sit right with my Buddhist strivings to have’ true compassion for all beings’. I mean here I am trying my best to find some compassion and understanding for the world while karma is out there dishing out punishment? (note - I would make the worlds worst Buddhist but still!)

Or does believing in karma just mean that you think that if you put good things out in the world you will get good things back? Cause that all most makes sense. I can see how that Pay It Forward movie idea would work in your favour if for no other reason that it makes you feel good to do nice things. And the more nice things people do, just for the sake of doing nice things, the nicer the world would be and then you’d would be less likely to have something nasty bite you on the bum… maybe?

But that doesn’t change the fact that crappy crappy crappy things do happen to good people. Hell I am not too proud to say it.. crappy things happen to me! Yes folks TO ME! And I don’t think I am that horrible a person, am I? Ok don’t answer that! But I gotta tell you that having something crappy happen always makes me sit up and take notice of the less than stellar things I have done. I don’t think I actually believe that I am being ‘punished’ per say for all the horrible things I may have done over the years, but I guess part of me does wonder…..

If only I had been nicer to that person? What if I hadn’t told that white lie, or in fact that big huge whopper of a black one! (Is there such a thing as a black lie?) Maybe I should gossip less? Yell at my kids less? Be nicer to my husband… maybe then life would be better???

And then I hear Kamal singing… “karma, karma, karma the vengeful elephant…”

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Comments

7 Responses to “Karma the vengeful elephant”

fazzbech on September 11th, 2006 1:39 pm

I thought it went karma, karma, karma , karma, karma chameleon??? ;)

I digress…um, what was your question again? Oh yeah, karma. Hmmm, nope, I don’t think I believe in it, but then, I don’t believe in a lot of things, so don’t ask me! LOL ;)
Angela on September 11th, 2006 11:20 pm

Great post Kate (hope all is ok :) ). I think that you nailed the topic, and have to agree with your theory on good breeding more good.. also I think that the better you feel about yourself the more good you attract? Hmmm.. not sure?
But yes, bad things to happen to good people (all the time!), and I can’t help but feel the same way about past things that I may have done ;).
loz on September 11th, 2006 11:27 pm

Karma.. take it or leave it personally I believe in it when it suits me too but when times are tough and so many things get thrown your way it is really hard not to think what have I done? But then it also helps to think that there are higher forces in action and just because we live our lives trying to do the right thing the majority of the time doesn’t automatically mean we will be rewarded for that but sometimes as difficult as it is there is something that we are being taught or a lesson we need to learn in whatever the circumstances.
I know it is easy to think that way when you aren’t in the mist of it all but that is what helps me through the dark times. *hugs*
Anonymous on September 12th, 2006 7:07 am

Damn, just lost my answer…

Ok, I don’t believe karma is vengeful… I believe that if you don’t work from a place of love in your life, you cannot receive love, simply because you’re not open to it…

Example… If you speak badly of people, then the people who hear you speaking badly of people will know it is something you’re capable of and they won’t fully trust you… They will shut some part of themselves off to you…

I also believe that people who treat other people badly, are already suffering themselves, because to be able to treat another person badly you have to feel it’s ok to do that, ie. you have to already be feeling bad yourself, does that make sense?

But good and bad, that’s a whole other matter… More on that in the next topics comments…

Love Sif
Heather on September 13th, 2006 2:33 pm

good post.. lots of food for thought!
Anonymous on September 14th, 2006 7:37 am

I believe its far more about the need to learn something - not at all about punishment. but when you don’t know it or are auble or unwilling to learn it feels like you are a victim
Kaza on September 19th, 2006 10:18 am

Interesting - I’ve had some crappy things happen to me and I don’t believe I’m a bad person but I do know that what goes around comes around - so, in the end, it all works out - yes, the people who have done bad to you are going get done in the end - just my opinion and I’ve seen it happen