I read more Facebook statuses about karma than almost any other topic not related to one's kids and pets. Karma is the most overused and most incorrectly used term out there today. Just could you drove your daughter's friends to the movies and had to sit through two hours of One Direction, doesn't mean you are in for a life of pedicures and back rubs. That's not the way it works. Karma is one of over twenty aspects of the Buddhist belief as to why your life is the way it is and very little of it has to do with this specific life. You may have been a wonderful being in past lives or you may have been a tyrant. One thing that should be known is that if you really read into it, bad promotes bad and the cycle continues. It's Buddhists way of explaining the inequality in the world. Much like other religions use faith and the afterlife as a tool. In Buddhism there is rebirth, so karma when used by a Christian, Jew or Muslim is about as silly as it gets.
Here is the other thing. Sit back and think about your life. If you're pointing to that one thing you did for a friend and they didn't return the favor, so you out them anonymously on Facebook, are you really a good person? If you are doing good things because you want something in return, you are not doing it because of your wonderful personality, you're doing it out of selfishness and wish recognition and reciprocation. This is almost as silly as this new "random acts of kindness" bullshit all over the Internet. If you think about it for weeks and need to tell the world, it is in no way random.
In the past 10-12 years, I don't think a week goes by that I don't do twenty things for others with absolutely no reciprocation, yet I'm not looking for it. Sure, when I moved into my apartment nine years ago and the three people I had helped two or three times each, weren't around to help, it bothered me. Was it karma? Have their lives turned into some pit of hell? No, they are all doing much better than I. So in a past life, maybe I was Idi Amin or Hitler and this is why my life is so miserable, right? Nope, the things that happen to use happen because of chance. I love the people that gripe about how they work hard and I don't and that's why they have a great job and I don't. So explain to me how you're on Facebook seven of the eight hours you're at work and you work hard that other hour? Come watch me run a class, a camp or watch me when I had an office job. Yes there were down times, but you didn't see me on social media ripping other people's "easy" work schedule. Will karma catch up with me or with them? Absolutely not.
Stupidity is karmic in a sense. I know a lot of stupid people. You know what? Their parents are stupid, their grandparents are stupid and their kids will most likely turn out stupid. Doesn't mean they are good or bad, it just means that they are genetically transferring a lack of intelligence and it was transferred to them. Ooh, did I insult someone? Well, guess what. You can fight this. Just because your parents were failures in education, doesn't mean you have to be. Oh, but they started a business and it's successful? Excellent! Job well done. Doesn't mean they are smart. Three of the dumbest people I know make three to four times what any of my other friends with PhD's make. Is it karma that this happened? Is it hard work? No, it's neither. It's chance, opportunity and many times a shit load of luck. It's also the life path we've chosen and how we've handled the bumps in the road.
I could sit back and blame a million things for why I am where I am today. All could have multiple reasons. Some my fault, some others, some life and some chance. You know what it has nothing to do with? Karma, faith, prayer, or any other useless thing that does nothing but to excuse one from the responsibility of their own actions and that dreaded word, fate! We all know complete wastes of space who have excelled in their lives and we know good people who have suffered. To be honest, I know more drug addicts, adulterers, horrible parents and connivers who do well than I know good people who do well. I know more stupid, selfish people who never helped those around them, but had personal success than those who did for others. Selfishness has its merits. It is a valuable tool that people use to promote self worth and if you're willing to let those around you suffer to reach your goal, well in many ways, you're a better person than I am. You have an intestinal fortitude that I don't possess.
Nobody will read this who posts about karma anyway, but the next time you're going to wish bad on someone else based on your past life and your present life's actions, you might want to learn what you're talking about first. Then skip the rhetoric. While you're at it, donate some money to a charity. Pick a group of people you despise and make their lives better. Who knows, I could be wrong and your next life might be grand.
Here is the other thing. Sit back and think about your life. If you're pointing to that one thing you did for a friend and they didn't return the favor, so you out them anonymously on Facebook, are you really a good person? If you are doing good things because you want something in return, you are not doing it because of your wonderful personality, you're doing it out of selfishness and wish recognition and reciprocation. This is almost as silly as this new "random acts of kindness" bullshit all over the Internet. If you think about it for weeks and need to tell the world, it is in no way random.
In the past 10-12 years, I don't think a week goes by that I don't do twenty things for others with absolutely no reciprocation, yet I'm not looking for it. Sure, when I moved into my apartment nine years ago and the three people I had helped two or three times each, weren't around to help, it bothered me. Was it karma? Have their lives turned into some pit of hell? No, they are all doing much better than I. So in a past life, maybe I was Idi Amin or Hitler and this is why my life is so miserable, right? Nope, the things that happen to use happen because of chance. I love the people that gripe about how they work hard and I don't and that's why they have a great job and I don't. So explain to me how you're on Facebook seven of the eight hours you're at work and you work hard that other hour? Come watch me run a class, a camp or watch me when I had an office job. Yes there were down times, but you didn't see me on social media ripping other people's "easy" work schedule. Will karma catch up with me or with them? Absolutely not.
Stupidity is karmic in a sense. I know a lot of stupid people. You know what? Their parents are stupid, their grandparents are stupid and their kids will most likely turn out stupid. Doesn't mean they are good or bad, it just means that they are genetically transferring a lack of intelligence and it was transferred to them. Ooh, did I insult someone? Well, guess what. You can fight this. Just because your parents were failures in education, doesn't mean you have to be. Oh, but they started a business and it's successful? Excellent! Job well done. Doesn't mean they are smart. Three of the dumbest people I know make three to four times what any of my other friends with PhD's make. Is it karma that this happened? Is it hard work? No, it's neither. It's chance, opportunity and many times a shit load of luck. It's also the life path we've chosen and how we've handled the bumps in the road.
I could sit back and blame a million things for why I am where I am today. All could have multiple reasons. Some my fault, some others, some life and some chance. You know what it has nothing to do with? Karma, faith, prayer, or any other useless thing that does nothing but to excuse one from the responsibility of their own actions and that dreaded word, fate! We all know complete wastes of space who have excelled in their lives and we know good people who have suffered. To be honest, I know more drug addicts, adulterers, horrible parents and connivers who do well than I know good people who do well. I know more stupid, selfish people who never helped those around them, but had personal success than those who did for others. Selfishness has its merits. It is a valuable tool that people use to promote self worth and if you're willing to let those around you suffer to reach your goal, well in many ways, you're a better person than I am. You have an intestinal fortitude that I don't possess.
Nobody will read this who posts about karma anyway, but the next time you're going to wish bad on someone else based on your past life and your present life's actions, you might want to learn what you're talking about first. Then skip the rhetoric. While you're at it, donate some money to a charity. Pick a group of people you despise and make their lives better. Who knows, I could be wrong and your next life might be grand.
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