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| User: "Marvin The Paranoid Android" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 02:29:30 PM |
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Because it just makes sense.
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/freenet/rootdir/menus/sigs/religion/buddhism/introduction/truths/karma2.html
The Law of Karma
In Buddhist teaching, the law of karma, says only this: `for every event
that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused
by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant
according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.' A skillful event is
one that is not accompanied by craving, resistance or delusions; an
unskillful event is one that is accompanied by any one of those things.
(Events are not skillful in themselves, but are so called only in virtue
of the mental events that occur with them.)
Therefore, the law of Karma teaches that responsibility for unskillful
actions is born by the person who commits them.
Let's take an example of a sequence of events. An unpleasant sensation
occurs. A thought arises that the source of the unpleasantness was a
person. (This thought is a delusion; any decisions based upon it will
therefore be unskillful.) A thought arises that some past sensations of
unpleasantness issued from this same person. (This thought is a further
delusion.) This is followed by a willful decision to speak words that
will produce an unpleasant sensation in that which is perceived as a
person. (This decision is an act of hostility. Of all the events
described so far, only this is called a karma.) Words are carefully
chosen in the hopes that when heard they will cause pain. The words are
pronounced aloud. (This is the execution of the decision to be hostile.
It may also be classed as a kind of karma, although technically it is an
after-karma.) There is a visual sensation of a furrowed brow and
downturned mouth. The thought arises that the other person's face is
frowning. The thought arises that the other person's feelings were hurt.
There is a fleeting joyful feeling of success in knowing that one has
scored a damaging verbal blow. Eventually (perhaps much later) there is
an unpleasant sensation of regret, perhaps taking the form of a
sensation of fear that the perceived enemy may retaliate, or perhaps
taking the form of remorse on having acted impetuously, like an immature
child, and hping that no one will remember this childish action. (This
regret or fear is the unpleasant ripening of the karma, the unskillful
decision to inflict pain through words.)
If there are no persons at all, then there is no self and no other.
There is no distinction between pain of which there is direct sensual
awareness (which is conventionally called one's own pain) and pain that
is known through inference (conventionally called another person's
pain). Whether pain is known directly or indirectly, there is either an
urge to quell it or an urge to cultivate it. Whether joy is known
directly or indirectly, there is either an urge to nourish it or to
quell it. In the conventional language of speaking of events personally,
the urge to quell all pain and to nourish all joy is known as being
ethical or skillful or (if you like) good. The urge to nourish pain and
quell joy is known as being unskillful, unethical or bad.
Being fully ethical is said to be impossible for those who make a
distinction between self and other and show preference for the perceived
self over the perceived other, for such perceptions inhibit being fully
responsive. Being fully ethical is possible only for those who realize
that all persons are empty, that is, devoid of personhood.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 04:26:51 PM |
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Marvin The Paranoid Android wrote:
Because it just makes sense.
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/freenet/rootdir/menus/sigs/religion/buddhism/introduction/truths/karma2.html
The Law of Karma
In Buddhist teaching, the law of karma, says only this: `for every event
that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was caused
by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or unpleasant
according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.' A skillful event is
one that is not accompanied by craving, resistance or delusions; an
unskillful event is one that is accompanied by any one of those things.
(Events are not skillful in themselves, but are so called only in virtue
of the mental events that occur with them.)
Jesus said pretty much the same thing to His non-philosopher followers -
"those who kill by the sword will die by the sword".
Woods
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| User: "Marvin The Paranoid Android" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 05:08:02 PM |
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Woodswun wrote:
Marvin The Paranoid Android wrote:
Because it just makes sense.
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/freenet/rootdir/menus/sigs/religion/buddhism/introduction/truths/karma2.html
The Law of Karma
In Buddhist teaching, the law of karma, says only this: `for every
event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence was
caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or
unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.' A
skillful event is one that is not accompanied by craving, resistance
or delusions; an unskillful event is one that is accompanied by any
one of those things. (Events are not skillful in themselves, but are
so called only in virtue of the mental events that occur with them.)
Jesus said pretty much the same thing to His non-philosopher followers -
"those who kill by the sword will die by the sword".
Woods
What goes around comes around.
I believe Buddhists formed most of their beliefs from observation and
direct experience.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 07:40:08 PM |
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Marvin The Paranoid Android wrote:
Woodswun wrote:
Marvin The Paranoid Android wrote:
Because it just makes sense.
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/freenet/rootdir/menus/sigs/religion/buddhism/introduction/truths/karma2.html
The Law of Karma
In Buddhist teaching, the law of karma, says only this: `for every
event that occurs, there will follow another event whose existence
was caused by the first, and this second event will be pleasant or
unpleasant according as its cause was skillful or unskillful.' A
skillful event is one that is not accompanied by craving, resistance
or delusions; an unskillful event is one that is accompanied by any
one of those things. (Events are not skillful in themselves, but are
so called only in virtue of the mental events that occur with them.)
Jesus said pretty much the same thing to His non-philosopher followers
- "those who kill by the sword will die by the sword".
Woods
What goes around comes around.
I believe Buddhists formed most of their beliefs from observation and
direct experience.
Well, that is what they're supposed to do - observe and experience. :-)
Woods
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| User: "mosquito" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 02:30:03 PM |
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I can't think of any scientific experiment that can substantiate such a
theory.
I guess that might be why people invent things like God, because they don't
want to accept that unjustness is part of reality.
"mosquito" <mosquite@swamp.com> wrote in message
news:bi9ee.939$pi1.5548@newscontent-01.sprint.ca...
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 04:28:35 PM |
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mosquito wrote:
I can't think of any scientific experiment that can substantiate such a
theory.
Nope.
I guess that might be why people invent things like God, because they don't
want to accept that unjustness is part of reality.
Except that Buddhism doesn't always specifically address God, it's more
a philosophy and practice. Christianity, Judaism and Islam, OTOH do
not embrace Karma, and they are much more God-focused.
Woods
"mosquito" <mosquite@swamp.com> wrote in message
news:bi9ee.939$pi1.5548@newscontent-01.sprint.ca...
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| User: "Marvin The Paranoid Android" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 05:09:10 PM |
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Woodswun wrote:
mosquito wrote:
I can't think of any scientific experiment that can substantiate such
a theory.
Nope.
I guess that might be why people invent things like God, because they
don't want to accept that unjustness is part of reality.
Except that Buddhism doesn't always specifically address God, it's more
a philosophy and practice. Christianity, Judaism and Islam, OTOH do
not embrace Karma, and they are much more God-focused.
Woods
And that's why Buddhism is the best of them all.
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| User: "Woodswun" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 07:42:52 PM |
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Marvin The Paranoid Android wrote:
Woodswun wrote:
mosquito wrote:
I can't think of any scientific experiment that can substantiate such
a theory.
Nope.
I guess that might be why people invent things like God, because they
don't want to accept that unjustness is part of reality.
Except that Buddhism doesn't always specifically address God, it's
more a philosophy and practice. Christianity, Judaism and Islam,
OTOH do not embrace Karma, and they are much more God-focused.
Woods
And that's why Buddhism is the best of them all.
I wouldn't say "best", necessarily - I think Buddhism provides a good
balance to the "accept without question" mindset of the other 3.
Woods
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| User: "Perseid" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
05 May 2005 12:31:19 AM |
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Woodswun <woodswun@tepidmail.com> Spat the Words
Marvin The Paranoid Android wrote:
Woodswun wrote:
mosquito wrote:
I can't think of any scientific experiment that can substantiate such
a theory.
Nope.
I guess that might be why people invent things like God, because they
don't want to accept that unjustness is part of reality.
Except that Buddhism doesn't always specifically address God, it's
more a philosophy and practice. Christianity, Judaism and Islam,
OTOH do not embrace Karma, and they are much more God-focused.
Woods
And that's why Buddhism is the best of them all.
I wouldn't say "best", necessarily - I think Buddhism provides a good
balance to the "accept without question" mindset of the other 3.
Woods
There's a lot of appeal to the Buddhist teachings. Quite
unfortunately the buddhists tend to be pacifists and are
often taken advantage of.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 10:37:08 PM |
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Woodswun wrote:
mosquito wrote:
I can't think of any scientific experiment that can substantiate
such a
theory.
Nope.
I guess that might be why people invent things like God, because
they don't
want to accept that unjustness is part of reality.
Except that Buddhism doesn't always specifically address God, it's
more
a philosophy and practice. Christianity, Judaism and Islam, OTOH do
not embrace Karma, and they are much more God-focused.
Woods
Ya gotta be aware that reincarnation exists to believe in karma, but
not believing does not make it go away.
How people treat you will be their karma; how you accept that treatment
is yours.
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| User: "Fredrick Garvin" |
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| Title: Re: Why do people believe in Karma? |
04 May 2005 03:08:04 PM |
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On Wed, 04 May 2005 12:22:38 -0700, mosquito expelled the following:
They are superstitious, like people that are into religion.
Simple really.
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