Second blog -- answers to an ocean of prompts |
Prompt: Karma Do you believe in karma and what does karma mean to you? Does it have anything to do with morality and culture, or is it a result of being accursed? ============ Do I believe in karma? Well, just maybe, because more often than not, I have seen the guilty get what has been due to them. Then, at other times, nada! Sometimes, karma gets postponed, I guess. The idea behind karma has to do with the consequences of our actions as they hit us with our deeds coming back at us in one form or another. It may just be a cosmic balancing of some sort, the universe's keeping score and punishing the guilty. While karma is an ancient concept, and possibly a mystical force, we mention it--while we gossip and talk--with the hope that it takes some kind of a vengeance for us, since it is supposedly a reward system of cause and effect. And yes, karma may have something to do with some situations or cultures, and morality, too. According to the traditions in India, karma is not just about this lifetime. It stretches across several or all lifetimes for debts unpaid and rewards not reaped. Whether I believe in karma or not, it is a good idea to regard it as a gentle nudge from the universe, reminding us to mind of our actions and their effects to the world. Accordingly, our personal actions of kindness, compassion, and empathy can only make the world a better place. . |