Karma seems to be an overused, and incorrectly overused word, lately. I know indirectly a young woman who has abused this word telling people that she believes in "karma". I put it in quotes because she obviously has no idea what it actually means. For my Christian friends, most of them believe or at least seem to use the term in regards to believing that there's some kind of universal revenge that gets them before they die and go to heaven or hell. This is not Karma. Karma is not vengeful in anyway. Karma is the balance of the universe, the balancing of the soul, and what for those of us of Eastern faiths believe is what keeps us from doing "bad" things. "Good" or "bad" karma is more of a Christian view of a fundamental belief to Taoists, Buddhists, et cetera. It is similar to the belief that Native American religions believe that nature must balance itself. Karma is that which comes back to you based on what you do as a person.
A friend told me that karma was a "bitch" when we observed something bad happen to a person that she didn't care for. Another wondered why "bad" karma happens to good people. Neither of those are Karma. Karma is what happens as we make decisions that darken our souls. Karma is what happens when we make decisions that lighten our souls. Bad things happen. Good things happen. Karma is not related necessarily. When someone has something bad happen to them and then they turn and do bad things to others, they may be tempting Karma. Doing bad things, knowingly and refusing to understand that no matter what bad things happen to us, will bring "bad" Karma, eventually. Christians believe, for the most part (although I find this view as an incorrect interpretation of the Bible), that they accept Christ as their savior and all their sins are forgiven. In Eastern religions, this is not the case, so Karma is that which encourages to live our lives right. In fact, in my humble observations, there are a lot of Christians out there that assume all their "bad" that they commit is absolved because Christ died for their sins. My interpretation of the Bible, and the one I was raised with, is that only Christians who truly believe that he died for their sins, recognize their sins, admit to them, and do not repeat them are the truly saved. Karma is the Eastern view that doing "bad" or "good" will eventually be rewarded accordingly. Karma is that which makes us think twice before we take the low road. When bad things happen, because they will, retaliation, hating who has hurt us, we must let them go without acting upon them. This is much easier said than done. Each time we take the low road, digress into being a "bad" person making "bad" choices, hurting others, hurting ourselves, these are the things that eventually result in a wake up call from the universe..."bad" Karma. We cannot keep doing "bad" things to others and benefit from it. Eventually the universe must balance and eventually that "bad" Karma will catch up with us. Likewise, we are often tested by "bad" things, the "bad" things that happen to good people. If we hold steadfast, as Grams would say, "chin up, smile, poise and grace", eventually consistently answering the "bad" things with the high road, doing what is right even when it is the most difficult choice of all, that will eventually lead to "good" Karma balancing out the universe. All the "bad" we endure without taking the low road has to be balanced out. "Good" Karma is that balance.
The best way I can describe Karma in terms that most would understand is that we have a bucket we carry around. For every bad act, for every harm that we do to others, especially that we benefit from, a rock is placed in the bucket. Some of us have very dark hearts and souls. Those with darker souls and hearts tend to have very large buckets. The buckets will eventually overflow and the "bad" Karma will be commiserate to the "crimes" that they have doused others with. Likewise, with "bad" things that are done to us, we are expected to take the high road. Each time that we take the high road, either a rock is pulled out of our buckets or if we have no rocks in the bucket, the bucket gets smaller and smaller. Eventually the bad done to us that we have taken the high road, done the right thing, is rewarded, balanced by "good" Karma.
"Bad" karma is not someone getting their heart broken. A rock in the bucket is not necessarily placed there because someone breaks someone's heart. A rock goes into the bucket because the person that did the breaking was only using the other person, manipulating, had "bad" intent from the start. "Good" karma is not winning the lottery, as plenty of lottery winners can attest to. "Bad" Karma would be a man who beat his wife then having his daughter beat to a pulp by her husband and having to face his own acts. If he realizes what he has done wrong and accepts the responsibility for his actions then his balance may be restored. A man who sexually abused his daughter dying a very painful death from prostate cancer without any love around him would be an example. Since Eastern religions believe in reincarnation, his lesson is carried to the next life and if he has accepted his mistakes, then his bucket, his soul is rebalanced. His load lightened. Either man being shot in a convenience store robbery is not Karma. That is just a "bad" thing happening to a "bad" person. Karma is directly related to the things that we have done wrong or right, the decisions that we have made that have resulted in some imbalance in our bucket. Ideally we strive to have no bucket at all, which is an impossibility since we are only human and we inevitably make mistakes.
To be clear, bad things do happen to good people. Generally, bad things happen to good people because a lot of people seem to think that doing bad things to others gets what they want. They have either always been that way or they have come to the conclusion that if they're going to be screwed it is better to be the screwer than the screwee. Karma, whether balancing would serve "bad" or "good", can be "fixed". Doing the right thing, genuinely, not with the plan to lighten the load, but just for the sake of doing "right" is how some people can lighten the load, but much like Christianity, one must truly repent and know that they had done someone else wrong and determine that they will not repeat that mistake in the future.
If anyone wants to talk about karma, do so with the understanding of what we are talking about. Karma is not vengeful. It is not cruel. It is balance to the universe. For all the bad things that some do, Karma will have to balance the rewards that were claimed through "bad" acts. For all the good acts that seem to go unnoticed, Karma does notice and will balance those things eventually with "good" Karma. It is that view that allows Eastern culture to take a lower position, walk away even when the only urge we have is to fight. I have been wronged over the years and as I said a friend told me she couldn't understand why "bad" things seem to happen to me. I don't view them as "bad" I told her. They are God's way (the universe, fate, whatever you want to believe in) of getting me where I need to be. As the saying goes, God closes one door only to open another. My belief in Karma allows me to take that point of view. The "bad" things that may or may not have been done to me are not mine to tally. Those buckets, if they are being filled, are not even my buckets. Turning away to the next open door, not retaliating, taking the high road, whatever the circumstances may be, prevents from adding a rock to my bucket. I have no control over anyone else's bucket, just my own. While bad things happen, I know that the universe will eventually balance itself out and Karma is what will readjust the balance.
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