BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality New Age string of difficulties

Yes, but don't forget that goes for good stuff too,which is why there is encouragement to transform what we perceive (in the moment, of the situation) to be bad, into something consructive, positive and good....



And why good things happen to bad people....and why bad things happen to bad people....and why good things happen to good people....
Nothing is ever one-sided.... nothing is ever disproportionate.
I truly believe in my heart that a bad person who seems to always land on their feet, and seems to 'get away with everything' is setting themselves up for a mighty tumble, sooner or later...it all comes home to roost....They might very well be reaping the rewards for a past life well spent, but they sure as heck are in for a nasty shock for wasting this one...And in my not so inconsiderable experience, I have yet to meet a 'bad' person who is really, truly genuinely happy in their own life.

How about the concept that bad things happen in order to teach us to look for the opportunity hidden within or behind them? This seems to be a theme in my life--if the washer breaks down, instead of being able to do laundry as planned, I relieve my frustration by going for a walk and meet somebody interesting, or the repairman has a novel in progress he ends up paying me to evaluate and edit...and that's how it seems to work in my life. Anybody else experience this, too?

Barbara

Barbara...That's exactly what I've been saying....!
Hey!!

You're Buddhist! You just didn't know it - !! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[/quote]And why good things happen to bad people....and why bad things happen to bad people....and why good things happen to good people....[/quote]


You know, we never ask why good things happen to us... only bad things! I've been studying the book of Job lately and it occurred to me that he never protested Heaven's actions when he was blessed by wealth, health and a great reputation. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Very good point....

How many people have I seen and met who never spare a thought as to why their lives are trundling along happily.... and yet the moment the brown smelly stuff hits the rotating ventilator, it's suddenly a way of testing their faith, and it's all a cry of "Why me!?"


(Nobody on this forum, I'm sure.....!)

Yeah, I don't think I can believe in reincarnation for some of the reasons you stated. I'm more of a "the buck stops here" person too, I guess. Bad things happen to good people for all sorts of reasons, and I guess Rhonda's just gotten more than her fair share...

I'm not trying to disrespect your beliefs, but I just don't think that I can believe that someone so nice in this life would be a completely different person in another... If the soul is preserved from life to life, then would the personality be somewhat preserved too? Maybe I just don't understand the whole concept that well...

I've done past life regressions for years now & watched as the sweetest people recount experiences of lives as prostitutes, villains and all manner of other things. You'd be amazed!! They are often shocked by what they got up to, but it is healing because they can see how much they've moved on & where much present karma has come from.

I have entered a new thread on the Buddhist forum on 'Re-Birth as opposed to Reincarnation'. The two are quite different.
Go have a look-see and see if that helps any.

Come back with questions, if you wish.....

It may seem complicated, but it's really very simple.
But it's up to you to take it or leave it as you feel.

I guess that makes some sense. I'm a biology major (soon-to-be biologist). The analogy that came to my mind is cloning. In cloning, you take the genetic information from one organism, put it into an egg that lacks a nucleus, and allow it to gestate. This new organism contains the exact genetic material of the original, so you would think that it would look/act exactly like the "parent." However, that is seldom the case. Different environmental stimuli cause changes in the physiology which make the clone an entirely different being. Even identical twins are a bit different.

So going back to re-birth, I guess it is the same thing. It is the same spirit being subjected to a new set of environmental conditions, which elicit a different response...

I still argue that a good-natured person would be good-natured in past-births. Though circumstances may have caused that person to turn to prostitution, they may have been good-hearted prostitutes. Doesn't that count for something in the karmic cycle??

that's a really clear way of putting things in modern terms

Yes you are right, there are many shades of right & wrong doing and the 'bad lives' often come up because there is some important healing to do, we often don't see the dozens of 'good lives' as therapists because they aren't causing any problems for the client. People can see themes running through the lives & recognise themselves though their physical appearance, even their gender, may be different. They can pick themselves out in a crowd & know 'that's me'.