BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Spirituality Karma

I am just wondering what people think about karma. Lately, I haven't been here because I've been working A LOT and spending much needed quality time with my family. I love my kids again (yay). Anyway, to my point.. I know this girl who has broken every rule I can think of, can't keep a job, never pays her bills on time, filed for bankruptcy, stole money, does drugs, ignores her kids, cheats the system, been evicted nearly seven times, manipulates and lies to everyone about being poor to get money and then spends buko dollars on various [censored] from Walmart and never pays anyone back, etc. The point...she's not a very good person. How is it that someone like that can get everything they want? How is this fair to everyone else who plays by the rules? She whines and complains when things aren't going right just so people will take care of her rather than getting a job or doing what's right to get things taken care of. She lied and manipulated everyone in my family against eachother, just so she could gain some money out of it (handed to her out of pity because she told everyone else that noone would help her). Then when things got a little better, she snubbed everyone like she is a better person just because of some weird status she sees in her mind. It is infuriating to me that she gets away with everything. It really bothers me when I know so many others who really deserve to have their dreams come true and struggle for real reasons. I guess I need some confirmation that she'll get what she deserves and not always be on top of the world...

Hi Melody,

I wish I could promise you that she will "get whst she deserves", but I cannot see the future - so can offer no guarantees.

However, I believe in God, and believe that he knows our hearts, true intentions and every action that we take. I also believe that when we die we will be accountable to Him. So that means that if she never is held accountable here on Earth, she will one day face eternity and be held accountable then for her actions - and that is a far worse fate.

I also believe that poisonous people "leak", masks can only be held in place for so long before they slip. Someone someday is going to see her for what she truly is. YOU already have. how much longer before another person does? And once a person is caught in a lie - the house of cards starts to tumble. The liar has to start mending holes in their story, and they become more and more desparate. As thst happens the facade breaks and all people around them see them for what they truly are.

What I would hope for you is that you focus not so much on this erson, but let her fade from your site. It is like a poison or sickness that drains you when you give her negativity too much attention.

Be thankful for what you have instead of being angry for what she has taken.

This is one of those serious questions for me too. It does bother me greatly when someone who actively harms others seems to be rewarded for their behavior.

I think, though, that taking a step back really helps. I cannot imagine someone who is going through bankruptcy and has serious drug problems is really happy. Even if they scrounge some money and attention, I would have to guess they are miserable inside. Can you even imagine living like that? She probably feels angry at the world, upset with herself, frustrated. She goes through her life (again I'm guessing here) in a state of discontent. That can cause real damage to your body. That is not the way to achieve a long, happy, content life.

So in the end, people who sow discontent and who are discontent "live in their own stew". They create their own punishment, in a way. They can never trust anyone because they know they themselves are not trustworthy. They never feel secure.

I would much rather be poor and content. And really, in the global sense, watch a few movies like Slumdog Millionaire and documentaries on Africa and China. No matter how "poor" we are, we are wealthy elite on the world scale. Every night I try to remember to express my gratitude for what I have, and my contentment with all the blessings in my life.

Those are very interesting points of view. I was just curious really. From my standpoint, I can do nothing about it and I wouldn't even if I could because it's not my business to do so unless it interferes with my life. It just irks me. Dragoncharmer, it's funny what you said about the boomerang effect. That seems to be my deal, too. I try to be more positive and get out of my wicked thinking so that I focus on the better things in my life and be helpful, etc, to get the good stuff back, but it doesn't seem to boomerang unless it's bad stuff. I guess I am a natural pessimist? Maybe that's why I get the bad end of the stick? Who knows? But, yes, Michelle, you are very right. I should focus more on my own situation and the good things in life and I try. The issue that I am having here is that I continually hear about it, the wonderful, glorious life that she has as she rubs my nose in it when she knows how hard I struggle, and it bothers me. I have only spoken to her once in two months because of this, but I have to talk to her because she's family. I also know that I should just put my jealousy aside, but this judgmental part of me believes she doesn't deserve what she's got due to the sinister, deceptive way in which it was obtained. I avoid contact so I don't hurt anyone's feelings because, just like Lisa said, she probably is miserable. Why else would she try so hard to put the rest of us down? Why else does she feel the need to be better than the rest of us? There must be some very deep-rooted inferiority complex that drives her to do the things she does. I guess you are all right on different aspects. I will just focus on my own situation. When she falls, it will be on her and completely unrelated to me. Thanks.

After running back across this thread, I decided to do an article on Karma. It is not an easy subject! It is one of those idead that is easier to think about than to put into words.

Here's the article:
Karma Aricle

I would love to see what you guys think and if you agree/disagree with me.

Michelle, I thought you did a great job in this article. I especially like that you brought it down to a practical level, in terms of a promotion, or being lonely - the 'obvious' effects of certain actions - being karma.

I think karma is often viewed too literally as a giant reward or punishment system. Personally, I think more in terms of energy momentums - every action and thought we have is a reflection of some energy or creates a new one, that then has to play itself out in some form, just like a rolling ball keeps going until it either hits something or naturally slows to a stop. And we all have hundreds, if not thousands of different karmas of these types 'rolling' along in our being at any given time, so it's very hard sometimes to 'see' how karma is operating, as in the case that Melody described.

Also, when it comes to things we view as 'negative' - difficult things that happen to us - we tend to think they are karmically some type of punishment for something we have done 'wrong', but there really could be many other layers to it. For example, if deep down we have some intention to grow, to let go of some deep-seated self-destructive patterns we have, we might need to go through certain challenges to do that. And so in that case, the things we perceive as 'punishment' at the time, might in fact be signs of our deep-seated desire to grow, as opposed to being a sign that we have done something 'wrong' in the past...

(I put 'negative' and 'wrong' in quotes because as you can see, I don't really think in these terms...)

Anyway, thanks for doing this article, I should do one from a Buddhist perspective on my site, huh?

I think that you guys have some good ideas and in depth. I personally don't believe in karma, or heaven and hell or anything like that. When we unleash the self destructive nature each of us has within due to guilt from less than positive actions, we create bad "karma" within and have to work out our own salvation, so to speak. There is nothing more life giving or, on the counterpart, more destructive than the possibilities that lie within. We don't need outside influences, we can be our own worst enemy or our own best friend.

Lisa a Buddhist article on Karma would be great - I tried to come at it from a more "global" POV, but a lot of it was influenced by the Hindu perspective.

I do agree that people seem to think of it as a (especially) punishment system. Even people that don't believe in the word "Karma" feel slighted when people that do horrible things don't "get what's coming to them". We all want to believe that our actions are going to be rewarded in some way - when sometimes the only reward we can truly count on is being content within ourselves.

This is actually an area I have been struggling with lately. I feel like God or fate has been letting me down instead of remembering to be happy for the things I do have. I forget to take my own advice!!!

Ancient Flaxman, I think Karma goes by many names - experience, lessons, life. It is the sum of everything we do and what we then take from it.

One time I was tuning a pipe organ for a pastor in a church on the west coast. They found out that I was musical and asked me to lead their choir. We had a blast. I told them that the only requirement I had in joining the choir is that they don't have to know how to sing. The pastor was cool and very open in spirit. The pastors wife was not quite as obliging. She knew that I spoke German and all of a sudden she started in on Adolf Hitler and the fact that he is burning in hell and she was glad that he was. I will be the first one to say that this guy was a complete nut and a murderer but the spirit of this lady was bent on picking a fight with me and I saw beyond her statement. As she rambled on an on even disrupting the choir I realized that I had had it. I drew her aside and told her that if enough buttons were pushed within her that she would do the same as what Hitler did. She was capable of stumbling and not any more above reproach than the rest of us. She recoiled in horror and never spoke to me again which delighted me right down to the ground. What is with so many people today wanting retribution for the misdeeds of others? If we truly believe that God or whatever we hold to, will take care of all situations and retribution, why do we have this need to see punishment. Look at Hitler, Musolini Stalin, and all the rest. Don't we believe that all of this will be balanced out in the end and easily so without our help!! All evil or all good is within and there is no greater force than what mankind will do with it. Usually our desire to see punishment is because of a lack of our own circumstances working out the way we want them to. In those cases we need to reach beyond where we are at and grow. When I say over and over again that I am a Witch, or Christian, or Buddhist, or any other thing that I may be its like the old saying "Me thinks thou protest too much". We may not be sure of our path anymore so we speak it more often to try to prove to ourselves and/or others that is who we are. Then if we hold on very tightly to that that does not work for us anymore we have a tendency to get angry and look upon others in judgement because we just don't want to grow and won't let go of what no longer works. I have been there. It's not working ! Why not? I have done this all of my life. If it doesn't work I will force it or force the deity to make it be so. The end of such is sad. Life is all about letting go !! In the end of this life we will draw our last breath and we can hold on to everything we like but that too will go away. So many don't want to grow, they just want to hold on to the past and suffer needlessly. Why don't we just let go, learn, and live without fear and punishment?