Originally posted by: guenhwyvar
I think there are two ways to think about it, both leading towards a higher good type of thinking.
First, theory of reincarnation + karma.
Reincarnation is a simple enough theory - you constantly get born and die until you can escape from samsara and attain moksha. Karma plays into this by essentially distributing the fruits of your actions from your lives at different moments.
Thus, karmic moments in your present life are mainly the fruits of your past lives. Anything good or bad that happens in your life is a casual effect of something you did in the past/past lives.
Second, theory of karma on its own (if you don't believe in reincarnation)
Karma is the same thing, but just restricted to your present life. You still get the fruits of your actions that you do in your present life. It starts with you being judged for your reactions to certain events, and then that gradually builds towards fruits of those reactions/actions.
Thus, karmic moments in your present life are mainly the fruits of your current life. Anything good or bad that happens in this life is a casual effect of something you did in the past.
Regardless of your belief in reincarnation, karma helps reinforce two things: (1) the action matters more than the fruits of the action because the latter is just a causal effect of the former; and (2) good actions lead to good fruits; bad actions lead to bad fruits.
The age old question of why do bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people is something philosophers have struggled to answer. But I think the main flaw is looking at a singular event in that person's life, and failing to connect the dots because karma's effect occurs throughout the life. It isn't a A->B, C->D moment in the sense that if I do something good right now, something good will happen to me in the immediate future. The effects are sprinkled throughout your life.
The way I imagine it - the world is inherently positive, but it's masked in a bubble of evilness. Life for those who strive to do good things is a lot more harder (because they are working against the current) compared to those who do bad things. Once that bubble is crossed, the fruits of the good person begins to show, and the fruits of the bad person begin to show.
The important thing to remember is the fruits can appear in various ways - be it a horrific death, a life saving moment, etc..So the fruits itself aren't important.
The point is - if you lead a good life, you will face struggles initially, but the aspiration is you will experience true happiness. If you lead a bad life, you will enjoy immense pleasures initially, but the aspiration is you will not experience true happiness. So focus on doing good things and don't pay too much attention to the fruits. If your intentions are good, your thoughts are good, then you will get those fruits at the end of the day. But just because we don't know what those fruits will be, it shouldn't change how we act.
Just do good for others and expect nothing in return - best way to live life. ❤️
Last thought of the day: I don't think this world is designed so you can have the cream and cake. If the world is inherently good, if the people are all good, if good things only happen to them and bad things happen to bad people .. then everyone would be good and if everyone is good nothing bad happens to them and if nothing bad happens to them ... it questions the existence of heaven/moksha/hell/death.
Wonderfully put, guen.
Loved it. ❤️
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