[Buddha-l] on karma

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Joy Vriens schreef:
> W.F.Wong wrote:
>
>   
>> Again: we need to separate two things. First, the Rinpoche is trying to  
>> encourage people to do good (albeit because one wants a better rebirth).  
>> Second, no where did the Rinpoche said, "the starving child in Africa  
>> therefore deserves it and we should write him off". 
>>     
>  
>   
>> At best I find these examples distasteful but certainly not an example of  
>> "believe in karma = do nothing about social injustice". 
>>     
>  
>   
>> How things are is one thing. What you choose to do about it is another. 
>>     
>
> I think the following quote (including the tone) speaks very clearly. His belief dictates his world vision. If you think it doesn't, let me know and we can have a discussion.
>
>  "Did anyone force them to be reborn there? Did someone say, "Now you must be reborn in a place in Africa where you will starve to death"? No, no one forces living beings to be reborn in this way. The fact that people are born into such circumstances is because of lacking merit."
>
> Joy
>
>
>   
Saying something like this generates an awfull lot of bad karma. Funny 
thing about the myth of karma is that it's selfdestructive. The moment 
you say that by helping others you generate merit, you introduce the 
thought that you help yourself by helping others, which means you help 
others for selfish reasons and there goes your merit.
Secondly karma implies that the one who sows is the one who reaps, which 
implies a continuïty of self. This can be in two ways: by experience or 
by convention. I experience that I wake up with a headache each time I 
drink a bottle of Jack Daniels, so it's my fault. The direction of a 
company can get sued for damage former directions have caused, they have 
to take the blame because it's the law. Well, there never has been any 
proof of selfcontinuïty between someone born in Darfur and any person 
living in the past, there's no experience and there's no convention that 
backs it up. And why does the Internation Campaign for Tibet ask me 
money all the time, have they lost their belief in karma? They should 
know that they should be glad that all the bad karma for Tibet ripes 
now, so it cannot hurt again. ;-)
> Erik
>
>
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