Karma or Comeuppance?

[Caelia]

I asked this on facebook, but I'll post it here. It stemmed from watching so many people talk about watching others "manifest their karma". In this case, I'm sure they're talking about the Westernized karma. What really made it curious for me is these are the people who strive for "positive living" yet only mention manifesting karma in a negative light. I don't know if I'm surrounded by angry people or if this is a thing. So it got me to thinking and I'm asking everywhere because I want to see how prevalent this idea is...

For those who like to see people finally manifest their karma, how often do you use that as a euphemism for "comeuppance"?

[nbdy]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

I asked this on facebook, but I'll post it here. It stemmed from watching so many people talk about watching others "manifest their karma". In this case, I'm sure they're talking about the Westernized karma. What really made it curious for me is these are the people who strive for "positive living" yet only mention manifesting karma in a negative light. I don't know if I'm surrounded by angry people or if this is a thing. So it got me to thinking and I'm asking everywhere because I want to see how prevalent this idea is...

For those who like to see people finally manifest their karma, how often do you use that as a euphemism for "comeuppance"?

No matter what you call it, the resulting schadenfreude makes me feel just a little bit guilty.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

Glad I'm not the only one who has a few problems with the western concept of karma. It is often touted as though it is a fact, but the truth is that people can be very selective with how and why it occurs. In the east, karma is more of a set thing: e.g. if you commit suicide then you have to incarnate a certain number of times (84 in some traditions) before coming back as a human being again.

I usually think of 'karma' as cause and effect.
Wishes, and curses are like hens.... they always come home to roost.

[Medusa]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

My opinion on karma as an atheist. It's the 'there there' pat on the back when you want that kid who pushed you off the swing to die. Only come to find he has to go to the dentist the next day for a root canal. Makes you just feel are warm and good. Makes you think you are Harry Potter and can cast migulusdentitus on a person. That's my scientific opinion.



3 out of 4 dentist approve!

[Caelia]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

Yeah, I find the Western "wrath of an angry karma" very dubious. I guess my problem with the thinking is why not hope to see karma manifest in a good way too? Why only that one direction? Why even bother with the euphemism? Why not pull a Ziltoid, throw insults their way, and be done with it? The intent is the same.

[Medusa]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

Yeah, I find the Western "wrath of an angry karma" very dubious. I guess my problem with the thinking is why not hope to see karma manifest in a good way too? Why only that one direction? Why even bother with the euphemism? Why not pull a Ziltoid, throw insults their way, and be done with it? The intent is the same.

It's from humans. hoomans. You think we hope good for our fellow man? Nope. Cat god tells me hoomans are evil.

*gives cat gods more foodz.

[Caelia]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

But cat gods also make music :P

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

If you try to do good, then you hope that good things will come your way. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

If you see other people doing bad things, you hope that bad things will come their way. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

This is mostly cause and effect rather than divine retribution. I have a problem with divine retribution... it isn't very reliable. Otherwise war criminals would always be strung up from the nearest lamp post instead of going on to have political careers.

[DanieMarie]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

I'm seeing a bit of a change lately. Maybe I just have a lot of super positive people on facebook, but there are all sorts of good deeds making the rounds. It seemed to go up around Christmas, but it hasn't entirely stopped in January. Some are chain posts, but others are posts about nice things other people did for them and how happy it makes them to see that. I guess it's not really in a "karma" context, but the general mood is that those people did something nice and therefore deserve nice things to happen to them.

[thalassa]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

I guess my problem with the thinking is why not hope to see karma manifest in a good way too? Why only that one direction?

The people that I know tend to be the "if I do good shit, good shit will happen here" types, so I see that more often.

[Ula]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

Karma or fate or whatever isn't one way. We generate good fortune or luck as well as bad. I have never understood it being so one sided to the negative.

[Willow]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

I understand what you mean, and I think it is a thing because I have seen a lot of people over the last 5 months or so refer to the alarming frequency of hardships going around as 'Karma' or 'what goes around comes around' or <insert generic phrase here>. You get the idea.

Personally, I don't follow Karma per say, but I do believe in balance. I feel that if you lie, cheat, and steal your way through life that at some point all that will come back and implode upon itself in a way that attempts to even out the playing field. In what form that happens, or if it ever becomes public, that's not up to humankind to know, control, or understand. The same holds true for if you spend your life being positive, pleasant, and genuinely caring to those around you.

It doesn't always act on a cosmic level either. If you're kind to people around you, they are likely to be kind back and be kind to others because you've bolstered their mood. Same thing for acting aggressive, provocative, or downright rude to other people. They're likely to pass that on as well. It just really doesn't bode well to be nasty anyway, it can be a hard cycle to break.

[ChainLightning]

Re: Karma or Comeuppance?

I think it's often used [abused, misused] as a way to wish people would get what's coming to them. In terms of anger, "I hope karma bites you in the ass," far more than joy, "I hope karma brings you much needed peace."

I don't think it's wholly imbalanced, however, just phrased differently is all. I say things like, "Have a great day!" Or, "[that person] needs to die, in a fire!" The latter is far more inviting to 'leave it up to karma', so to speak, and avoid any personal responsibility, lest a fire break out and they die. Whereas the former is not only comfortable but, ABSOLUTE, in being safely attributable, as to the 'cause' of someone's day being a good one. That's a kind of "blame", really, that people aren't afraid to take on. Generally speaking.