Bankei wrote:Hi
I am wondering if there is any concept of Karmic consequences of not doing something.
eg. You see someone drowning and don't save them.
In this situation would you have an intention to left them suffer. Kamma = Intention.
What do you think?
Bankei
Hello, Bankei.
it depends on more than one factor.
If a person is physically not fit enough to drag somebody out, -old, weak, sickly,- this person a cannot be asked to sacrifice his or her life in a futile effort to save another, and so create perhaps more suffering, for 2 families, left behind.
Even though a Bodhisattva or Buddha like person probably wouldn't worry about self, like the Buddha in one of his earlier incarnations, as the Monkey King.
But perhaps there are other possibilities to get help.
But if there is a fit person who mercilessly watches another drowning, with no compassion in his heart, even though he could help, then the Buddha said:
7. "Householders, there are three kinds of bodily conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.....
8. "And how are there three kinds of bodily conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct?
Here someone is a killer of living beings: he is murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, and merciless to all living beings. That is ...... unrighteous conduct.[/b]
Kammic result:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Blessed One said: "There is the case, student, where a woman or man is a killer of living beings, brutal, bloody-handed, given to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, hell. If, on the break-up of the body, after death — instead of reappearing in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, hell — he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is short-lived wherever reborn. This is the way leading to a short life: to be a killer of living beings, brutal, bloody-handed, given to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living beings.
I personally think the answer rests in the own heart:
Would we want to drown and have others watch our suffering without mercy?
Would we want to hear our child drowned and nobody helped, just watched ?
This would increase our suffering immensily.
Hence, if our non- action increases suffering, based on a lack of compassion, it is unwholesome, and will cause an effect of a similar type.
A strange coincidence.
My former neighbor Maria, who now lives in Munich, came to a lake where a child was drowning, with numerous people watching, also strong and healthy men, and nobody even called for help on the cell phone, but she did.
Several of the watchers got caught and convicted of:
non-assistance of a person in danger
I think the Buddha also didn't encourage to break laws...