Kamma's influence

A forum for beginners and members of other Buddhist traditions to ask questions about Theravāda (The Way of the Elders). Responses require moderator approval before they are visible in order to double-check alignment to Theravāda orthodoxy.
Post Reply
User avatar
nrose619
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:32 pm

Kamma's influence

Post by nrose619 »

If a baby dies not long after its birth is that a result of kamma of a past life? and if so, what's to say that my life is not controlled by kamma of past lives?
"A silver bird
flies over the autumn lake.
When it has passed,
the lake's surface does not try
to hold on to the image of the bird."
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27839
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Kamma's influence

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

Things can happen for reasons other than kamma. See...

Niyama Dhamma
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1187" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... for details.

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
SarathW
Posts: 21183
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Re: Kamma's influence

Post by SarathW »

Hi Retro
Thanks for the link. But I can't download your link "The Niyama Dipani"
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27839
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Kamma's influence

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Sarath,

Thanks for the heads up... here's an alternative link.

THE NIYAMA-DIPANI: The Manual of Cosmic Order
by Mahathera Ledi Sayadaw
http://mahajana.net/texts/kopia_lokalna/MANUAL04.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
User avatar
cooran
Posts: 8503
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:32 pm
Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: Kamma's influence

Post by cooran »

Hello all,

Not everything is the result of kamma.

Kamma and it's Fruit
http://Www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... fruit.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


With metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
SarathW
Posts: 21183
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Re: Kamma's influence

Post by SarathW »

Hi Retro and Cooran
Thanks. Great links
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
KennC
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:54 am

Re: Kamma's influence

Post by KennC »

Karma is intentional action, that is, a deed done deliberately through body, speech or mind. The Buddha taught that one’s present condition, whether of happiness or suffering, is the result of the accumulated force of all past actions or karma.
Here is a good short video about Karma - "Bond to Past and future" http://www.buddhastation.com/buddhism-v ... nd-future/
Bakmoon
Posts: 637
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 3:14 pm

Re: Kamma's influence

Post by Bakmoon »

nrose619 wrote:If a baby dies not long after its birth is that a result of kamma of a past life? and if so, what's to say that my life is not controlled by kamma of past lives?
Good question. We get this kind of question a lot, so here goes.

The Buddha's teaching of kamma is rather different than other religions and the view of karma in pop-culture. In brief, it means that developing mental states based on greed, hatred, or delusion incline the mind towards unhappiness, and developing mental states based on their opposites inclines the mind towards happiness.

Kamma is a determining factor in rebirth as well, as when a person dies, their mind will turn its attention to an act they preformed and enter a rebirth based on that mental act.

However, one thing that the Buddha did not say is that everything that happens to a person is the result of their kamma. Indeed, he rejected this view, saying that some things that happen to someone are caused by their kamma, and that other things that happen are caused by other things, such as their physical conditions.

In the case of an infant who dies young, all we can say is that maybe it was the result of their kamma in a previous life, and maybe it was just pure chance. Nobody but a fully enlightened Buddha has the ability to actually tell whether or not it was caused by kamma, so it is best not to speculate and ask ourselves why these things happen IMHO.
The non-doing of any evil,
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
Post Reply