Only delivering Karma

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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Nito
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Only delivering Karma

Post by Nito »

Hello all,

I have a short question: Is someone who does bad to another person merely delivering their earned Karma? Or how does this work?

Thank You!
SteRo
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Re: Only delivering Karma

Post by SteRo »

Nito wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:51 pm Hello all,

I have a short question: Is someone who does bad to another person merely delivering their earned Karma?
That one is delivering his "earned" Karma to himself and thus is accumulating that karma to experience its results.
Cleared. αδόξαστος.
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Sam Vara
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Re: Only delivering Karma

Post by Sam Vara »

Nito wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:51 pm Hello all,

I have a short question: Is someone who does bad to another person merely delivering their earned Karma? Or how does this work?

Thank You!
I don't think so. I think it works purely psychologically, in that it is impossible to consciously do bad to another person while remaining in an expansive calm and happy state. So if you habitually go around doing deliberate harm, you frequently feel painful feelings like anger, self-righteousness, isolation, and other negative cramped mental states. You reinforce your own tendency to do harm and make yourself miserable.

As SteRo says, that person only delivers kamma to himself.
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Mahabrahma
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Re: Only delivering Karma

Post by Mahabrahma »

Doing bad degrades who you are and there is too much senseless evil in this world. Karma may come, but it comes from what is within a being.
That sage who has perfect insight,
at the summit of spiritual perfection:
that’s who I call a brahmin.

-Dhammapada.
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DooDoot
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Re: Only delivering Karma

Post by DooDoot »

Nito wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:51 pm I have a short question: Is someone who does bad to another person merely delivering their earned Karma?
No. However, your question does demonstrate the flaw in common ideas about kamma.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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Bundokji
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Re: Only delivering Karma

Post by Bundokji »

Missing the point of why a certain law is taught would lead to a misuse of the law.

The law of Kamma teaches us that intentional actions have consequences in order to become mindful of our own actions. It is primarily preventive for those who understand its purpose, not predictive. In other words, it teaches you to be self-centered, not self obsessed.
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
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Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta
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Re: Only delivering Karma

Post by Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta »

.


In this scenario, that "earned karma" fruits as perceived bad rather than delivered bad, by the do-ee rather than by the do-er, imo.

  • The mind is old kamma, to be seen as generated and fashioned by volition, as something to be felt. This is called old kamma.
https://suttacentral.net/sn35.146/en/bodhi


:heart:
𝓑𝓾𝓭𝓭𝓱𝓪 𝓗𝓪𝓭 𝓤𝓷𝓮𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓿𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓓𝓮𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽
  • Iᴅᴇᴀ ᴏꜰ Sᴏᴜʟ ɪs Oᴜᴛᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴ Uᴛᴛᴇʀʟʏ Fᴏᴏʟɪsʜ Vɪᴇᴡ
    V. Nanananda

𝓐𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓽ā 𝓜𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓘𝓼
  • Nᴏ sᴜᴄʜ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀs ᴀ Sᴇʟғ, Sᴏᴜʟ, Eɢᴏ, Sᴘɪʀɪᴛ, ᴏʀ Āᴛᴍᴀɴ
    V. Buddhādasa
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DooDoot
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Re: Only delivering Karma

Post by DooDoot »

Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:29 am .


In this scenario, that "earned karma" fruits as perceived bad rather than delivered bad, by the do-ee rather than by the do-er, imo.

  • The mind is old kamma, to be seen as generated and fashioned by volition, as something to be felt. This is called old kamma.
https://suttacentral.net/sn35.146/en/bodhi


:heart:
It appears the above distorts the meaning of SN 35.146. SN 35.146 appears not related to this topic because SN 35.146 appears about sense organs that are "felt" rather than identified with. This topic is about others acting as angels of vengeance or King Yama.
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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Inedible
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Re: Only delivering Karma

Post by Inedible »

I'd like to order a couple cheese pizzas with sides of good karma, please.
whynotme
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Re: Only delivering Karma

Post by whynotme »

Nito wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:51 pm Hello all,

I have a short question: Is someone who does bad to another person merely delivering their earned Karma? Or how does this work?

Thank You!
The exact working of kamma is only available to a Buddha. But the general idea can be extracted like this: if someone does bad to other, this someone delivers the earned kamma to target and also get bad kamma from the action.
If there is noone to deliver the kamma, e.g when everyone learned to avoid bad actions, a nature invisible hand may do the work, e.g disaster, flood, fire... to deliver kamma to target.
The later is better bc it cut off the chain of kamma, while the first, the chaining actions continue, robber gets robbed and so on
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