Karma and Rebirth in Theravada Buddhism - Part 7

Karma relating to Buddhist cosmology, heaven, the devas, hell, Joseph Stalin, the Columbine massacre, cats killing birds, not everything happens because of karma, nirvana is permanent, no to euthenasia or suicide. For more info go to:

http://www.theravada.ca

Brian's new book, "A SHORT WALK ON AN ANCIENT PATH - A Buddhist Exploration of Meditation, Karma and Rebirth", is available on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&fiel...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• heaven
• the devas
• hell
• Joseph Stalin
• the Columbine massacre
• cats killing birds
• nirvana is permanent

[wadok1942]

In fact, we do not eat without killing something. Every meal is taken at the expense of some other living organism. Therefore, if there is sin in eating flesh, there is sin in eating anything. Cabbage or cow, we go on at some living thing's expense.

[BrianRuhe]

You're right wadok1942, We survive at the expense of other beings, even vegetarians. It doesn't seem fair that people should have bad karma just for surviving. The Buddha made it clear that there is no bad karma from eating, even eating meat. The Buddha wasn't a vegetarian and it's important that people not feel guilty about eating meat. There's no bad karma there at all.

[BrianRuhe]

Also, the system is not indifferent because people experience widely different results. I have conviction in the dhamma even tough I have not been to hell or heaven in this life. I believe the Buddha. But I also believe the evidence by Dr. Ian Stevenson at the University of Virginia. Thanks for asking baze128. I have posted here on my site for a while. I'm back!

Brian Ruhe

[BrianRuhe]

Hi baze128,

The doctrine of no self is a separate teaching as we have no self in this lifetime right now. It means no permanent identity. There can be justice even if you don't remember the past because you experience the results of past actions that you don't remember. It shouldn't be indifferent to you if you will experience the good results of all the hard work you've done in this life. Why would you be indifferent to that?

[BrianRuhe]

Hi Prajna8,

There is hope for the boy who died. His death in a way was accidental without the full negative karma of suicide but if it was suicide, that is the karma of killing a human being, which is bad. But his rebirth is dependent on his karma from his whole life, and past lives. If he was a good person all his life, he could still go on to a good rebirth after committing suicide, so there is hope for him, yes! Suicide is just one unwholesome act but he had many wholesome acts in his life.

[BrianRuhe]

Hi Supergopi,

Stalin's karma was that he chose to kill 30 to 40 million people. The law of karma states that he is responsible for that and will feel the effects in hell, even though the people killed could not have been murdered if they did not create a karmic cause in the past. They experience this ripening but it does not absolve Stalin of responsibility. So this just goes around and around. We need to break the cycle of ignorance and aversion with the Buddha's noble eightfold path.

[qwyzl]

if some 1 murders a bunch of ppl & then be come a buddhist monk, and "thinks right", would this lighten his karmic debt in his next life, or would he still suffer the full consequences of his murderous actions? like, do you get "time off 4 good behavior"?

[SourNaik]

@BrianRuhe About the whole "buddha was not a vegetarian" factor, there is a lot of debate around this, and as I do agree with you, I think it should be left to the side..No one really knows, as it should be a personal preference in the first place.

[destructicon500]

People get murdered because of their karmic comeuppance? That's pretty abhorrent, and seems like an excuse to not be compassionate.