Stu wrote: ↑Sun Jan 19, 2020 10:05 pm
You have not understood the concept of karma. I spent thirty years as a cop, and some of that time as a detective. I met many extremely evil people who made their lives through committing crimes: I never met one who was a happy human being, even ones who had apparently profited from their wrongdoing.
Were they miserable because of the wrong doing? Or miserable because they were caught?
Your point of reference stems from criminals in the grips of the justice system. It says nothing for the evil doers that were either never caught, or perhaps their evil behavior wasn't illegal. (Its not against the law to be a greedy jerk)
Look, I appreciate what you're saying and I can also understand the value of such a philosophy. But there is just too much ugliness in human nature to suggest that karma is valid. If this were the case everyone would be good natured because it would be to each individual persons benefit.
This is NOT to say that I think all people are evil, but I am saying that evil people couldn't care less about the concept of karma, and many are living quite a good life at the expense of those waiting on these evil doers to have their day.
Karma also raises another philosophical question... Are people doing good deeds because they feel it will benefit their "karma balance". How many people would do good deeds with no hope for reward?
The answer is plenty of people... but those people are often among the poorest and humblest among us.
There is value in believing in karma, just as there is value in a faith in other systems... I wish I could believe, I really do. It's been a long time since I was in the company of anyone I admired.
I'm sorry... the world let me down. I don't know who to look to for moral guidance anymore. Every group I have tried to align myself with left me hanging and feeling empty.
It's not just stuff on TV or social media. People have gotten just so rotten lately. I'm left to assume this rot always existed, current events are just now bringing it to the surface.
I watched a few of David Hoffmans interviews with people who were in their 80s and 90s in the 70s and 80s. These people spoke with such grace and dignity, such kindness and empathy towards everyone. It made my heart ache.
Where are these people today? Where can I find them? I'd love to get lost in the tales of an old man or woman... but all I get now are political rants from all sides. Its constant, like a throbbing pain that never ceases. Its constant hate hate hate hate hate, judgement judgement judgement judgement, my folks, my distant family, my coworkers, the churches, customers, the TV sets in all of the businesses, a constant never ending stream of self righteous HATE. Everybody hates everybody.
Karma? Pfft... If karma is real, we're all doomed.