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Obsessing Over Karma, Moral Delimnas
Strictly speaking, Buddhism is something I have a marked interest in, but have not yet committed myself to practicing, primarily because I have mixed feelings and/or a lack of understanding involving certain aspects, the most intense of which, and which has been plaguing me for weeks, is karma.
I've always had some rudimentary belief in karma, even as a child in a Christian home; the basic pretense of good or bad things befalling you based on whether your actions towards others were good and was was a rudimentary one that made sense even to a young mind. However, as an adult, it's become something more complex, and honestly, my confusion over the matter has me in a standstill.
Basically, my question is this: are all things the result of karma, or do bad things sometimes happen without karmic causation?
This is a really huge, and confusing issue for me. It first struck me last month; I raise turtles, and a young softshell I was attached to suffocated on the fumes from the tea tree oil I was using to treat a fungal infection on her skin. It seemed...wholly unfair, that an unintended mistake of mine would lead to the suffering, and the no doubt painful and frightening death of a very innocent creature; a baby, really, not human, but...a baby. I mean, perhaps I had done something at some point to deserve the pain of losing her, but...I can;t imagine she did anything to deserve to die. It struck me as imbalanced, and since then, every report of a child being murdered, or abused, or an animal being mutilated for sport has left me confused, and pondering things I don't understand.
I'm sorry if I come off as, well...ignorant. The truth is, it's been hard for me to find information on even some of the basics of Buddhism that's written in a matter I can understand. a lot of internet resources seem to assume you're coming in with some sort of back knowledge and I get lost halfway through trying to find information or answers for myself.
I've always had some rudimentary belief in karma, even as a child in a Christian home; the basic pretense of good or bad things befalling you based on whether your actions towards others were good and was was a rudimentary one that made sense even to a young mind. However, as an adult, it's become something more complex, and honestly, my confusion over the matter has me in a standstill.
Basically, my question is this: are all things the result of karma, or do bad things sometimes happen without karmic causation?
This is a really huge, and confusing issue for me. It first struck me last month; I raise turtles, and a young softshell I was attached to suffocated on the fumes from the tea tree oil I was using to treat a fungal infection on her skin. It seemed...wholly unfair, that an unintended mistake of mine would lead to the suffering, and the no doubt painful and frightening death of a very innocent creature; a baby, really, not human, but...a baby. I mean, perhaps I had done something at some point to deserve the pain of losing her, but...I can;t imagine she did anything to deserve to die. It struck me as imbalanced, and since then, every report of a child being murdered, or abused, or an animal being mutilated for sport has left me confused, and pondering things I don't understand.
I'm sorry if I come off as, well...ignorant. The truth is, it's been hard for me to find information on even some of the basics of Buddhism that's written in a matter I can understand. a lot of internet resources seem to assume you're coming in with some sort of back knowledge and I get lost halfway through trying to find information or answers for myself.
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Comments
I like this site (in general, not just this link):
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm
One thing about the "K" word is it is oft used nowadays, like a buzzword by people who mostly have no idea of what they are talking about. Personally I try to avoid the use of it where possible. That's just me, though, YMMV.
I am sure that one or many of the other kind folks on this site will weigh in as to their use/understanding of it, and their personal experiences. There are many on here that are very savvy.
At any rate, I wish you luck in your beginning path!
But on another Buddhist website I used to visit a lot, there was a very strong belief that karma was a force outside of yourself.
We had a thread discussing what the Buddha said class of phenomena were not the results of our actions. He said, weather and random crime were not the result of our actions.
The Buddha chastised 3 views that were held by the priests of the day. He said all 3 were wrong.
"There are priests...who hold this teaching: 'Whatever a person experiences — that is all caused by what was done in the past.'
There are priests...who hold this teaching: 'Whatever a person experiences — that is all caused by a supreme being's act of creation.'
There are priests...who hold this teaching,: 'Whatever a person experiences — that is all without cause & without condition.'
He said all 3 were wrong.
He also recommended to not speculate as to what the results of karma is. AKA the child abuse example you gave, otherwise "Whoever speculates about these things would go mad & experience vexation." Just like you are now. The Buddhist teaching on Karma concerns your actions.
(Actually by all accounts all the dwelling and obsessing and fretting I've done has just made me stressed and cranky which by all accounts is making me a meaner person, which seems counter-indicative to say the least.)