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Should I not feel happy or sad, be timid or outgoing, positive or negative??
Hi,
I'm a little confused about reaching an inner equilibrium and karmic balance and such. Is our goal to become completely emotionless? Is this how we reach inner peace?
Should we neither build or destroy, aid or sabotage?
I know the answers are within me but I would like to hear your perspective .
Thanks
I'm a little confused about reaching an inner equilibrium and karmic balance and such. Is our goal to become completely emotionless? Is this how we reach inner peace?
Should we neither build or destroy, aid or sabotage?
I know the answers are within me but I would like to hear your perspective .
Thanks
0
Comments
The answer to your question is in the suttas and Elohim has answered it in answering NorvanaNoob: training is the way and the goal:
MN14
Does it matter whether the decison to help someone came from an emotional/intellectual/instictive mindset or from my consiousness?
Is wanting to help a human quality?
If I want to do good without recieving anything in return is it not a greater part of my being that chooses to do this?
Do we not generate negative energy/karma if we come about situations where we are capable of helping others but we neglect to do so?
You pose some very good questions.
What if you see someone needing help and you refuse to help them. What does your gut tell you? Most of the time I bet there is a twinge - and why is that? Could be that our inaction is creating negative karma. It's tough to say. Although, you will probably find that the more you follow the teachings of the Buddha - the apt you will become at wanting to show more compassion to everything around you.
There are lots of great discussions about karma on this site if you want to do a search on them. Karma can cover a lot of area - especially depending on the flavor of Buddhism that you follow.
But, generally speaking, getting rid of negative karma and creating positive karma is not going to hurt you in the least. Some thoughts are that by getting rid of negative karma and creating positive karma - you move yourself closer towards enlightenment.
But, some flavors of Buddhism also teach that you are not only responsible for your own karma in this life, but your negative karma in previous lives and, even in some case, responsible for the karma of your parents!
You should dig around here in the threads and see what you come up with - although I'm sure others will pop on here to provide more information.
Nice to meet you.
-bf
Truth is I have little knowledge about the beliefs on Karma. Luckily, there is plenty of info on this site as you mentioned.
All the best!
At the risk of perhaps splitting hairs, or confusing the issue further, the term "belief" is a bit of a red herring insofar as Buddhist doctrine is concerned....
The buddha himself, in the KalamaSutra, encouraged all listeners, followers or students of any philosophy or creed, to thoroughly examine the information given from all sides. Thoroughly, completely minutely and to the utmost of their ability. Then, and only then would they have one of three options:
The first, to completely accept this "Truth" as something they would live by and accept.
The second, to lay it aside and to reject it as their own, all the while respecting the right of others to pursue it as they feel appropriate and
The third, to simply lay it aside, and try not to waste time pondering it, if a conclusion cannot be arrived at....
The Buddha further gave four such issues as "Imponderable" by the unenlightened mind.
This was not to denounce all unenlightened minds as simple, stupid, dull or incapable. It was merely to point out that some things just lead to constant thinking and re-thinking with no clear answer, and could drive you nutz!!
"In Buddhism there are four imponderables," adds Walsh. "these are four things that you can’t fathom, and they are: 1)origination, or how the universe began; 2) causation or karma, how things are caused; 3) the scope of the mind of the Buddha; and finally, 4) the power of the fully concentrated mind. Apparently, a fully concentrated mind has awesome power at its disposal."
from here although I' know there is much reference available to these elsewhere.
To conclude then, for the most part, in Buddhism, it's not "come and believe", but "come and see for yourself" - or as my signature has it: Ehi passiko!.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the added info. I love the quotes in your sig.
Take care!
Where abouts in Canada are ya? I'm living in Toronto at the moment. Pleasure meeting you!
I'm about as far east in Ontario as you can get, just on the border with Quebec, in a lovely farming community, although I was actually born and raised in Montreal. It's great to meet another Canadian (or at least someone living in Canada, in case you're not actually Canadian...), and living in Ontario, too! It sure is a small world, although I wouldn't want to paint it.
Kick off your shoes and make yourself at home. There is a massive wealth of Buddhist resources here if you just feel like reading. If you feel like talking or asking questions please feel completely free. You'll probably get a whole bunch of different answers but variety is the spice of life, right?