Karma Police
I rarely check MySpace (although not as rarely as I update LiveJournal), but today when I did, I found an interesting post from a friend about Karma; or more specifically, an experiment he's either conducting or participating in, relating to Karma.
The whole article is here, if you want to read it:
KARMIC CYCLE EXPERIMENT - I NEED YOUR HELP!
Category: Blogging
Can One Good Deed Change the World?
Human existence is plagued by negative cycles of behavior. Centuries old prejudices are inherited from generation to generation, wars have wracked our planet since the beginning of civilization, abuse and abusive behaviors have been handed down in families to form never ending chains of cruelty.
In ancient Japan, some people once believed that humans were descended, not from apes, but from wolves. Perhaps this theory evolved from an observation of wolf society. Wolf society has much in common with human civilization: they have a strict chain-of-command; each member of the pack is totally reliant on the strength, movement and swift action of the pack - they hunt and live as a team, a social web which determines the destiny of each among the pack. If a wolf is ousted from his or her pack, they must either form their own pack or join another. If a lone wolf doesn’t find a new place among their fellow wolves, it will surely die. It’s just as I write this now that I realize that this must have been the evolution of the domesticated dog - ousted from their own packs, these once lone wolves must have joined human packs and linked their destiny with our own. Wolves and humans are highly social creatures; we live, thrive and multiply with the support of our peers.
We would like to believe that we are independent of the forces of the universe and some would like to believe that we are free of the forces of our own actions, but no body on heaven or earth is truly independent, but interdependent instead. Our motion, our actions are all grounded around our attitudes and the attitudes of those around us; just like the planets in our solar system rotate around the sun. The gravity of positive or negative intentions causes the cycling of our behavior. In the East, this philosophy is referred to as karma, or the "fruit" resulting from one’s actions; you reap what you sow.
As I was drawn outdoors this morning for workout, I noticed our neighbors had left the lights on in their car. I walked around the block and, as I was circling back, I noticed that their lights were still on. I climbed the stairs to their residence and alerted the couple’s children who told their mother. I watched only as their mother descended the stairs towards her car before continuing around the other side of the adjacent street. For a moment, I thought, shouldn’t she know that I was the one to save her the hassle of a dead battery? Am I doing her a disservice by not allowing her to thank me for my conscientiousness? Then it occurred to me that this was a positive karmic cycle in action. To truly reap the rewards of the positive cycle I had set in motion my actions had to remain pure and selfless.
I have decided to embark upon a grand experiment and I invite you to join me in the creation of a positive karmic cycle to encompass the globe with good deeds, selfless acts of kindness and a message of peace and love. If you wish to join me, no money is required. The only thing required is that you commit yourself to one positive, selfless deed a day for (at least) one year - it’s my feeling that, once you begin, you will not want to quit - and spread the word about the experiment, encouraging others to become involved. Remember: a cycle has no beginning and no end; thusly the good deeds that you deposit in your karmic bank are sure to pay dividends unto you.
Just as the heavenly bodies are governed by the laws of physics, your actions should be governed by the laws of karma, which are as follows:
1. Each kind action that you do must be entirely selfless - you may ask for no recognition or repayment of any kind
2. There is no limit to good karma which you may amass - you’re not limited to one good deed a day, there is no maximum
3. While it is great contribute money to a cause, this experiment is meant to affect change on a personal level - you are encouraged to do good for your fellow man in a meaningful and direct way, as face-to-face with interaction as is possible
4. This experiment is meant to add to the goodwill of all humanity, regardless of race, gender, political or religious affiliation, sexual preference and without regard to class or strata of society
5. I encourage you to spread the word of the experiment to as many people as possible to carry the message of peace and good will to all men and women and build a cycle of positive karma to span the globe. Change one life and you change the world.
Furthermore, I invite you to build a community forum based on this experiment. Joining and participating in this community will always be free of charge. I would hope that participants in this experiment share stories of your good deeds and their rewards within your life. I have procured a web domain, www.karmiccycle.org. I am no web designer, but I would like for this to serve a communication portal for all taking part in this human experiment. It would be great to have web banners so that members can declare their intentions to expand the karmic cycle, perhaps even cards that they can print out and hand to those that they do deeds for so that they may continue the cycle of giving.
If you would like to help, here’s how:
1. Join me in making the commitment to perpetuate the karmic cycle and its message around the world. Make a commitment to do one kind and selfless deed a day for one year
2. Spread the word of the experiment to friends and family and those that you aide with your deeds
3. Repost this message so that more may join the experiment
4. I’m not a web or graphic designer, so it would be great if those with more talent create a space for the community and media so that we may spread the message
5. Reap the cosmic karmic reward of your good deeds
Thank you for your support!
P.S. - You may contact me at karmiccycle@live.com
I have a couple problems with this "experiment."
First, let me say, I believe in Karma. Essentially, all Karma is is .... well, cause and effect. Or the idea that actions have consequences. Pretty hard not to believe in that. At least, that's what it is TO ME; obviously, every person and nearly every religion has applied one extrapolation of that principle and interpreted in a certain way. The Golden Rule much. Or the belief in Heaven or Hell, for that matter. Actions have consequence. A rule that's used equally in science as it is in religion. I'm not doubting Karma; I'm not bad-mouthing Karma, or anyone who is into it. In fact, a lot of what was said about the experiment, I totally dig.
Just a couple things bother me.
"To truly reap the rewards of the positive cycle I had set in motion my actions had to remain pure and selfless."
"...the good deeds that you deposit in your karmic bank are sure to pay dividends unto you."
"5. Reap the cosmic karmic reward of your good deeds."
Jesus Fucking Christ, contradictory much?! The whole point of participating in this experiment is to improve the energy of our planet, or some shit like that. You do this by doing random acts of kindness, without hope for reward or recognition.
Just one problem though. Actually, several. The first being, all of those phrases have something in common: the word REWARD. So, the person doing this is enticing people into participating with promises of a reward system. You do this, and you'll get good stuff. SO NOT THE POINT OF KARMA. Doing something to get a reward completely defeats the purpose of the experiment! THE WHOLE POINT IS TO NICE THINGS SELFLESSLY; IT ISN'T SELFLESS IF YOU'RE ONLY DOING IT IN HOPES THAT GOOD ENERGY WILL COME BACK TO YOU.
The second being that, even IF the rewards system was so blatant in the actual wording, it still exists in the premise. The whole point of the experiment is to get people to do nice things "without reward" for a year, in hopes that it will tilt the magical energy balance of the planet in a more positive direction. Sounds great -- who doesn't want this to be a better place, with less hatred and violence? Too bad it's still not selfless; he isn't hoping to make the world a better place just because, he wants to make it a better place SO THAT HE CAN FEEL BETTER. He wants to reap the positive benefits of living in a better world.
I mean, you can't blame him. Who wouldn't? But that's not the point of Karma. You aren't supposed to do nice things because they make the world a better place. Because if you do nice things for that reason, you're benefiting from it; or at least, you're HOPING to benefit, from a better world. AND THE WHOLE POINT IS THAT THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE NO BENEFIT.
And the fact of the matter is, you can't EVER do a nice thing without the hope of some sort of reward. Doing good things is always self-serving, in the end. Kind of a fucked-up paradox, but it's true. That's why there's no such thing as altruism: you can never perform a good deed without the hope of some reward. If you could, NO ONE WOULD DO IT. There is always some degree of personal gain involved, not matter how charitable it seems.
The whole article is here, if you want to read it:
KARMIC CYCLE EXPERIMENT - I NEED YOUR HELP!
Category: Blogging
Can One Good Deed Change the World?
Human existence is plagued by negative cycles of behavior. Centuries old prejudices are inherited from generation to generation, wars have wracked our planet since the beginning of civilization, abuse and abusive behaviors have been handed down in families to form never ending chains of cruelty.
In ancient Japan, some people once believed that humans were descended, not from apes, but from wolves. Perhaps this theory evolved from an observation of wolf society. Wolf society has much in common with human civilization: they have a strict chain-of-command; each member of the pack is totally reliant on the strength, movement and swift action of the pack - they hunt and live as a team, a social web which determines the destiny of each among the pack. If a wolf is ousted from his or her pack, they must either form their own pack or join another. If a lone wolf doesn’t find a new place among their fellow wolves, it will surely die. It’s just as I write this now that I realize that this must have been the evolution of the domesticated dog - ousted from their own packs, these once lone wolves must have joined human packs and linked their destiny with our own. Wolves and humans are highly social creatures; we live, thrive and multiply with the support of our peers.
We would like to believe that we are independent of the forces of the universe and some would like to believe that we are free of the forces of our own actions, but no body on heaven or earth is truly independent, but interdependent instead. Our motion, our actions are all grounded around our attitudes and the attitudes of those around us; just like the planets in our solar system rotate around the sun. The gravity of positive or negative intentions causes the cycling of our behavior. In the East, this philosophy is referred to as karma, or the "fruit" resulting from one’s actions; you reap what you sow.
As I was drawn outdoors this morning for workout, I noticed our neighbors had left the lights on in their car. I walked around the block and, as I was circling back, I noticed that their lights were still on. I climbed the stairs to their residence and alerted the couple’s children who told their mother. I watched only as their mother descended the stairs towards her car before continuing around the other side of the adjacent street. For a moment, I thought, shouldn’t she know that I was the one to save her the hassle of a dead battery? Am I doing her a disservice by not allowing her to thank me for my conscientiousness? Then it occurred to me that this was a positive karmic cycle in action. To truly reap the rewards of the positive cycle I had set in motion my actions had to remain pure and selfless.
I have decided to embark upon a grand experiment and I invite you to join me in the creation of a positive karmic cycle to encompass the globe with good deeds, selfless acts of kindness and a message of peace and love. If you wish to join me, no money is required. The only thing required is that you commit yourself to one positive, selfless deed a day for (at least) one year - it’s my feeling that, once you begin, you will not want to quit - and spread the word about the experiment, encouraging others to become involved. Remember: a cycle has no beginning and no end; thusly the good deeds that you deposit in your karmic bank are sure to pay dividends unto you.
Just as the heavenly bodies are governed by the laws of physics, your actions should be governed by the laws of karma, which are as follows:
1. Each kind action that you do must be entirely selfless - you may ask for no recognition or repayment of any kind
2. There is no limit to good karma which you may amass - you’re not limited to one good deed a day, there is no maximum
3. While it is great contribute money to a cause, this experiment is meant to affect change on a personal level - you are encouraged to do good for your fellow man in a meaningful and direct way, as face-to-face with interaction as is possible
4. This experiment is meant to add to the goodwill of all humanity, regardless of race, gender, political or religious affiliation, sexual preference and without regard to class or strata of society
5. I encourage you to spread the word of the experiment to as many people as possible to carry the message of peace and good will to all men and women and build a cycle of positive karma to span the globe. Change one life and you change the world.
Furthermore, I invite you to build a community forum based on this experiment. Joining and participating in this community will always be free of charge. I would hope that participants in this experiment share stories of your good deeds and their rewards within your life. I have procured a web domain, www.karmiccycle.org. I am no web designer, but I would like for this to serve a communication portal for all taking part in this human experiment. It would be great to have web banners so that members can declare their intentions to expand the karmic cycle, perhaps even cards that they can print out and hand to those that they do deeds for so that they may continue the cycle of giving.
If you would like to help, here’s how:
1. Join me in making the commitment to perpetuate the karmic cycle and its message around the world. Make a commitment to do one kind and selfless deed a day for one year
2. Spread the word of the experiment to friends and family and those that you aide with your deeds
3. Repost this message so that more may join the experiment
4. I’m not a web or graphic designer, so it would be great if those with more talent create a space for the community and media so that we may spread the message
5. Reap the cosmic karmic reward of your good deeds
Thank you for your support!
P.S. - You may contact me at karmiccycle@live.com
I have a couple problems with this "experiment."
First, let me say, I believe in Karma. Essentially, all Karma is is .... well, cause and effect. Or the idea that actions have consequences. Pretty hard not to believe in that. At least, that's what it is TO ME; obviously, every person and nearly every religion has applied one extrapolation of that principle and interpreted in a certain way. The Golden Rule much. Or the belief in Heaven or Hell, for that matter. Actions have consequence. A rule that's used equally in science as it is in religion. I'm not doubting Karma; I'm not bad-mouthing Karma, or anyone who is into it. In fact, a lot of what was said about the experiment, I totally dig.
Just a couple things bother me.
"To truly reap the rewards of the positive cycle I had set in motion my actions had to remain pure and selfless."
"...the good deeds that you deposit in your karmic bank are sure to pay dividends unto you."
"5. Reap the cosmic karmic reward of your good deeds."
Jesus Fucking Christ, contradictory much?! The whole point of participating in this experiment is to improve the energy of our planet, or some shit like that. You do this by doing random acts of kindness, without hope for reward or recognition.
Just one problem though. Actually, several. The first being, all of those phrases have something in common: the word REWARD. So, the person doing this is enticing people into participating with promises of a reward system. You do this, and you'll get good stuff. SO NOT THE POINT OF KARMA. Doing something to get a reward completely defeats the purpose of the experiment! THE WHOLE POINT IS TO NICE THINGS SELFLESSLY; IT ISN'T SELFLESS IF YOU'RE ONLY DOING IT IN HOPES THAT GOOD ENERGY WILL COME BACK TO YOU.
The second being that, even IF the rewards system was so blatant in the actual wording, it still exists in the premise. The whole point of the experiment is to get people to do nice things "without reward" for a year, in hopes that it will tilt the magical energy balance of the planet in a more positive direction. Sounds great -- who doesn't want this to be a better place, with less hatred and violence? Too bad it's still not selfless; he isn't hoping to make the world a better place just because, he wants to make it a better place SO THAT HE CAN FEEL BETTER. He wants to reap the positive benefits of living in a better world.
I mean, you can't blame him. Who wouldn't? But that's not the point of Karma. You aren't supposed to do nice things because they make the world a better place. Because if you do nice things for that reason, you're benefiting from it; or at least, you're HOPING to benefit, from a better world. AND THE WHOLE POINT IS THAT THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE NO BENEFIT.
And the fact of the matter is, you can't EVER do a nice thing without the hope of some sort of reward. Doing good things is always self-serving, in the end. Kind of a fucked-up paradox, but it's true. That's why there's no such thing as altruism: you can never perform a good deed without the hope of some reward. If you could, NO ONE WOULD DO IT. There is always some degree of personal gain involved, not matter how charitable it seems.