Karma - Sowing Good Seeds
by Frank Schaefer
Scripture Readings:
Proverbs 11:27 "Whoever seeks
good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it."
Job 4:8 "As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same."
Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows,
that will he also reap"
James 3:18 "And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace
planted by peacemakers"
This is what our conservative
friends at biblereasons.com have to say about karma:
Many people ask is karma biblical and the answer is no. Karma is a Hinduism and
Buddhism belief that says your actions determine the good and the bad that
happens to you in this life and the afterlife. Karma is associated with
reincarnation, which basically says what you do today will determine your next
life."
With Karma you get what you deserve. In Christianity Jesus got what you
deserve." "Grace is the opposite of Karma." You will not find anything
associated with karma in the Bible. But the Bible does talk a lot about reaping
and sowing. Reaping is the result of what we've sown. Reaping can be a good
thing or a bad thing. (http://biblereasons.com/karma/)
However, the biblical metaphors for reaping what you have sown are virtually a
description of Karma! The verses they list following this description are the
ones we just heard read. It's amazing to me to see how these conservative
evangelicals are so narrowly focused on their particular theology that they
don't even make sense anymore. One of the problems of fundamentalism, no matter
where you find it, is a superiority thinking ("My religion is the only true
religion"). In this day and age, such thinking seems so out of place.
I, for one, believe that all religions offer a path to God. As a progressive
Christian, I am excited about what we have in common with other faiths. And if
you look closely, you find that there is much more common ground we share with
other faiths than there are differences.
Talking about Karma, I truly believe that these Scripture passages we heard are
right on. We reap what we sow. And notice these are from various books of the
bible, Old Testament and New. In these verses we are told that the way we live
matters. There is actually no explanation given on how this happens.
So, we can all use our imagination to think of how this karma principle works.
Some believe that it is God who keeps a record of our good and bad deeds and
rewards us accordingly in this life and the next. I think, though, that there is
a simpler explanation. And according to
Occam's Razor, the simplest explanation is
usually the best, right?
I believe that what we do shapes our character. There is a whole school of
psychology, the behavioral approach, that is based on this theory. Mental
patients are rewarded by doing the right things. The more peer groups,
counseling sessions, craft, dialogue group you participate in, the better your
attitude and activities are, in terms of taking your meds, reaching your therapy
goals, etc. the more rewards you get. And the success rate is amazing. By
changing your behavior, you can change your outlook, attitude, and state of
mind. I've seen it in my Clinical Pastoral Education at Philhaven hospital in
Mt. Gretna PA.
Applying this to Karma is just a tiny step from here: as we do good deeds it
shapes our character, our attitude, our state of mind. We become likeable,
respected and trustworthy people in our own minds before other see those
attributes in us. And when others start to see those attributes that we exude,
not only through our behavior, but also through our presence of mind, people
around us will respond in a positive way toward us.
Karma can be explained psychologically. It's amazing how people rally around a
person who they respect for their good character and deeds, when this person
faces a crisis.
Video: A Story about Karma
