It's the cycle of life, in many capacities. It's the same thing as 'Mida keneged mida' a measure for a measure. What you do to others will eventually come back to you, good or bad.
Do you believe in Karma?
kar·ma
[kahr-muh]
noun
1. Hinduism, Buddhism . action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation: in Hinduism one of the means of reaching Brahman. Compare bhakti ( def. 1 ) , jnana.
2. Theosophy . the cosmic principle according to which each person is rewarded or punished in one incarnation according to that person's deeds in the previous incarnation.
It may not be a Jewish concept, but we believe in it too.
Think about it. You do something good for someone and something good happens to you unexpectedly.
The same with negative things. Unfortunately, I have noticed that we often get hurt in the exact same way that we hurt someone else. It is harsh, but it makes us realize what our actions really mean to someone.
Only G-d can judge us and punish us for the wrong things that we do. I don't believe it is up to us to decide that things that happen to us are a direct result of something bad that we did. However, we do have to be aware of how our actions affect someone else.
Here is a nice video I like that shows 'What goes around comes around' in a positive way:
"I have noticed that we often get hurt in the exact same way that we hurt someone else."
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I agree with that because that goes with the belief that G-d "punishes" us and every thing that happens is either a punishment or a reward. There are things that happen because it is part of Hashem's plan, nothing to do with our current or past actions. Perhaps the person that hurt you was meant to help you become stronger for a future situation or to help others.
However,I do believe that even (or davka) when no one is watching, what we do does affect us and others. Hashem is always watching and no need, good or bad, goes unseen. Whether we will see the results of those actions in this world or in the world to come, is something we cannot determine.
I don't believe the idea of karma is advocating punishment. You can also argue it shows consequences.
ReplyDeleteIf I pour water down my neck, I get wet.
If I am hurtful to someone, and the Eibishter wants to open my eyes, than doesn't it make sense that I should experience the same thing? That is not punishment; it's teaching me a lesson.
It's almost embarrassing how many times I do something and it comes back to bite me almost immediately, teaching me a lesson.