Karma and Christianity

[Lance & Rite]

The following is a rough draft of some metaphysical thoughts I've been having, primarily it's an analysis of Christianity from an eastern perspective.

To begin with, karma is sometimes defined as action that results in a "conditioning of the self to the material world." The avoidance of generating karma, or shedding it, means to prevent or undo such a burden. I think this is similar to the Christian idea re: "keep yourself unstained by the world".

There is a Taoist concept called "to act without acting" which is similar to some Hindu, Yogic and Buddhist concepts about taking action without generating karma. I think that "turning the other cheek" may be the same idea here, that is, it's an "act without acting" that takes control of a situation without generating karma. To provide a brief overview of the cultural mores and laws of the time, someone could backhand slap someone of inferior stature and it was an insult, but another kind of slap was considered a challenge to a duel. Presumably, someone who slaps you in one way will probably back down when you present the other cheek, or else they will give you an opportunity to fight them in a duel. Assuming you aren't a coward or unable to defend yourself, either way you win at that point. In instances where you can't fight for some reason, moving away is considered acceptable in the bible. Ritual suicide (such as Japanese seppuku) is probably also acceptable from an eastern perspective although suicide is frowned upon in Christianity. The point where these things are similar to each other may be under this karmic analysis.

Another Christian concept is that of anonymous charity. People are encouraged to do charitable things but not in order to receive any reward or to be seen by others, giving anonymously can accomplish that. This expenditure of wealth (wealth being a very likely way to generate "karma") anonymously and not for any self benefit, while causing good fortune for others anonymously would also be an act that doesn't generate and perhaps even ameliorates karma.

Anyone have any further ideas or comments?

 

[PsychoSarah]

If a person believes in karma (demonstrably does not exist beyond when you do nice things for other people, those people often, but not always, feel a desire to return the kindness to some extent), then they can't really view any act of charity as being inherently without some manner of reward. Most people that do commit charitable acts do in fact get something out of it, even if they don't do it with the intention of getting something, and that's a positive impact on their psychological state. Whether one feels guilty for not doing something for others often, or gets joy out of being helpful, being generous will make them happier after the fact.

To be blunt, you'd have to be my sort of weird combination of hating interacting with large numbers of people, hating chore-like labor, while having immense sympathy towards the pain of others, in order to willfully commit small acts of charity and hating the entire experience. Basically, I hate doing the chores, and I hate seeing people in need without doing anything, but my hatred of chores barely exceeds my hatred of seeing others in pain. Not enough to completely discourage me from helping others, but enough that I am always angrier after I do it if it takes more than a few seconds.

 

[FireDragon76]

To begin with, karma is sometimes defined as action that results in a "conditioning of the self to the material world." The avoidance of generating karma, or shedding it, means to prevent or undo such a burden. I think this is similar to the Christian idea re: "keep yourself unstained by the world".

You really have to immerse yourself in Greek and Jewish ascetic thought to understand what being "unstained by the world" is. It doesn't necessarily refer to the material world of creation.

There is a Taoist concept called "to act without acting" which is similar to some Hindu, Yogic and Buddhist concepts about taking action without generating karma.

Wèi wú wèi is a paradoxical statement, since it literally means acting without acting. Chinese and Japanese Buddhism borrowed this concept. It doesn't have much to do with karma necessarily, it has to do with the self and authenticity, in western terms. A close Hindu concept is dharma (which can have many meanings), where a persons karma intersects with their happiness.

Anyone have any further ideas or comments?

Karma is a pretty foreign concept to Christianity. It's not merely about attachment to the material world, it's about actions and consequences determining future actions. And its so mysterious that its said to determine seemingly unrelated events.