Can someone be a Buddhist but not believe in Karma?

Question

I was appalled by someone who supposedly believed in karma because he told me if you suffer you deserve it. I asked him what about the slaves who suffered he said in their past life they were racists, so now they incarnated to be slaves. Ever since that talk I was against the idea of karma. But does karma really mean this? Or is it a bit better understanding it as a system of justice where if you suffer its bad, but your enemies will be punished in the end (afterlife?)

Buddhist teachings are full of love yet Karma isn't something I find attractive. Because honestly some of the best people suffer hard.

Answer 1

Karma means 'action'. You can't not believe in action. That doesn't make sense. Every movement, every thought, everything occurring is action. So atheist or theist, Buddhist or Christian, you can't not believe in 'karma'.



And by the way, Buddhism is a branch of Sanatana Vedic Dharma, aka Hinduism, along with Jainism and Sikhism. By asking a stupid question you are showing that you wish to discard everything you can't understand. You are not a real Buddhist then. Stop wasting time. And by the way, just because you were appalled does not mean it was not reality LOL. It is called the 'harsh truth'. It is a very famous and commons saying that the truth is bitter. Because it is. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean he was saying something dumb and wrong. It IS indeed true - YOU tell me why we are suffering, child. If GOD has created everyone in equality and is merciful, YOU tell me why one person is in extreme misery and poverty and another is not? Because solely YOUR ACTIONS decide it. GOD does not decide to enjoy taking bliss in your crying, oh lost one. What, you could not bring yourself to believe that the slaves' actions brought them the misery? What kind of an idiot are you? It is precisely YOU such people who ignore GOD and what HE has taught us to live life like, in a nice way without committing sins and doing wrong actions to the best of our abilities, and then people like you do those wrong actions, suffer, and then blame GOD. How pathetic is that? YES the slaves did wrong actions and THAT IS WHY THEY ARE SLAVES. THEY ARE NOT SLAVES BECAUSE GOD IS BORED, LIKE YOU EVIDENTLY ARE.



KARMA means ACTION. And EVERY ACTION has an EQUAL, AND OPPOSITE REACTION. This is also a concept taught in physics, Newton's law. There, you have 'scientific' proof if that's what you wanted. So only a bad action will bring a bad result.



'Karma isn't something I find attractive, Buddhism is love'. Child, Buddhism comes FROM Hinduism. It is a branch of Hinduism. Instead of standing against the true concepts, stand against the western religions of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, which are misled and wrong. 'Some of the best people suffer hard' - Buddhists accept the concept of reincarnation and rebirth. Good deeds in this life does not mean good deeds were done in the past life.



Just because you don't like something, doesn't mean you can discard it like a fool. We know that poison is bad, so you can't discard that idea and consume poison anyways. Well, not the best analogy, but still sends the point to you that you not liking an idea doesn't falsify that idea. What are you, GOD? If anything, you are a disgrace to Buddhism. You cannot be a Buddhist if you are 'appalled' and against the very CORE of all Sanatana Vedic Dharmic religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism), which is KARMA = ACTION.





@Greyhound - learn proper research before making retarded claims. Buddhism was created FROM Hinduism, and karma does not in ANY WAY go against it. What are you retards talking about? Does anyone here even flipping know what karma is?? Karma means ACTION. You cannot NOT believe in KARMA.

It's very odd that you people think you will not be paid for your actions, that you can get away doing wrong things or not be rewarded for doing good. It's also very sad that an atheist knows more than you, greyhound.





And to everyone else who thinks Buddhism doesn't believe in GOD - this is wrong. In fact, Buddhism was created purposely by GOD so that people could focus more on the meditative aspect of HINDUISM. We are beautiful, united religions. Just because westerns mess up the concepts of karma and start using it in random and inappropriate contexts, doesn't mean true Easterns must be afflicted by this. All you people are so lost. You do not have the proper means of research. Just let go, idiots, and go do Om Meditation. No questions asked.

Answer 2

Karma is actually originally a Hindu concept, not a Buddhist one. As a matter of fact, the very idea of Karma goes against Buddhist teachings.

Answer 3

No. Karma is central to Buddhism. You'll have Westerners pretending to be Buddhists or thinking they approve of Buddhism because they have some white-washed version of Buddhism in their heads.



Reincarnation is imaginary. What you've noticed is one of the problems with believing any kind of 'cosmic justice' exists (whether it's karma or a judging god). Blaming people for their own misfortune. If you want justice, then we have to work towards it ourselves, rather than make excuses that some god or supernatural force is already taking care of it.



Why do you need supernatural trappings for a compassionate ideology? Humanism values empathy without any of the superstitions you find in religion that end up undermining their stated values.

Answer 4

Answer is; no. In order to call yourself a follower of a religion or philosophy, you have to believe in their teachings.



@Greyhoundfd : Yes, it's true that Karma is a Hindu concept, but Buddhism originated from Hinduism, Siddhartha Gautama (a Hindu prince) was the creator of the philosophy.

Answer 5

Sorry Buda is a false prophet, There is NO, Karma, No" second chance, this is it slick

you decide here. whom you will serve.

All the little self deceptions & self justifications aside, mess this up, while given a multitude of opportunity's to come home were given to you, with warnings, with instructions, with your Father actually appearing on Earth to help you. Making up "oh well I'll do better next time ", doesn't count.

Even from a purely logical Or psychological base just wouldn't cut it, would it. Yes ? yes.

Answer 6

what is a Buddhist?

a Buddhist is who follow the teachings of the Buddha.



what did the Buddha taught?

the law of dependent origination - the law of kamma.



what is kamma?

cause and effect.



imo whoever cannot accept cause and effect is simply not sane enough.

whatever you do, you know, it's in your mental system. the universal system is causality, in which all your actions are recorded. i.e. the universe is the mega harddrive.