Nungali Posted January 18, 2021 On 17/01/2021 at 10:04 AM, dmattwads said: Yes I think this is exactly what happened to me, but at the same time like you said I don't feel like I had much choice. My daughter was stuck with her abusive and narcissistic mother and told me that she really wanted to live with me. I had only recently built up my good karma to the level that I had a good job and an adequate amount of money. Her mother was not going to agree to let my daughter come live with me so I had to dedicate my good karma to this purpose. I knew at the time that it was going to set me back but it seemed like the thing to do anyways. Sure enough a little while later I did indeed get custody of her but it wasn't much later that my job and financial (plus spiritual practice) began to suffer. Since then I have spent the past couple years trying to build up my good karma reserves again and just now got hired at a better job. Now that I got a better job I'm sure I'm going to need to build up my good karma reserves again since my spiritual practice has seemed to suffer as well. Aha ! That issue is VERY close to my heart and very familiar . Good on ya ! ( I knew there was a reason I felt to help, I didnt know what it was - but I have learnt to not let little details like that interfere anymore ) . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Posted January 18, 2021 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Nungali said: Aha ! That issue is VERY close to my heart and very familiar . Good on ya ! ( I knew there was a reason I felt to help, I didnt know what it was - but I have learnt to not let little details like that interfere anymore ) . If this is an issue you have strong feelings about I have two other daughters with this same woman that have expressed the same desire to live with me and get away from their mom. I'm still working on this. 😌 **I thought I'd add some special effects to show how this makes me feel Edited January 18, 2021 by dmattwads 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apech Posted January 18, 2021 14 hours ago, liminal_luke said: Karma works in mysterious ways. I shy away from the idea that having money signifies good karma or not having money bad karma. Having money, in my experience, has little to do with deservingness. Some people who have it arguably don´t deserve it, while others who don´t have it do. Some seem to have exactly the right amount. Fortunately perhaps, nobody has put me in charge of divvying out the pie. This suggests an empirical experiment where you send me all your money and we can see if good things happen to you or not as a result. Follow the science!!!! 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwai Posted January 18, 2021 15 hours ago, liminal_luke said: Karma works in mysterious ways. I shy away from the idea that having money signifies good karma or not having money bad karma. Having money, in my experience, has little to do with deservingness. Some people who have it arguably don´t deserve it, while others who don´t have it do. Some seem to have exactly the right amount. Fortunately perhaps, nobody has put me in charge of divvying out the pie. Imho, those with the best karmic results, are the ones who get on the spiritual path. Fraught with trials and tribulations though it may be. Anyone on a genuine spiritual journey is reaping the rewards of good deeds from previous lives. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
forestofclarity Posted January 18, 2021 Well, the whole point of karma is that it doesn't work in mysterious ways. Karma over countless lifetimes may be hard to account for, but the point is that our actions shape us. I see it more along the lines of dreams. If I spend a lot of time watching horror movies, I end up conditioning my mind and sooner or later, I dream about zombies or whatever. Similarly, if I engage in intense spiritual practices, sooner or later I have spiritual dreams. Do I deserve it? Not necessarily, but I have conditioned myself into it. Karma isn't a sentient being, but a natural process as I understand it. 15 hours ago, liminal_luke said: Karma works in mysterious ways. I shy away from the idea that having money signifies good karma or not having money bad karma. Having money, in my experience, has little to do with deservingness. Some people who have it arguably don´t deserve it, while others who don´t have it do. Some seem to have exactly the right amount. Fortunately perhaps, nobody has put me in charge of divvying out the pie. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sketch Posted January 19, 2021 (edited) This thread has given me an earworm. Edited January 19, 2021 by Sketch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Posted January 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Sketch said: This thread has given me an earworm. I think a lot of westerners are uneasy with the idea of Good karma equating to having abundant money and I think it's because Jesus said the love of money is the root of all evil. So therefore in the West we have negative connotations about money versus spirituality and the idea of plenty of money being indicative of Good karma is uncomfortable. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sketch Posted January 19, 2021 22 minutes ago, dmattwads said: I think a lot of westerners are uneasy with the idea of Good karma equating to having abundant money and I think it's because Jesus said the love of money is the root of all evil. So therefore in the West we have negative connotations about money versus spirituality and the idea of plenty of money being indicative of Good karma is uncomfortable. These would be westerners who acknowledge the depraved quality that capitalism has given the issue of wealth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Posted January 19, 2021 Just now, Sketch said: These would be westerners who acknowledge the depraved quality that capitalism has given the issue of wealth. That would be to assume all westerners are capitalists, and all western countries are capitalistic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sketch Posted January 19, 2021 (edited) Just now, dmattwads said: That would be to assume all westerners are capitalists, and all western countries are capitalistic. Not at all. I merely say "acknowledge ". Edited January 19, 2021 by Sketch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted January 22, 2021 I view money as stuck energy. Takes energy to make it, takes energy to spend it. While it's in your wallet, the energy is stuck. I have found that the most unlikely thing happens when you're liberal in spending it for good purposes. The money always seems to be there. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites