Both Hinduism and Buddhism teach that karma is the ironclad law of human existence: what goes around, comes around. Whatever moral energy you put out into the universe — positive or negative — you will then receive a corresponding reward or punishment. In Eastern thought, karma operates not only in this life, but even more powerfully in determining one’s status in the next life.
As one definition explains: The process is automatic, and no interference by the gods is possible.
Karma, then, is inescapable. Think “you reap what you sow” on steroids.
Except, as U2 sings so artfully, grace “travels outside of karma.” Whereas karma hems us in to an unavoidable law of cause & effect, grace in the end gives us better than we deserve. Grace is a gift that transcends our level of performance or accomplishment.
Grace, really, is what allows my level of blessing to be greater than my level of obedience.
When I end up with really good kids in spite of all my failures as a parent, my level of blessing is greater than my level of obedience.
When our church is strong in spite of my lackadaisical prayer life, my level of blessing is greater than my level of obedience.
When God sends people to support me in ministry even when I’ve not always been willing or able to mentor others, my level of blessing is greater than my level of obedience.
When I can celebrate a 25th wedding anniversary even though I’ve often been distracted or disengaged as a husband, my level of blessing is greater than my level of obedience.
When I can have assurance of my eternal salvation (I John 5:13) even when I’m painfully aware of the times I fail to love God with all my heart, my level of blessing is greater than my level of obedience.
All that is why there is no such song as “Amazing Karma.”
I’ll side with grace because I’m so grateful it sides with me.
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I can’t imagine putting my eternal life in the “hands of karma”! If what goes around comes around each and every day would be torture. It seems suicide would be rampant knowing of all the sins we commit and that we will pay for it eternally. I, too, side with His amazing grace!
Beautiful and True…thanks for the reminder.
Kudos on making the Wesleyblog list yet again!
Just for a second let’s look at Karma from a less dire perspective. I am not a Hindu or Buddhist, I case I am a Christian in the ‘traditionally recognized’ sense. Instead of walking around contemplating suicide because we are prone to mistake, which by the way is a tenet in many a Christian denomination, why not suppose we use it as an opportunity to choose, live rightly, more divinely. It is only a limiting agent if you refuse to acknowledge the capacity in man to…posess grace within.
Equality,
I’m not sure I know of any Christian denomination that either overtly or subtly endorses suicide as a response to failure.
I am sure that many are motivated by karmic teaching to do good and to be good.
As far as your last statement . . . I believe that grace comes from the heart of God into the lives & souls of people. I line up with the bible’s witness that we can’t conjure up grace from within; we can only receive it from beyond.
That’s why it’s amazing.
I was not inferring that suicide is a Christian or other goal. My response was centered on the comments of ‘draysult’ which speak of one of the central concerns, from my readings and experiences with some of those in the ‘Christian’ church. The idea that we are less than. Believe what you will, I do not believe THAT. I was concerned that my assertion of internal grace would be misinterpreted. That would be grace with a little “g”. I believe that ALL major and minor religions share common threads. There is too much evidence to ignore this. I am not saying that hey are equal, or anything of the sort, but you cannot ignore similarities amongst them. I was only trying to say that perhaps if we all tried to perhaps see that how we act is returned in kind, perhaps we would act more Buddhist…in the name of Christianity.
Your last sentence is a good thought and provocatively worded.
I still believe that the genius of Christianity is the freedom God has to reward us even beyond our level of kindness. Karma might guarantee some blessings for positive energy; grace promises that much more.
Thanks.
thought provoking discussion. I agree that grace is solely from the Lord, and regardless of how similar to other religions the “fruit” of a Christian’s life is, we are not called to emulate “good” from other religions, but to live as Christ’s ambassadors, and represent His love and character and nature. That in itself is a grace that can only from Him. Peter said that we are partakers of the divine nature. What an awesome privilege. Thank you Jesus!