[Robert]

Once upon a time... I was walking across a large parking lot. I had just parked my car and was walking to the shopping mall. I forget what I was buying that day, but that is not important to the story. What I do remember is that I was chewing some gum that had long since lost its flavor. I was also pondering Karma, the law of cause and effect. Karma is the belief that there is some cosmic principle, universal law, that when one does good, good things will happen in return, and when one does bad, bad things will happen. For some reason this got me thinking about how some inconsiderate people will spit their gum on the ground, not caring about the grief this action will cause the person who later steps on it. Several times it was me who stepped on the gum. I had memories of scrapping this germ infested wad of spit-soaked garbage off from the bottom of my shoe. It is really disgusting as many of you are probably aware. How could anyone do such a thoughtless, inconsiderate act. I might have even been frowning at the time. Then a thought came to me, an idea; I thought it was brilliant!

I tilted my head back, gave a good inhale, and I spat that gum out into the middle of the parking lot. It was in the middle of a walkway where, surely, someone would eventually step on it. Was I a hypocrite? Was I inconsiderate? Had I become my own worst enemy??? No! I was simply a scientist conducting an experiment. I created a cause and was looking for the effect. I had done bad and surely must be punished. That is, if there is a Law of Karma, I had just tilted the scales to the bad and things were out of balance. I was sure I would step on some gum that day. Probably as I walked back to my car. But that didn't happen.

I didn't step on any gum that day. Or the next day, or the next. In fact, I had forgotten entirely of that incident after a week or so had passed. Then, one morning I was walking to my car to drive to work. I unlocked the door. As I opened my door and stepped to the side I felt my right foot slide ever so slightly. I was momentarily confused. But when I looked down, suddenly, a flood of memories came rushing back into my consciousness as I realized what had just happened. I had just stepped onto a mound of dog feces.

--Robert

[Omni]

This wasn't a case of Karma. It was just a dog conducting an experiment.

[jeffprice]

I don't mean to be a naysayer, or to discredit your experience or beliefs, but your situation is very similar to the belief that bad things come in threes. However, if I believe that bad things come in fours, I will restart the count when I reach four instead of three like everyone else, thereby confirming my beliefs. Life tends to conform to our preconceived notions.

In your situation, if given enough time, good / bad karma will always work out the way you expect because you are focused on the expected outcome.

[kennap]

I was drawing at the bar I work at and the man next to me asked me to draw myself. I started making a realistic self-portarit, he said "no no no thats not you" i said do u mean u want me to draw how i feel? so i drew me in a more abstract way making my eyes and head very large and curiuos, and energetic looking. He said "no no thats not you" so i made the next one more abstract, it was a girl with big heels.(im a dancer and 6'in painful heels are part of the uniform) He circled the shoes and said "these are the shoes, but this isn't you" I was getting frustruted, i told him "i can't draw me all on one page theres too much to me that's why i have tons of sketchbooks and paintings. There are too many types of me to even draw if i had all the paper in the world." he went on to tell me that I am more than how i percieve myself. I was like duh, thats what I'm trying to tell you. I asked him more questions "is everybody like that or just me? are you like that?" he said yes. Then he went on to tell me about andy warhol, it turns out the old man was one of andy's best freinds (i live in pittsburgh) he told me about how andy was like that, but andy was also even more. How there is a truth through art that is greater than even the artist. He said he could tell that my purpose wasnt money, but for truth. He said that made me greater than anyother person at the bar.
"but everyone is equal" i said
"no they aren't do you see anyone else draw as good as you?'"
"chloe draws"
" it's one thing to make pretty pictures its another to make true art"
"but im sure these other people have differnt skills, i mean chloe is a better dancer"
"she's doing it for money and attention"
"but shes still a good person these are all good people what difference does it make who's better when we are all good?"
"people think less of themselves than they really are, you are you. draw you"
it felt like electricty in my hands buzzing like when in deep mediation. I sketched out me from the papers point of veiw, like a mirrior. It was very fast and not deatailed. The mirrior-perspective i had used before to make 'pretty pictures' but it was differnent that time becuz of what it meant. it stood for: the perceptions we have (all the mental images) are less than are actual selves who have the perceptions. And when the actual self partakes in its own perceptions that is even greater. My art teacher had always told me that the art is greater than the artist, i thought that was just his personal veiw that could not work for me. I realized it meant more than that, that it was actaually a pardox. My actual self is greater than my art, but when i reflect my actual self into art it makes the art greater, and myself. i dont know which is greater, its the uncertainty principle. The alws governing our fundamental exsistence in some twisted way reveal themselves in our everyday exsistence.

[undef00]

Robert,

Reading your stories/questions/answers(?) is certainly very(!) amusing - keep on going - while time passes by I'll have read all of your stories - other "stories" than yours (sorry: I just got aware of the pub and anything posted in here is quite amusing) in here mostly lack entertainment- and I will let you know sometimes what I think about it somehow ....

Best reagrds,

undef00

[undef00]

Ever tried to shake your hand for lets say 5 minutes continously without having real need? Sure it might not hurt but sure it is unpleasant. The chewing gum might stick on the ground for months but only distrubing you once. Both things might seem unpleasant but humans aren't going to such things if not forced by their brain. We may discuss this topic further as I'm coming bit after bit..

[harmonygirl]

maybe stuff just happens? Can't we see cause and effect wherever we want? some people belive our entire existence is celestially written, others believe other things. I have struggled with our notion of good and bad for a while. I think they are societal constructs. Most organized religions say (in effect) be a good person, you'll get a reward (otherwise known as the "carrot") but is goodness or badness inherent? Don't we behave as we do, according to nature and allow society to judge? (taking an extreme example) is a psychopath killer bad, or simply misfiring synapses?

[baudrunner]

A psychopathic killer is bad, and his synapses are firing. HG, if you don't understand what's right at your age..

The fact is, we can actually force the alteration of our DNA in many ways - through behavioural modification for example. Our DNA is not the same at our death as it is at our birth. Over the average lifetime it undergoes many changes that are subtle but noticeable when a smear is done to compare. Diet, upbringing and other environmental inlfuences, evolution is the manifestation of these things. It is an ongoing process, not exclusively determined by conception.

Do what you feel like doing HG, but you understand the consequence of your actions. If you don't, you don't belong in society.

[harmonygirl]

Does a psychopathic killer deserve prison or medical attention? That is what I am trying to get at. Is he or she "bad" or simply suffering from medical abnormality that decrees that he or she act contrary to society's best interests? And if the latter case, can he or she really be considered bad (as opposed to sick, or mentally ill)? My point is that he or she may not understand the consequences of his or her actions. I have lived many different experiences, and so understand that good and bad are relative to the society and culture you're in. I'll ignore the crack about my age, I'm perfectly happy to be who I am...
I'm not sure I understand about the changing nature of DNA, if it is that simple, how is it so widely used as a basis of evidence for identification, conviction and exhoneration?

[ANDY J]

Originally Posted by harmonygirl Does a psychopathic killer deserve prison or medical attention? That is what I am trying to get at. Is he or she "bad" or simply suffering from medical abnormality that decrees that he or she act contrary to society's best interests? And if the latter case, can he or she really be considered bad (as opposed to sick, or mentally ill)? My point is that he or she may not understand the consequences of his or her actions. I have lived many different experiences, and so understand that good and bad are relative to the society and culture you're in. I'll ignore the crack about my age, I'm perfectly happy to be who I am... I'm not sure I understand about the changing nature of DNA, if it is that simple, how is it so widely used as a basis of evidence for identification, conviction and exhoneration?

You could have three types of bad, plain evil for the pleasure of it, medically bad cant help it or animal bad to thick to know any different or any combination of them in any degrees, the best anyone can do is judge and administore treatment and or punnishment.
As for kama i think it is not so much getting paid back for what you do more having a positive attitude attracts positive feed back which in turn helps all aspects of our lifes and brings real physicle, emotional and spiritual benefits eg if you are a misserable git you will find it hard to sell anything to anyone.