Karma and Sharon Stone
The fallout from Sharon Stone's "karma" comment continues. If you missed it, last week in Cannes the actress said,
And the answer is, no. Earthquakes don't happen to people because they've been naughty. In particular, the idea that schoolchildren would be crushed in an earthquake because of the actions of their parents' government has no place in Buddhism.
To clarify a bit further, we should look at what the word karma means. Theravada scholar Walpola Rahula wrote in What the Buddha Taught,
Now, the Pali word kamma or the Sanskrit word karma (from the root kr to do) literally means 'action', 'doing'. But in the Buddhist theory of karma it has a specific meaning: it means only 'volitional action', not all action. Nor does it mean the result of karma as many people wrongly and loosely use it. In Buddhist terminology karma never means its effect; its effect is known as the 'fruit' or the 'result' of karma (kamma-phala or kamma-vipaka).
Karma, the Ven. Rahula continued, has nothing to do with moral justice or rewards and punishments. In Buddhism there is no God to act as cosmic judge; there is simply action and reaction; cause and effect. The fruits of karma arise naturally from our volitional acts. Actions intended to cause harm will cause harm. This is not exactly mysterious or supernatural.
For example, as a result of her hurtful remarks about the Sichuan earthquake, Ms. Stone has lost lucrative contracts with Dior. The remarks were a volitional act (karma), and the loss of income for Ms. Stone was a result. However, since karma is created by thoughts as well as deeds, let's not wish her further ill.
See also "Karma and Rebirth."
Photo Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Comments
please do not comment on karma as long as you don’t understand it and you fully understand only when you are a Buddha. It still might or might not be karma but you can not judge it. Every sentient being experiences consequences of karma and thats exactly the reason to have compassion with every single sentient being.
The Hong Kong Cable New actually gives a full unedited film clip interview on their website: http://www.i-cable.com
You can hear that she actually swears in the public, using rough language that cannot be broadcasted in prime time news (the swearing was edited out for public consumption).
Freedom of speech had been downgraded to freedom of swearing in this case.
Y Chan, thank you for the link.
Barbara, you’re absolutely right. Sharon Stone should be ashamed of her comments. It shows her narrow understanding of karma, and sets a bad precedent for Buddhists in the West.
*sigh* I wish there were more non-celebrity Buddhists in the Western World to provide an image to counter the silly ideas Celebrity Buddhists have.
She should not be forgiven, how could anyone made such comments right after so many people got killed in such natural disaster. Take a closer look, thousands of people from different parts of the world were risking their own lives trying to save more people, and she made these horrible, inhuman comments at the same time?!
Buddhism teaching is about a lot of things, such as mercy, love, understanding of suffering, but definitely NOT spreading hatred.
This is a good test for me, even after reading religous books for so many years, msot of them buddhism, I still cannot forgive her, at least for now…
wally — harboring ill will toward anyone creates really nasty karma.
This is a difficult subject. Personally I had many questions because of my own multiple and serious childhood illnesses and too many family tragedies. It can be very great challenge for most of us to come to terms with these mysteries.
There have been some good teachings given on this subject that are accessible for free on the internet in MP3 for listening.
Please see http://www.lamrim.com/venrobina/index.html
Third installment down there is a teaching by Venerable Robina Courtin called “Why Bad Things Happen”. I’ve experienced the teaching of Venerable Robina on many occasions and she is a wonderful teacher.
I hope this brings light, understanding and peace to the minds of many who struggle with these important issues.
I WONDER WHY PEOPLE ARE BASHING SHARON STONE.
WHATS ALL THE GOSIP ABOUT. IS GOOD OR BAD
RIHGT OR WRONG…IDONT KNOW.IS THERE KARMIC ACTION AS A RESULT. I WISH SHARON STONE THE BEST ALTHOUGH I FEEL A CERTAIN ATTATCHMENT TO
I went to a meditation class last night that also teaches buddhism. On the subject of karma they gave the example of a disabled child claiming that the childs disability was the fruit of their karma from a previous life. Is this not the case?
There was simply no positive value in her comment about karma and the Chinese earthquakes. Karma is not based on reward and punishment in the sense that there is some deity or cosmic tally overseeing and ticking up your good & bad deeds for future retribution or reward. It is about cause & effect and definitely stricter.
Mark — first, it’s really important not to think of karma as a reward and punishment system. It’s just cause and effect.
For example, if you accidentally trip and fall down and break your leg, you are not being “punished” for falling down. There’s no moral judgment attached. Karma is like that.
Second, remember that karma is created by a volitional act. I don’t know how a volitional act creates an earthquake, unless there’s a super secret earthquake maker hidden under the Pentagon that we don’t know about.
In order to believe that an earthquake was caused to punish people, you have to believe there’s an agent (like God) causing the earthquake, and that’s not how Buddhism sees things.
The function of karma and rebirth is more difficult to understand. Remember, in Buddhism there is no “soul” or inherent self, so the whole question of what is reborn takes some time to answer.
As simply as I can put it, there is a continuity of karma that is carried over from one life to another, and this karma can have beneficial or harmful results, but the results shouldn’t be thought of as rewards or punishments.
Oh, get off the cross all of you. What she said was what she said. I don’t think she’s led the world view of karma or buddism astray with her shallow comment. . . . maybe she just hates the Chinese? >=)
zuko25,
I don’t mean to dump on Sharon Stone. I wish her well. The point is to set the record straight about karma. It’s what’s called a “teaching moment.”
I think it was karma. The Chinese have been destroying the Buddhist religion for 50 years, and they continue to lie, cheat and torture and rape monks and nuns with cattle prods. I know it is hard to take, but nothing happens without a cause.
Terri, the earthquake was not karma according to Buddhist teaching. It might be karma according to some other religion’s teaching, but not Buddhism’s.
Terri, have you ever been to China?
Do you know Chinese history well?
How can you say”The Chinese have been destroying the Buddhist religion for 50 years”?
As a Chinese,i have NEVER HEARD” cheat and torture and rape monks and nuns with cattle prods”,WHERE DID YOU GET THE NEWS?!!!!!!!!
I hope you can come to China and see how the government help people in the TIBET!!!!!!!!!
Terri:
Well, the Chinese who had lied, cheated and tortured and raped monks and nuns with cattle prods in the past MAY NOT necessarily BE REBORN as human beings in their next lives, not to mention reborn as another group of Chinese to face the Sichuan earthquake. Buddhist teachings do not say that Chinese will be reborn as Chinese, Japanese as Japanese, Jews as Jews, Germans and Germans, human as human or animals as animals. That is why your “karma theory” (and Sharon Stone’s) does not hold.
Please learn more about what the Buddha taught before you spread hatred. It will not do your karma any good.
Kate in China — It is unfortunate the Chinese government blocks a lot of information so that you don’t get the entire story. See “Behind the Turmoil in Tibet” and “Rebellion in Tibet.“
Actually Sharon Stone was quite correct about the earthquake being caused by China’s bad karma as a nation. Burma also has plenty has plenty of bad karma.
See more info on group karma at http://www.sentforlife.com/karma.html
Dave — The information on the site you linked bears no resemblance whatsoever to Buddhist teachings on karma. Note that this is the Buddhism site, and I am here to explain Buddhism. I cannot account for all the New Age nonsense people make up and post on the Web, of course, and you can believe whatever you like. I’m just saying Buddhist teachings on karma don’t work that way.