Do you know of anyone who has used Karma to justify becoming judge, jury, and executioner?

Karma doesn’t work that way. To use Karma to become judge, jury and execution defeats the very object and foundation of karma.

Agreed @SomNinja A person is not the vessel of karma, so to use karma to justify that behavior is warping it into something it is not, and was never intended to be. By acting in that way, you also pretty much would bleed bad karma.

Probably Mahatma Gandhi and Sidharta Gautama.

I do know people that react with glee when someone gets “what’s coming to them”, and say “karma is a bitch” in a happy sort of way. I’m sure I’ve even been guilty of this myself. In truth, I do think that reaction is bad karma… though I’m not terribly certain I believe in karma in the first place.

@vincentcent
Yes you are correct although actions can appear bad with good intentions and or result. And as pointed out, to the enlightened there is no ill effects of karma.

I believe in probability and making a connection, but not karma.
But yeah, I know a few people, past and present, who draw an importance to the concept of karma. I often wonder if, out of one’s convictions on the matter though, how many really take it seriously.

I mean like, it’s as was mentioned, isn’t stating that what you do comes around basically pissing karma off?

@Symbeline Karma originally meant what you do one life affects successive lives. Therefore if you believe in Karma, you believe in reincarnation.
Thanks to “Earl” I think karma has come to loosely mean “do go things, good things happen”. And why not, if a smile is contagious then perhaps good deeds are contagious as well.

@vincentcent Well, for karma to exist in the respect of good and bad, then something somewhere dictates an absolute definition for right and wrong. What happens if you do something wrong, but you personally think you’re doing good?

@Symbeline
There’s the rub.

@SeventhSense Well if your intent was good, I suppose not much would happen, but you’d have to learn somehow…reminds me of that other thread, about whether or not ignorance is bliss.

also lawl you said “rub”

@Symbeline
In a strictly Buddhist sense it’s too complex to figure out and in trying you just create more so it’s best to release attachment.
my karma ran over my dogma

@Symbeline perhaps it is best to be all in or all out.