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Mr. Yanniru wrote:
Karma is like classical physics- very deterministic. But my concept of God is more like quantum physics- there is an elemant of freedom, of luck, of coincidence- which is more akin to western religion than Buddhism.
First of all, just as I claim above, your thinking is rooted in cause and effect. That is pure classical physics, just as I said, where everything is deterministic. Science no longer believes this to be true. So we significantly differ on our thinking on what science is.
Science is no longer just classical physics. Classical physics of course applies to macroscopic phenomena controlled by F=MA, but in my opinion it is very unlikely to apply to a subtle, undetectable guiding force like the mystic law or god, or anything similar in between.
Follow-ups:
I would like to clear-out and clarify the functions about the Law of karma , in which most poeple think of it as a negative one as something as bad image. And of course, i want to clarify the law of causality that has taught in Buddhism and in the science as well. This is also a continuation about Karma which i posted below.
Inevitably we must bear the consequences of our actions. Thus, in Buddhism taught us that we are held responsible for our happiness and unhappiness.The teaching based on the consistency between cause and effect, is an extremely a reasonable one. But we should not simply resign ourselves to merely realizing that we are the ones responsible for the effects we are presently experiencing.
Generally speaking, one can't deny that words such as karma or destiny have as sort of a defeatist ring to them. We may hear poeple say such things as " This is my destiny " or " i have such heavy karma ". But these statements aactually result from a mistaken undersatnding of karma.According tom the doctrine of karma, many of our present day circumstances are a result of causes we have formed in the past. It follows the, that we bring about the karma we want to have by creating the appropriate causes through our present actions.
Karma comes into 2 varieties, mutable and immutable.Immutable karma is that which cannot be changed, whom Mr. Yanniru had said it very deterministic. However, with regard to immutable karma, Nicheren Daishonin(1222-1282) states in his writings " On Prolonging Life ", "Sincere repentance will eradicate even immutable karma, to say nothing of karma which is mutable". Here Daishonin specifically refers to the kind of immutable karma that determines the lenght of an individuals life. The other types of immutable karma, which refers to that which is fixed or determined. In the case of immutable karma, it doesn't apply only to the lenght of one's life. Immutable karma is karma for which the time and nature of the manifest effect are set. In contrast, there is no fixed time or way in which the effect resulting from mutable karma will occur, as what had said by Mr. Yanniru that is based on chance.
Actually, there are several aspects regarding the concept of immutable karma. Good and bad Karma exist in various forms, and, concerning the time lag before we experience the effects of our karma, it doesn't neessary follow that the effects of causes we formed in a previous existence will be experienced during this lifetime. Buddhism divides immutable karma into 3 types, according to when the effects of that karma will be felt. These are: karma that appears in this lifetime, karma that manifest itself in the next existence, and karma that aappears in a still laterm existence.
An action can produce either immutable karma, which yeilds a result occuring at a definite time and in a definite manner or mutable karma., which has no fixed time or way of appearing. What determines whether a particular action will produce immutable karma or mutable karma. As mentioned before, Buddhism describes both good and bad karma.It also explains that through our strong determination and repeated practice, especially practice based on great virtue, we can create good immutable karma. Buddhism teaches that every ones's situation is a direct result of the causes they have made in this and all previous existences(life being eternal throughout past, present and future). Thus all people have the luck or lack of it they deserve. This too sound pessimistic, however, were it not for the Buddhist teaching of " changing one's destiny "(shukumei tenkan)
Shuku of shukumei means " that which dwells" and "mei" means "in one's life". And what dwells in one's life is KARMA, accumulated causes and their attendant effects from aeons( equals to 16 million years) of existences. Of course this karma is not only bad, as we can see in the case of the person who has consistent good luck. Karma can also be good. But it is bad karma that must be eradicated and changed if Buddhism is to be proved a valid religion for modern man.And of course Buddhism teaches us the way to eradicate the effects from past bad causes and is to create even greater positive causes in this lifetime.
The law of cause and effect expounded in Buddhism encompasses scientific causality, as in which also used in reference to the realm of science as example by Mr. yanniru as it applies to physics or psycology. Causal principles in the realm of physics are laws abstracted from physical world.
Today,in micrcospic realm of quantum physics, causal relationships become a matter of statistical probability. And cause and effect in psycology refers to causalm paterns discovered in the workings of human psyche. In contarst, the law of causality taught in Buddhism is not limited to either the physical or mental realm but refers to causes and effects at works in the depths of LIFE ITSELF. That is BUddhism uncovers causes and effects imprinted on the inner realm of LIFE that are turn expressed in the workings of both body and mind.
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