Expert: Justin Choo - 3/7/2010

Question
QUESTION: I got a childhood friend aged 50 and was afflicted with kidney problem 8 years ago. Prior to this he suffered a stroke and from there on he has been suffering without end, and lately afflicted with osteoporosis and may need surgical treatment that is costly. Being poor and suffered, does it seem to relate to any karma or was it purely science when the body organ just failed to function out of disease. Which standpoint do u relate to for any person for the matter that face calamity, science or karma of past lives?

ANSWER: Hi Piow,

Kamma may be the cause of most things in a person's life, but we should not surrender ourselves to this perception that we deserve to suffer or we deserve to enjoy purely based on kamma.  Kamma is one of the 5 cosmic laws that govern our lives.  The other four are related to genes, environment, natural phenomena, and the consciousness.

To clearly understand kamma, we need to also understand "rebirth." The Buddhist concept of "rebirth" is where the life-stream of consciousness passes from one life to another, carrying the storehouse of kammic energy with it. What the previous life (or lives) had done, the present life or future lives will have to experience the good and/or bad results or retributions. We can put the blame on the actions of the previous life (or lives), but we cannot condemn the present life for what it is. The present life is just an extension of this life-stream continuum.

Just to use common sense, if you suffer now, you wouldn't want others to condemn you that you deserve it because of your past kamma. You know that you did nothing wrong in this life. So it is just unfair to blame the person, in this case, you.

Understanding the concept of kamma helps us to understand why certain people have to suffer a lot without apparent reasons. It is not a concept for us to put blame on the person, or just to surrender ourselves to kamma.

We should at all times take positive actions to solve whatever problems or ill-health that befall us, irrespective of whether they are caused by kamma or not.

Hope this helps.

Justin Choo

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your early reply, as mentioned we should take positive action to solve the problem present or yet to be presnt as a precautionary move, what and how shoud a lay person lead his dail;y life to circumvent any onset of future calamity before it arises. Rather than allowing things to happen beforehand, is there any tasks that need to be undertaken to prevent the occurence of the effect of our past life that is about to happen. Likewise the question number 2 is when the calamity has occurred or 'strike' a person, what should that particular do and how should his family memebers and close friend assist in the damage control processes.
Please reply as i am interested in helping my friend to overcome his present condition that seem unbearable for him . Does he just accept the condition and let life burn itself out.Would u recommend any specific ritual for the matter metta  kindness medidation or setting free of caged animals to alleviate his suffering, u advise please.

Answer
Hi Piow,

This is a delicate issue.  It calls for sound counselling from experienced experts, be they spiritual teachers or professional counsellors.  I am not one of them.  I have commented before that it is easy to give advice but the effectiveness is questionable.  

"what and how shoud a lay person lead his daily life to circumvent any onset of future calamity before it arises?"
We can never know what would happen to us in the future.  For a Buddhist, he would make effort to live a wholesome and harmless life.  The natural laws of attraction works in this way.  If the person is evil, hateful and aggrassive, this person will attract all the negative vibrations of life, paving the way for sickness, and other calamities.  If a person is wholesome, kind, ever-forgiving, and pleasant, then this person will attract positive energies bringging him good health and happiness.  We can forget about our past kamma which we have no control.  Straighten our lives right now, and we will have less problems.  The Buddha advised us to follow the dhamma, and the dhamma will protect us.  Dhamma here simply means living a harmless and caring life.  

As for helping your friend, if he is interested to read more about Buddhism, you can give him some Buddhist books to read.  I would never tell him that it's his bad kamma that he is in this situation.  We may be wrong.  For sure this statement will be very insensitive and will hurt anyone's feelings.  A friend in need is a friend indeed.  What he needs is your sincere presence by his side and your compassion and assurance that has a very sincere and caring friend by his side.

"Does he just accept the condition and let life burn itself out."  
Of course, NO.  He may accept his conditions, but as long as he has a fighting chance to survive, he should strive for a cure.  If there is really no hope whatsoever, then what can I say?

This is life.  Life is like that!

Take care.

Justin Choo