How Belief in Karma Affects the Handicapped

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Rice Field in Central Thailand

reflections and observations on life and ministry in Thailand, from a Reformed perspective

How Belief in Karma Affects the Handicapped

Wednesday, 05 January 2011 19:00

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“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:1-3 ESV)

Although the above passage is a taken from a conversation between Jesus and his disciples, the disciples’ (mis)understanding of the causation of suffering is shockingly similar to the Buddhist belief in karma.

The basic idea of karma is that you will reap the consequences of everything you do, whether it be good or bad. Those consequences may come to visit you in this life or in a successive reincarnation. And the good and bad things that happen to you now may be the result of something you did in a previous life.

On the one hand, karma sounds like an equitable rule of justice. But how does this belief in karma affect attitudes towards the poor and the handicapped? While Buddhism teaches people to have compassion of all living beings, the belief in karma often leads people to unfavorable conclusions as to “Why” people are in the state that they are.

Watch the following video to see more about how belief in karma affects the handicapped, and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is transforming the lives of those who are beaten down by this belief.

If you can’t see the video above, you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking here.