How do you measure your life? How much money you have? How many times you smile? How many likes you get on Instagram?
Yesterday a negotiation, or rather I should say a lack of negotiation, cost me $6,000. Disagreements are going to occur. We all have different viewpoints. This was a clear (to me) case of misleading advertising. The other party wouldn’t budge, just “tough luck”. So after being rather upset, I decided that I would take this opportunity to earn “karma points”.
What are karma points? I’m glad you asked! This is a mindset where we make our world a better place.
When you disagree with someone, and feel they have wronged you, do you try to argue with them or get revenge? What if you stepped back, looked at the situation and accepted that they have a different point of view. In many cases, you won’t be able to change the situation, all you can do is increase stress and bad feelings. When that is the case, it may be best to take the high road, accept that you disagree with their viewpoint but accept the situation and move on. This is earning karma points. You are doing good. Feel good about yourself knowing that instead of starting a war, you have accepted the situation.
Other ways of earning karma points are doing things without expecting anything in return. You might shovel your neighbor’s snow. Enjoy the extra exercise and feel good that you have made the life of someone else better.
Much of karma is accepting that we can make the world an overall better place if we stop being so competitive, focus more on happiness and mutual well being instead of selfish benefit.
I’m not advocating being spineless or excessively generous. But if you can afford it, giving can be healthier and better for the world than pressing forward with conflict.
Imagine what the world would be like if everyone, or at least most people, went through life with the attitude of “how can I help you” instead of “how can I benefit”.
I remember an interesting take on this in a talk by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche. It was that part of the evening where the audience gets to ask questions, and this guy commented; "I sometimes think Buddhism and Stoicism are the same as pacificism. Maybe if too many of us do this the world can never get better because some people take advantage?"
Ringu Tulku replied that he was not a pacifist. "If a man slaps me on the cheek I won't turn the other cheek. I will stop him slapping me and bring him to his senses to save him from the adverse karma that his wrong actions will surely generate."
Not to imply in any way that your choice was not "correct".
c.f. Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje, assassin of Langdharma