Karma, Trayvon, George, and We

I am currently studying various religions for my graduate program at the American Institute of Holistic Theology. In this term I am reading about Buddhism. In Damien Keown’s book, “Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction,” he writes that the “doctrine of karma holds that the circumstances of future rebirths are determined by the moral deeds a person performs in this life.”  (pg.29)

Karma originated in ancient India and was incorporated into many Asian cultures.  Here in the West, the practical understanding of karma is that “what goes around comes around.”

Keown goes on to write:  Not all the consequences of what a person does are experienced in the lifetime in which the deeds are done.  Karma that has been accumulated but not yet experienced is carried forward to the next life, or even many lifetimes ahead.   Certain aspects of a person’s next rebirth are thought of as “karmically” determined.  These include the family into which one is born, one’s social status, physical appearance and of course, one’s character and personality.  What then makes actions good or bad?  From the Buddha’s teaching, it is largely a matter of intention and choice.  (pg 39)

Flash ahead to February 26, 2012, Sanford, Florida; 17 year old Trayvon Martin is visiting family and friends in a Gated Community in the Florida town.  He leaves a convenient market around 7 p.m.   It is raining.  George Zimmerman, 29 years old, lives in the gated community and is part of a neighborhood watch program. He is walking in the rain and believes that Trayvon is a suspicious looking person.  He begins to follow him.  A series of events will lead to the shooting of this 17 year old man and his death.  It will also lead to a life-changing experience for the 29 year old man.  It will lead to a national uproar over the Florida law of “Stand Your Ground” that gives way to defending one’s life up to the point of extermination of the “other” should the one who feels threatened make that assumption (choice).

So here it is; intention and choice.  No one other that those two people were at the scene of the shooting.  No one really knows what happened.  A life was taken and a life was changed.  Whether the change will be a positive or negative aspect to George's life, we will never know.  We will never know how karma will affect Trayon's lives or those of his family and friends.  We will never know if those of us who have experienced this life occurrence will be changed.  How will it affect our karma?  And even if we do not believe in karma, how will we chose to live our lives having seen and witnessed or heard or read about this event?  It happens every day in our world in so many different ways.  The violence is consuming us.

In our Christian tradition we pray, “thy kingdom come.”  And yet, I think not.