Question: According to Buddhism, there are five cosmic orders or processes (niyamas) which operate in the universe as follows:
1. Utu niyama – Physical inorganic order
(E.g. Seasonal phenomena of the elements)
2. Bija niyama – Physical organic order
(E.g. Order of germs and seeds, similar to genetics)
3. Karma niyama – Order of an act and result
(E.g. Un/skilful intentions leading to positive/negative results)
4. Dharma niyama – Order of the norm
(E.g. Natural phenomena occurring at last birth of a Bodhisatta, gravity
and other similar laws of nature)
5. Citta niyama – Order of mind and psychic law
If the karma of a person is expressed through (karma niyama) in interaction with the other four niyamas, it is as if karma niyama is one with them. Why then, did the Buddha teach it as a ‘separate’ niyama?
Answer: There are two possible reasons why this is so, as follows:
1. The other four niyamas can work by themselves in manners such that they do not interact with karma niyama as there is no one’s karma connected. E.g. Bija niyama causes the sprouting of a seed of a small plant in an uninhabited land, which does not affect anyone.
2. Karma niyama can work with one or all of the other four niyamas in various combinations. E.g. Bija niyama (ripening of a fruit here) interacts with karma niyama (negative karma here) and dharma niyama (gravity here) to cause the fruit to fall on and hurt someone’s head. This is also to say that if there is no one which the fruit falls on, karma niyama was is not in action; only bija niyama and dharma niyama were working together.
Related Articles:
Alternative Perspectives on the Relation of Karma and the Tsunamis
http://moonpointer.com/mooncentral/jan05.htm
Appearance as Reflections of Karma
https://moonpointer.com/new/2009/10/appearances-as-reflections-of-karma
Oh I thought it’s just pure bad luck that the apple drop from the tree and hit on you or just terribly unfortunate if one experiences a natural disaster. Hmm, if i really believe in luck, won’t that make me a fatalist rather than a Buddhist? Wow, I must be really lucky to have come across this. :w00t:
If there is such thing as a random force called ‘bad luck’ (that is not based on cause and effect), that can any time overwhelm the opposite ‘orderly’ force of karma, there would be it would meaningless chaos in the universe!
:[[
If we believe in luck, it’s not really fatalist… more of a ‘randomnist’!