Unit 3 of the course discussed about bad luck and potentially 'supernatural' power behind the scene that governs it. People justified the unexplained incidents in their lives by claiming that they are the result of supernatural powers. In Buddhism and Hinduism, followers attribute exalt or sorrow of life humongously to Karma.
Karma literally means action or doing. Any kind of intentional action whether mental, verbal, or physical, is regarded as Karma. It covers all that is included in the phrase "thought, word and deed". Karma is the law of moral causation. The theory of Karma is a fundamental doctrine in Buddhism. This belief was prevalent in India before the advent of the Buddha.
As we sow, we reap somewhere and sometime, in his life or in a future birth. What we reap today is what we have sown either in the present or in the past. It is this doctrine of Karma that gives consolation, hope, reliance and moral courage to a Buddhist. When the unexpected happens, and he meets with difficulties, failures, and misfortune, the Buddhist realises that he is reaping what he has sown, and he is wiping off a past debt. Instead of resigning himself, leaving everything to Karma, he makes a strenuous effort to pull the weeds and sow useful seeds in their place, for the future is in his own hands.
Karma serves as a deterrent for people from commiting sins, while to a discerned wise person, it serves as an incentive to do meritoriuos deed. He or she becomes kind, tolerant, and considerate. Hence from the karmic perception, there is no supernatural power whatsoever meddling with your luck.
I really like your last paragraph. In Greek mythology, the story of Oedipus tells us that man cannot escape his fate, and the story of Silenus also tells us that people's fate is determined by their own cause, but this story also tells another truth, our attitude can determine our own destiny. I don't believe in destiny, but I do believe in karma.
Karma is indeed science. The theory of causal and effect is identical to Law of Newton, where it says " forces once generated cannot be destroyed but to be transformed ". Hence, once you created a deed, you will bear the consequence. In a way, karma construes Newton's Law.
I do agree that karma is an incentive for us to be kind,tolerant and considerate. But I don’t understand why there is still many people committing sins but receiving no bad results or even they live better life than those tolerant and kind people. I once read a book saying,God will bring those kind people into heaven as compensation but won’t let bad guys in as punishment. I don’t believe in that.What’s the point of getting into heaven if we cannot live happily for the time being?
The religious faith is what bears behaviors of "kindness" in the believers' heart. Reverent believers of religions are willing to devote their whole lives into doing good deeds, respecting the doctrines. No matter good deeds have the power to bring them good luck or not, their piety and royalty to their beliefs and good deeds they do deserve respectfulness. From my perspective, if "bad luck" falls on your head, you must forget the bad luck itself and the unhappiness that bad luck brings to you, and start to focus on what you are going to do next. In this way, you'll soon drive it away. From the point of my view, any appearance of "bad luck" is due to your failure of not arranging everything well.