When Is It Irresponsible to Validate Fears?

Two things of note.

  1. SN 36.21 demonstrates that kamma is not in fact responsible for everything in life, and that things can happen to people without any kamma being in play at all.

  2. Consider Thanissaro’s take on this sutta:

Translator’s note: Some people have interpreted this sutta as stating that there are many experiences that cannot be explained by the principle of kamma. A casual glance of the alternative factors here — drawn from the various causes for pain that were recognized in the medical treatises of his time — would seem to support this conclusion. However, if we compare this list with his definition of old kamma in SN 35.145, we see that many of the alternative causes are actually the result of past actions. Those that aren’t are the result of new kamma.

But the summary to the sutta says:

Bile, phlegm, and also wind,
Imbalance and climate too,
Carelessness and assault,
With kamma result as the eighth.

The eighth. One of eight.

But, Thanissaro et al prefer other ideas, heavy and aggressive ideas. Consider:

But according to some people they do not agree with this, because one should pay or experience what one has sown, anti depressant doesn’t solve this.

Once again, rebirth as an idea is shown to support harm to people here and now, in this case affecting how those suffering from mental illness are treated by others.

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