Karma

It is very sad that there are more and more Filipinos becoming cynical in their outlook in life, most especially when it comes to corruption in high places which, in their view, has become so rampant not only in the Philippines but all over the world. It’s unfortunate that some have taken this rather jaded and pessimistic viewpoint to rationalize their own little acts of corruption, like clerks accepting bribe money to process somebody’s papers ahead of others, medical practitioners faking medical reports to get higher reimbursements from HMOs, or the classic tale of “kotong cops” mercilessly mulcting from drivers — thinking the sin they are committing is minor compared to what the big bosses are doing anyway.

But despite such cynicism, there are still many Filipinos who, because of our Catholic faith, believe that any sin big or small will have consequences. As some say, the sins of the flesh are more forgivable than those that are willfully done which consequently destroy or harm other people. Take this town for instance. Because people did not pay the right taxes, the policemen were grossly underpaid, so much so that these cops engaged in kidnapping operations — a case where a willful and deliberate wrongdoing leads to the harm of others.

This is a clear example of karma — a term which embodies the “law of consequences,” the principle of cause and effect and “payback.” In the Bible, Paul the Apostle perhaps summed it up best when he said that “whatsoever a man sows, so shall he also reap.”

As a matter of fact, everything that is happening today point to the unerring truth of karma, because the consequences of men’s greed and corruption are catching up. The global financial crunch was brought about by the excessive greed for profit by banks, lending centers and all these Wall Street executives who wallowed in money, giving themselves fat bonuses. But the same can be said of those who also borrowed even though they knew very well they would not be able to pay their loans.

Our blatant disregard for the environment — clogging rivers and esteros with garbage — is catching up with us now with water becoming so scarce. Our abuse of Mother Nature over the years has resulted in global warming and climate change, her wrath seen and felt with pollution, escalating illnesses and diseases, drought, Hurricane Katrina, Typhoon Frank — all acts of nature whose magnitude for destruction is unbelievable.

 The situation today is made even worse by the fact that there are more people now than this planet can comfortably sustain. Some may disagree, but Singapore’s former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew is correct to point out that “population growth is one of the basic problems societies must confront.” By 2050, there will be 9.5 billion people in the world — all of whom will be competing for resources (which may have dwindled to dangerously low levels by then with people disregarding the issue of climate change). Lee’s question obviously makes sense: “How many people can the whole world hold?”

In this life, everyone is given a chance to make a good start and do good to others. Barack Obama is an excellent illustration of what good karma is, and can be. Here is a man who came from an average working class background, a minority who now has been given the greatest opportunity to make a very big difference to people all over the world. Even before he becomes president, he has already made an impact, and he will make an even greater impact when he officially becomes the president of the United States on January 20.

Knowing who he is, where he came from and what he stands for, one can understand why the hopes of so many people ride on him especially with the current global crisis. His rise to the presidency is a confluence of all the events which have made him who he is and molded him into the man he has become today.

Everyone will be watching Obama to see if he lives up to his promise and the hope he has sparked in people. The same should go for all those who occupy positions of power and influence in this country. They must use their power and authority judiciously for the good of others, and not abuse it by deliberately causing harm to others, exacting revenge or amassing wealth — because karma is sure to follow. It may not come at once and may even take years, but when it does, the retribution will be tenfold and worse, may come with a vengeance on their children.

No question that the kind of moral regeneration this country needs is enormous. Yet while people continue to feel frustrated at stories of corruption, greed and other wrongdoing, they continue to hope that someday, good will prevail and evil deeds will come to an end. For such is the law of karma — unerring and unfailing, stretching from the ends of the earth, waiting for the time when it catches up with those who must be given a taste of its brand of justice.

The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, says the Bible. This should remind everyone — especially those who are in a position of power to do what is right and just for others — that one of the most difficult moments in your life will be at your deathbed, when you will be alone and nothing else will matter. Not your riches, not your power, not your fame. In the end, what will give you enough “credits” is if you have done good to others to make that final peace with your Creator. 

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