Did karma or other forces cause such suffering in Myanmar?
-
- May
- 7
The death count in Myanmar is now 22,000. It will certainly go much higher. 1 million are homeless. There’s little food and drinking water.
Anyone who was paying attention when the military government cracked down on Buddhist monks last fall knows that Myanmar is a largely Buddhist country.
And Buddhists, of course, believe in karma. When I was writing my book about the divine role in natural disasters, Buddhists had much less trouble explaining “acts of God” than most others because they believe that karma— a universal system of cause and effect—is responsible for the good and the bad.
The devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar, then, was the result of lots of bad karma built up, perhaps, by individuals, communities, other forces.
Many Burmese probably believe that their country was hit because of the military government’s despotic rule. But the cyclone hit a region of the country where ordinary people live—not the region where the rulers live.
But what other forces might have been at play other than karma? Indian officials say their weather forecasters warned of the approaching cyclone, but that the Burmese government did not prepare the people for what was coming. Additionally, Western officials say they are now having trouble getting aid to the stricken areas. The government wants to control foreign dollars.
One of the main conclusions I reached when working on my book is that when it comes to “Acts of God,” it’s often difficult to separate where divine responsibility ends and human responsibility begins.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 7:29 am by Gary Stern.
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The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.
