For Hindus and Buddhists, ‘god’ is not a person, but is an impersonal ‘life-force.’ They believe this life-force operates according to certain unvarying principles, including reincarnation.
Humans and animals are believed to share this same ‘life force.’ Consequently, ‘sacred’ rats and monkeys destroy enough wheat every year to feed all of India while many starve.
The impact of karma on existence
Beings that contravene the principles of this life-force are said to accumulate ‘bad karma,’ which leads to reincarnation as a lower form of life. If you are born a woman, for example, it’s because you committed a thousand sins in a previous life.
In the current life, a person can start again to build good karma. After many lives, they hope to reach Nirvana, a state where there is no hot or cold, no suffering or joy, etc. because they believe such things are illusory.
Some adverse effects of this worldview on communities
In such a view of existence there is no place for forgiveness and love because they are part of the illusion. In countries with that worldview, lepers often lie unassisted on the street – helping them might mean catching their bad karma.
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