Beyond the Wall - Cause and effect

WHAT goes around comes around – this principle is simple yet so fundamental and profound. The main Asian religions (Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism) link it to the concept of karma that when you do good things, you will be rewarded but when you do bad things, you will be punished sooner or later, and there is no escape. The principle of rewards (even when not intended by the do-gooders) for good deeds and punishment for bad ones is in line with monotheist religions such as Islam and Christianity.
Karma is about the cause and effect of one's action but in many cases, this spiritual concept can be scientifically explained like when we abuse the environment, nature will come back to haunt us and we will pay a high price for it – floods, landslides, infertile soil, haze and poor air quality, climate change, and water pollution.
What the principle implies in our everyday life is simple:
» Do no harm to others (unless to protect and defend the weak and innocent).
» Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.
But most of the emphasis on karma today is more on the negative side. Because mankind has inflicted so much harm on others and the environment; and greedy, evil and powerful people have committed so many injustices, the focus has been on highlighting punishment to the culprits later on, and even in their next lives. Monotheist religions believe in the rewards in Heaven and punishment in Hell.
Good karma is often based on the principle that "everything happens for a reason". For example, if you, despite many attempts, are hindered from doing something, it is for your own good. Sometimes, even a delay to your planned activity may be a good thing to protect your interest. You may not know why at that time but you may realise it much later. This principle is also linked to the idea of destiny or fate. Our journey in life may be predestined but sensible people would insist that we should always endeavour to do our best and not sit back and let God do everything for us. As the saying goes, "God helps those who help themselves".
Perhaps, more emphasis should be given to publicising positive stories such as about people who help others in need without expecting anything in return.
Here is a real life story about two great men, one a famous pianist who became the prime minister of Poland and the other, an orphaned student of Stanford University who later became the president of the United States and on how their paths crossed.

This true story happened in 1892 at Stanford University.
An 18-year-old student struggling to pay his fees came up with a bright idea. The student and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education. They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of US$2,000 (RM8,183) for the piano recital. A deal was struck.
And the boys worked to make the concert a success. Paderewski performed at Stanford. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only US$1,600.
Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the US$1,600, plus a cheque for the balance US$400.
"No," said Paderewski. "This is not acceptable." He tore up the cheque, returned the US$1,600 and told the two boys: "Here's the US$1,600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left." The surprised boys thanked him profusely.
It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being. He later went on to become the prime minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the WWI began, Poland was ravaged. There were more than 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help. The head was a man called Herbert Hoover – who later went on to become the US president. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people.
A calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved. He decided to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, "You shouldn't be thanking me Mr Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college in the US. I was one of them."
So there you have it. If you do not feel a lump in your throat or a sense of compassion after reading the story, either you do not comprehend it or you have no "soul" in you and should be ashamed of yourself. If most people are touched by such a story, then there is still hope for humanity and sustainable peace.
Finally, a pertinent question would be: Why hasn't a major film been made about this great story? Not hard to find a good script writer if a serious film producer believes it can be a blockbuster.
The writer is the CEO of a think tank and a strategic consultancy firm. Comments: kktan@thesundaily.com