I recently made contact with a high school classmate (1967) who I knew had years ago entered a Buddhist monastery, and had succeeded in becoming a Buddhist priest. Greg was a good friend dating back to my grammar school days in my hometown of Fresno, Ca., and, as much as anybody, I counted him among my better “friends” for most of my “growing up” years. We went to the same college, and maintained a loose association over the years of our lives. I contacted Greg because I wanted to hear from an “expert” on the topic, what it means when we lay people refer to good things happening because of “karma”, and the reverse, “bad things” happening because of negative karma somehow attaching to our spiritual selves. This notion of “karma” has become an even stronger curiosity of mine as I’ve watched events unfold in recent years, and because of the many tragedies associated with our nation’s economic downturn over the past two years.
All of us are in the same boat, so to speak, when it comes to the overriding feeling of helplessness watching home values tumble, retirement accounts disappear, and poverty due to rising unemployment scaring the pants off of thousands of families across the country. It is during these “bad times” that even the “crustiest” among us become a bit philosophical, and wonder at why some people are forced to suffer, while others continue to profit, actually profiting even more because of others’ losses.
So, I wrote Greg and him to give me a “nutshell” description of how the Buddhist’s regard “karma” and its influence on a person’s life. The friend that he is, Greg responded immediately to my request of some kind of definition that I could hold onto as I continue to participate in our global “hard times.” His explanation was elegantly simple, and gave me an insight I can understand. According to Greg and Buddhist theology, “karma” is an affinity toward positive or negative forces attaching themselves to our person. In other words, “karma” is not a cause and effect relationship, but rather an “inclination toward” positive or negative events imposing some kind of influence on our personal lives.And thus we come to my main thesis for today. And that is the importance of people remaining faithful to the golden rule especially during hard times. Let me offer an example from my own life.
Upon retirement I decided to return to my hometown, and in doing so, I searched for a property to “rent” that was within my financial means.Having sent inquiries via the Internet to several property managers, I received a response from one “new housing development” that was experiencing the brunt of falling prices in Fresno, and hence had made the decision to rent a house that they considered to be their “golden charm” in that it was built as a model with all of the upgrades possible and not present in other homes that they owned. As I was moving from San Francisco, the rent of this property was considerably less than what I was paying in the City, and it offered the opportunity to live in a “home” in contrast to the apartment living that I had endured for many years while working as a teacher in the Bay area.
My experience in life has taught me to communicate all of my intentions “up front” as a means of establishing from the start good-faith relationships with the people I’m dong business with. Hence, while still in San Francisco and before signing a rental agreement, I expressed my concern to the property manager that I was seeking a place to live for a long, long time. As the homes in question are always “for sale”, I didn’t want to be asked to move at the end of year because the owners had decided to sell the house from under me. I received a “couched response” that gave me no definite confidence that I had been heard…..an open-ended response that said, “Well, who knows what will happen? Maybe you’ll want to buy the house from us.”
After reflecting upon my options, I decided to go with the property in question, because “buying” was not something that was out of the question for me, especially as house prices were leveling off after years of false appreciation. Everything that I did from the start to the present day has communicated good faith, yet I have been stunned at my own inability to get a good faith response from my landlord.
Within two months of living in the home, I was asked if I wanted to buy the property. If I did, I could be certain I would be given a really good deal. The prospect of being a homeowner appealed to me, and I responded positively. As a responsible consumer, I did my research on the value of the property, deflated as it may have become, but “fair” in terms of “fair market value.” My research informed me that comparable homes were selling for no more than $225,000. For particulars that I won’t go into, there was window of opportunity during which a home purchase would make sense for me, so I offered to enter into an “option agreement.” And this was the juncture that I learned that not everyone was operating according to the golden rule. The option price I was given was $250,000, and an additional $500 per month for 4 months to be applied to the down payment. Sitting alone and unrepresented across the desk from my landlord, I signed agreement after negotiating that at least 50% of the additional option amount would be refundable if I did not exercise the option. As I say, I was stunned that the people I have believed in, and counted on following the golden rule were attempting to sell me a house at a price that was 40 to 50 thousand dollars higher than comparable sales; the seller even overrode the counsel of other members of his firm that the “option amount” should be fully refundable.
It is now December, and the option agreement is a moot point. I do not qualify for a home loan of that amount. Last month, the house next door to me sold for $150,000, or $100,000 less than the price my landlords were offering me on a similar house.
Karma. An affinity toward. I believe that unanticipated things have occurred to keep me in a position such that I cannot qualify for the optioned amount of the house I’m renting. In the bigger picture, this is a positive event for me, as the matter is out of my hands, and I will not have to experience the pressure of declining an option on my own steam. As events would have it, I simply don’t qualify. Blame it on the banks.
But I wonder at the notion of “karma” when it comes to the property sellers. If I had qualified for the loan, I expect they were positioned to pressure me into buying a home for a full $100,000 more than it is worth. This is not the “good deal” they promised, not by a long shot. So, what it is my point? Simply put, all people need to remain faithful to the golden rule, even during hard times. Perhaps, just perhaps, the “karmic affinities” would have been different had there been a good faith transaction on the table. I don’t know for sure, but I am certain of my own good faith throughout all of our dealings, even to the point of paying an extra thousand dollars for the privilege of an “option agreement” that was not in my best interest. An agreement I let ride in order to seal the deal on my good faith.
We are all closely interconnected. I suspect that the owners are not too happy, but I can hold my head high in any future dealings. My more seasoned self speculates, let’s see: ”A guy from San Francisco with a stable income, and accustomed to obscenely high house payments in the City would be a “best candidate” for paying too much for a house in Fresno.” But it didn’t work out that way.
Thank you, Greg, for explaining the phenomenon of affinity, because by all rational measures, things should have worked out differently, thus positioning me in a karmic squeeze. But they didn’t, and I’m grateful. ”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It works every time, and builds a positive affinity for good things to happen.
Tags: OrchardofIdeas
