<blockquote>
<p>Was my experience divine punishment (karma) or display of better way ?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Kamma doesn't need some divine intervention to take place. It's a natural law like physics. You throw a ball against the wall with a certain force and angle, and it'll bounce back and hit you. You touch a hot kettle, and it'll burn your hand.</p>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ol start="2">
<li>Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow. ~~ <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dhp I</a> ~~</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-17T14:57:43.267Z
2020-08-17T14:57:43.267Z
santa100
<p>Not long ago, I encountered tough &quot;barrier&quot; in life, tried to break through it but ended up greatly humbled and forced to take step back.
This got me thinking whether I should decouple from earthly desires like career, consumerism and similar.
Was my experience divine punishment (karma) or display of better way ?</p>
<p>Note: I realize this question is not necessarily specific to one religion over other, but I think this community is more accepting to this type of question.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-17T14:45:15.020Z
Karma is not divine punishment so it definitely wasn't that. But it could have been an accumulation of past deeds/misdeeds. Setbacks happen, spend time reflecting, seek spiritual or professional counseling. You'll be ok.
m2015
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-17T15:05:07.177Z
I think you need to provide more details and clarity in your question, in order to get  better answers that fit your situation.
ruben2020
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-17T18:43:48.433Z
I think the practical question to ask might: 1) Should I try again? Or otherwise, next time should I try to attain a different goal? 2) And if I do try again, what should I do differently so that I don't fail again? That doesn't seem to be literally what you're asking though -- instead you're asking whether it's divine punishment, or a divine message ("display"). The answer to that, according to Buddhism, is probably "no" as explained in santa100's answer -- i.e. events can generally be seen to happen as a natural (not supernatural) consequence.
ChrisW
<karma><philosophy><mindfulness><mental-factors><fear>
Humbled by fate, punishment or push to right path?
# Humbled by fate, punishment or push to right path?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-17)

Not long ago, I encountered tough "barrier" in life, tried to break through it but ended up greatly humbled and forced to take step back.
This got me thinking whether I should decouple from earthly desires like career, consumerism and similar.
Was my experience divine punishment (karma) or display of better way ?

Note: I realize this question is not necessarily specific to one religion over other, but I think this community is more accepting to this type of question.

**Tags:** karma, philosophy, mindfulness, mental-factors, fear

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Karma is not divine punishment so it definitely wasn't that. But it could have been an accumulation of past deeds/misdeeds. Setbacks happen, spend time reflecting, seek spiritual or professional counseling. You'll be ok.  
> **username_2**: I think you need to provide more details and clarity in your question, in order to get  better answers that fit your situation.  
> **username_3**: I think the practical question to ask might: 1) Should I try again? Or otherwise, next time should I try to attain a different goal? 2) And if I do try again, what should I do differently so that I don't fail again? That doesn't seem to be literally what you're asking though -- instead you're asking whether it's divine punishment, or a divine message ("display"). The answer to that, according to Buddhism, is probably "no" as explained in username_4's answer -- i.e. events can generally be seen to happen as a natural (not supernatural) consequence.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-17. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

> Was my experience divine punishment (karma) or display of better way ?

Kamma doesn't need some divine intervention to take place. It's a natural law like physics. You throw a ball against the wall with a certain force and angle, and it'll bounce back and hit you. You touch a hot kettle, and it'll burn your hand.

> 1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

> 2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow. ~~ [Dhp I](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html) ~~


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