Buddhists believe that all actions have consequences. Positive actions have positive consequences
and negative actions have negative consequences. So we may say that Harvey Weinstein’s
current predicament is the karmic consequence of his many negative actions both
recent and historic.
Firstly, it is important to establish that karma is not a
form of punishment meted out by some powerful deity, neither is it fate or
destiny. Our actions are often likened
to seeds that are planted in the present but harvested in the future. This future may be just minutes away or it
may be many years before our actions mature into consequences. However, this may be a little simplistic.
Karma is not a general law of causation but it is the way
our deliberate actions shape our relationships with other people and
affect the world we live in. It is
our intention, the deliberate wilful action that creates Karma.
So in this case, it seems undeniable that Harvey Weinstein’s
actions were aimed deliberately at satisfying his sexual urges with little or
no consideration to how other parties were affected or damaged by them. But what of all those who, because of the
power wielded by him, were coerced into being complicit or remaining
silent?
These were deliberate actions albeit taken under duress. They could have spoken out but chose not to
out of fear of reprisals or damage to their own careers. It could be that their actions were partially
responsible for fostering the continued belief among some that sexual
harassment was acceptable.
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