Karma

On my last day of radiation, I saw a prisoner at the radiotherapy center. He was sitting in a separate room, hands cuffed, and accompanied by two police officers. He probably is a cancer patient waiting to get treatment.

You might think I am crazy, but I felt so bad for him. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to go through cancer treatment in jail.

You might say: he deserves it because he might be a murderer or a serious criminal and has to pay for what he has done. But isn’t he being punished already by being in jail? True believers in karma would not hesitate to point out: this is because of what he did in his previous life.

Now does that mean I must have done something really wrong in my previous life to have cancer in my present life? I’d rather think that I am paying upfront for my next life to be better.

But can it be a better life than this? I don’t have to worry about food or shelter. I am well educated. I have family and friends.

I don’t think I believe in karma, after all.