The sort of thing that keeps me up at night

[phaith2u]

Today I went to a guided Buddhist meditation. The lama presenting suggested that truly learning about Buddhism involves questioning and analyzing Buddhist beliefs. I've been thinking a lot about Buddhist concepts, and in general in life I've always been fascinated by religious and spiritual practices and beliefs and the links between them. What is bothering me right now is the realization that I don't understand how one can believe that there is no self, but that somehow the entity that acts in a negative manner can accrue negative karma for a future life. How is that specific person separated out from the mass of atoms if the whole thing rests on the idea that we are all part of each other? I think the only possible explanation is that the actions of an individual do impact the people around them (this is obviously true). If we assume that people are reborn, however, then that "individual" would be amassed into whatever unified body of atoms this is all really made-up of. In fact it seems like it's assumed that they were never separated from everyone else. If that's the case then the actions of one individual result in bad karma for everyone...which is possible, but then that means that the costs of that one individual's actions are taken up by the general public, or possibly every sentient being. So then one negative action that you chose to perform only results in you being punished slightly...that means when you get down to it there's little incentive to avoid negative actions, except that it will eventually lead to the demise of all humankind (tragedy of the commons).

So I guess the only way people will chose to live in harmony, in a cooperative utopia, is if things get so awful that they have to act in a way that digs them out of the hole of negative karma.