I recently looked up the meaning or difinition of Chance, Luck, and Kharma. Here is what I found.
Webster says chance is something that happens unpridictably without intention or cause. What the ancient Greeks believed was contrary to that. They believed that nothing occurs at random, but everything for a reason and by necessity. Almost in line with what kharma means.
Webster says that luck is a force that brings either good or bad fortune. Another source says that luck is either good or bad fortune attributed by some to reasons of faith or superstition, which happens beyond ones control.
Webster says that kharma is what the Hindu and Buddhist believe to be the force generated by a persons actions that determine the nature of the persons next existence. Other sourses say that the effect of all deeds actively create past, present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to others. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, kharma extends through one's present life and all past lives as well. It is cumulative. And so it appears the belief that I held for many years about the hippies inventing kharma is a bunch of whooie. Kharma is much like some of the biblical quotes such as, an eye for an eye, or, you reap what you sow. Or some of the common day slang like, what goes around comes around. Basically you have control over your life because your actions will determine what happens to you and others in the end. Whether you are willing to own up to it, is another matter.
For some time after I heard about Butch's death, I felt a loss and emptiness inside. I was upset that Maria, his second wife, had not contacted myself or any of Butch's friends about the severity of his illness or the death itself. It was a about six months after his death that we found out, from one of his relatives, who themselves had just been made aware he had passed.
One day I decided I needed to say goodbye to my friend, so I fired up my old Road King and headed for Topeka. It was the fall of the year and as I rode along, I thought about some of the hunting trips I had made out to Colorado with Butch. I found his headstone in the new part of the cemtery. And as I walked up to it I was stopped in my tracks by what I saw. There across the top of the stone was Butch's full name, Richard Chance Wilson. All those years that I had known him, I wasn't aware his middle name was Chance. There were a number of things rushing through my brain. One was, with such a cool name as Chance, why would anyone go by Butch. Another thought that crowded that one out was that maybe that is why Butch had decided to take me on as a friend. Did he befriend me just to increase his odds by putting Chance and Luck together. Then I had this strange feeling that Butch was standing there by me, smiling. I've had those experiences before, where I felt the presence of a spirit. And I believe his spirit was there with me, so I could say my goodbyes.
On one of our last trips to Canada fishing, Butch had talked about his belief in riencarnation. He said he believed we were friends in a past life in which we both died young. He thought we were given more time this go round so we could realize some our dreams. I too believed in reincarnation. Partly because of some of the dreams I had as a young person that dealt with lives I had lived in older times. And just an overwhelming feeling that we kept going from one life to another until we got things right. Sort of a progression if you will. Anyway, I hope that I can be less self indulgent and more giving the next time around.
Most of the time I can see my blessings and the good things in my life and other times I feel like the dog in that old humorous lost dog ad.
"Lost dog: Labrador and Pit Bull cross, blind in right eye, only three legs, left ear missing, recently castrated. Answers to Lucky."
Fiction ? By Xavier
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