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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.

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  • 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
    Aug 17 '20 at 14:45
  • I think you need to provide more details and clarity in your question, in order to get better answers that fit your situation.
    – ruben2020 ♦
    Aug 17 '20 at 15:05
  • 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 ♦
    Aug 17 '20 at 18:43
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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.
  1. 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 ~~
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