HOW SIMILARITIES IN TERMINOLOGY CONCEAL FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE
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According to science a child inherits the characteristics of his parents.
In the Hindu doctrine of karma a child inherits nothing from its parents except the body. The past karma in the Hindu doctrine is the inheritance of the child by the child and for the child.
The parents contributes nothing. The child brings everything.
Such a doctrine is nothing short of an absurdity.
As shown above the Buddha did not believe in such an absurdity.
“Yes, if it were not reborn; but if it were, no.”
“Give me an illustration.”
“Suppose, O king, a man were to steal another man’s mangoes, would the thief deserve punishment?”
“Yes.”
“But he would not have stolen the mangoes the other set in the ground. Why would he deserve punishment ?”
“Because those he stole were the result of those that were planted.”
“Just so, great king, this name-and-form commits deeds, either pure or impure, and by that karma another name-and-form is reborn. And therefore is it not set free from its evil deeds ?”
“Very good, Nagasena !”
The king said : “When deeds are committed, Nagasena by one name-and-form, what becomes of those deeds ?”
“The deeds would follow it, O king, like a shadow that never leaves it.”
“Can any one point out those deeds, saying : ‘Here are those deeds or there ?’
“No.”
“Give me an illustration.”
“Now what do you think, O king ? Can any one point out the fruits which a tree has not yet produced, saying :
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