Originally posted by Beyond Religion:
There is never an easy way to explain to a handicap why he is a
handicapped. From the scientific angle, we can tell him we don't
know how his handicap comes about, and we dont know why he is the
only one in about a hundred thousand people to suffer this. (In
other words, tell the handicapped that he is a freak and/ or
genetic accident). From the monotheistic religious angle, we can
tell him that this is God's will and He choose to make you so for a
reason only He knows. None of these explanations are easy.
However, the point of Buddhism is not to rub it into the
handicapped and to exacerbate their discrimination, but rather to
explain the phenomena of his handicap. Whats more important for us
Buddhists is to help these handicap in anyway we can and to
alleviate their suffering. Buddhists are [b]not to sit back,
do nothing, and claim that these handicapped are reaping a just
karmic consequence. Compassion is afterall the theme for all
Buddhists.
If we can help these handicapped and alleviate their sufferings,
then that just mean that in their lives, these handicapped has also
done something good to mitigate their karmic misdeeds.
[/b]
I was about to reply the same thing when i saw your post.
True, while there may be elements of bad karma from previous life
or from any other reasons I dont want to go guessing, more often
than not, I see Buddhists preach compassion towards the handicapped
and set up charities rather than preaching about karma to the
disabled.
