Comments on: A Buddhist’s rethinking of the Law of Attraction

By: Sascha Holyoak

Sascha Holyoak — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:55:52 +0000

Thankyou so much for your article! I was very happy to come across your site by chance tonight as I have been wondering about this topic for a while! (both LOA and how this view fits in with a Buddhist perspective). I like what you’ve written…very helpful Kind Regards to you, Sascha.

By: sunada

sunada — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:06:15 +0000

Hi Andrea,
Sorry it’s taken me so long to respond to your question. I was away on a month-long retreat, and am just getting back and catching up on things.

But on to your question. I’m not sure I understand it, but let me just say a few things that might help. I’m guessing that you’re thinking of karma as something from our past that controls our future, and it’s something we can’t change. Maybe you’re thinking of karma as being like fate or destiny — and we’re at its mercy.

But the Buddhist definition isn’t like that. It actually means “action,” and particularly an action or choice with an ethical motivation behind it. So if we do something out of kindness, generosity, or wisdom, we create conditions for positive consequences to arise for us. And if we do something out of anger, selfishness, or ignorance, we set conditions for negative consequences.

If you think of it this way, then the Buddhist idea of karma is very much in line with LOA, don’t you think? It’s really about choice — OUR choice to move ourselves in a positive or negative direction. I think of karma as being like a universal force in the world, like gravity. It’s always at work in the world, and there’s no escaping its effects, either!

Is there something more to your question that I’m not getting here?

Best wishes,
Sunada

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:52:23 +0000

I really thank you for your entry. i’m just a newbie to the theories but i have to say that your article’s very thought-provoking and i cant help but agree on many of the points in your article.
However, i have a question to ask. If both Buddhism theory and Law of Attraction are right then what is karma in the world of LOA? I dont really know how to put it. Part of the problem is also because everything is a little messy inside my head. But if everything is energy and it’s very likely to change then karma is also somekind of energy? Why it’s still have influence on us? Past energy can have influence on us? Well, i hope you get my question. If not, please ask me the part when you think you dont understand. Maybe that helps me understand my question a bit more.

By: Joram Arentved

Joram Arentved — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:05:22 +0000

If you dare to hear it from myself, it’s right now my big ‘labor pleasure’ to let you receive a few more suggestions of mine, for instance that my situation still deserves to be controlled by myself, one that there were Certain Capitalists, who didn’t understand as mine alone, so that I can of course tell & e.g. help us all find out &, whoever is who, how, why & when to exist as Moral Representatives of, what The True ↔ Happiness is, in my own case due to & still as the most relevant result to be of an undeserved labor conflict that I still didn’t know, didn’t think, if I could explain to myself, greetings, ‘J.A.,’ promised, there IS good news with & from me, arentved@in.com, there to be continued, an issue that I’m NOT under obligation, whatsoever that I can fail to rely on.

By: sunada

sunada — Sun, 09 May 2010 20:42:23 +0000

Given that the Buddhism and LOA are not the same thing, I think it’s rather inevitable that there will be differences between the two — whether or not you’d actually consider them contradictory. Anyway, if you do come up with a more comprehensive comparison, please do let me know.

By: Louche

Louche — Sun, 09 May 2010 02:46:50 +0000

I would like to see a more comprehensive comparison between Buddhism and LoA… maybe I will have to do it myself. I am just beginning to learn about LoA. I like how your comparison shows that one is positive and the other critical. Surely they can be put to work together and not necessarily be contradictory. But I do see people who follow LoA advocating infinite wealth, which I find very problematic and socially unaware.

By: tjenarvi

tjenarvi — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:27:00 +0000

LOA is good, the more you already feel “prosperous” the more will come in to you.
The more you already feel “healthy” the more healthy you are, even though you are smoking, for example, in your whole life.
the more you already feel “happiness” the happier you are, the universe will attract what you feel, NOT ONLY YOUR THOUGHT. Thought is just the first step !! Notice that I said “you already feel _____” (fill in the blank) and also PLUS “you already asked and thought”, it will attract back to you as a mirror, this is what is called law of attraction.

It’s right, it’s true, there is no different with Buddha, for me.

My 2 cents.

By: Bill

Bill — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:03:44 +0000

I enjoyed reading your post. Keep it up! Peace will find you.

By: Priya Florence Shah

Priya Florence Shah — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:30:05 +0000

I prefer not to think of the LOA as explained in The Secret. As a student of Buddhism, I find the works of Abraham-Hicks are much closer to the actual teachings of Buddhism. Self-appreciation, self-love, compassion for self and enjoying the moment are all parts of their wonderful works at http://www.abraham-hicks.com

By: Claudia

Claudia — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 10:39:52 +0000

Hi Sunada,

I am a student of Buddhism and am getting to know the river as you beautifully put it another article.
I received The Secret book from a mentor and the only immediate improvement in my won life at the time was, to distringuish between noisy thoughts in the mind and those that actually contribute to a feeling of contentment and serenity. This was not an easy change and took me all of about 3 months or so and have been sharing this with everyone ever since. Then the actual attraction of material goods has never been a wanting personally but know that it seems to have worked for others. I agree with you and most comments here, that acquiring of more unnecessary material goods does not contribute to any personal fulfilment, it needs to come from a spiritual place inside.
I understand Buddhist principles and ways of thinking very well and keep thinking, I wish I stumbled to find this door sooner – all time is good timing.

Keep sharing, we are all connected……metta