> When the "outside" world hands you something undeserved, > Well, Angela, the "outside" world doesn't hand you anything that is undeserved. You deserve everything you get, and for a reason: everything happens for a reason, the result of cause and effect. Karma means action - actions that are the result previous actions. Every action results in a reaction. That's what the Buddha meant when he said that all things spring from causes - he taught causation.
There are no actions or events outside of the play of the gunas described by Kapila. Shakya the Muni agreed with this. If it were otherwise, then individuals could change the laws of physics and cause change at will, i.e. perform magic. There is no "force" that enters into the physical world and causes change - there are no chance events. That's the meaning of karma, both Hindu and Buddhist. The only question is, does karma operate on the mental as well as the physical level. That's a question of moral reciprocity.
