Karma was "invented" in order to maintain the caste system. Those of lower castes were placated, thinking if they fulfilled the duties of their caste well they would be reincarnated into something higher. And, if they didn't they would come back as something even more lowly.

So, Karma isn't a bitch--it's a myth.

As for soul-mates. As I don't believe in souls, I don't believe in soul mates. And, out of all of the people on the planet, there is/will be more than one who could be a "perfect" match. The difficulty is in trying to find one of them. Sadly, it often never happens; but, it does happen--and sometimes right away.

1. Karma is a Hindu myth that practitioners of new age religions have misinterpreted and codified into a ridiculous agent of cosmic justice.

2. The idea of soul mates is absolutely ridiculous. Wouldn't a divine entity be required to arrange all of the "soul-matches?"

Karma is like praying for miracles. expecting either one will leave you unfulfilled. If Karma were real my ex wife would have died years ago. I have a 30 year marriage to what some people call my soulmate. I don't really believe in one soulmate but we both seem to gravitate toward each other instead of away from each other. We enjoy the company of the other and do most things together........call it what you will.

1. Karma; they say karma is a bitch but in reality karma is just bad luck and the fact that bad things often happen to good guys is just how the world works. E.g.a lady will rarely go for the man who treats her right but will navigate to that guy who is just an ass (excuse my French).

2. Soul mates; I used to believe that when I still believed in fairy tales but my dear reality is harsh. The only soul mate you shall ever get is the one who walked away. Everyone else has to work to get what they need.

The karma theory is a bit like the Santa Claus/ heaven scenario. I E do good and you'll be rewarded with goodies. On the other hand, people who try to do right by others will be happier just because it's a great way to live. And happy people find good things in life. So maybe it works in that sense.
re: soul mates, I'm inclined not to believe "there is ONE for you, you just need to find her(him)". It seems more like, there are many with whom you'll feel connected and drawn. And circumstances might change. But I'm surely not an expert.

They're important to some people. Not me.

My stance would be that both are romantic ideas for trying to impose order on the chaos and uncertainty of human existence.

Karma is only real to the extent of what goes around comes around. If you're an asshole people will eventually figure it out.

I don't believe that we have mind without brain (souls beyond body do not exist) so the idea of a "soul"mate is false. However, I am unable to explain why I fell so hard for the one I love the most. She is conservative and Christian I am a far left liberal and atheist. To me she is the most beautiful woman I have ever met and I love every new wrinkle and blemish, they only add to her beauty. It must be pheromones. We were friends and lovers for five years now we are friends.

1. as usually defined (what goes around comes around, or people getting what they deserve): magical thinking. attractive and ridiculous.

2. people can be sympatico without bringing souls into it.

g

Karma or it's western equivalent of natural justice is a contradiction in terms as nature does not recognise the concept of justice. It is a man made concept based on the quaint notion that 'bad' people who escape society's justice should be punished for their deeds.
Soul mates requires the belief in a soul. Although everyone is unique i don't recognise the prescence of a soul as it is usually described. Some humans are drawn inexplicably toward others.

I used to believe in both, now I believe in neither. The concepts carried forward in me much longer than they should have, I clung to them, hoping they were true. But ultimately I came to view them the same as any superstition: They have no place within me.

I do believe we reap what we so in the sense that cruel people will be met with cruelty by other people and that cruel people tend to be stupid. I also believe in fate in that we don't truly have free will. I expect that in the future human behavior could be perfectly predictable as it is a reaction to circumstance, not a unique choice. Thus love too is somewhat predetermined. That said I don't necessarily believe in souls. It is a possibility, but it seems more likely the genetics and environment alone make us who we are.

I think karma is a mechanism through which we learn about space. Soul mates is a way to define the appreciation of things human. I consider them both philosophical ways to define ways of controlling life. I like the way language works to facilitate understanding of the complexity of life.

Both seem it be false positives in the pattern recognition mechanism in people. Still, if you live believing in karma, you'll probably be less of a turd. Still, that belief can lead to dysfunction. It creates passivity when justice should be sought.

Soul mates seems to be a way for people that have hang ups about being a slut to explain behavior they don't understand. Sometimes, people just seem right and you are needy. When those things meet, it's going to feel like magic - nothing wrong there!

Karma: I think people take the definition of karma too literally. I think it just means you get what you expect, kinda like self-fulfilling prophesy. It's not some kind of universal punishment system that keeps every wrongdoer in check. If you have a negative attitude, everything is gonna seem bad. You expect things to go badly, so you (consciously or unconsciously) look for something bad to happen. If you have a positive attitude, things will seem more positive. If you expect things to go right, things seem to work out. I don't think it means we "deserve" everything that happens to us because of our behavior. For example, I had a blowout last week because I ran over something in the road. Instead of believing I was being punished for some bad deed, I recognized that I wasn't paying attention to the road and that sometimes stuff will be in the road.

Soul-mates: Another definition taken too literally. I think a soul mate is just someone you click with on a deep emotional level. It could be a permanent connection or a temporary connection. Do I believe my boyfriend is my soul-mate? Yes, because we share many values and interests and we work hard at pur relationship every single day. But there are different kinds of soul-mates as well. My niece is my soul-mate. I felt deep and intense love for her from the very first time I held her and looked into her eyes. We have a sort of unspoken mutual respect that I've recently noticed isn't there with her brother. I think even a pet can be a soul-mate. I have a friend who has a complete lack of human connection in terms of love, but he says that his cat is the closest thing he's ever felt to that.

Stories and concepts created by religions, myths, and other teachings were created as a way to explain and give names to things humans didn't understand back then. I honestly don't think they were meant to be taken as literally as we take them today. They're mostly symbolism and simplified lessons. And maybe some fear-mongering to keep people in check.

1. Karma: If you're a dick don't complain when someone is a dick to you.
2. Soulmates: Humans are emotionally driven creatures, and this an example of powerful emotional bond.

I think Karma is BS. It portrays itself as something tangible but it's really nothing more than coincidence.
I don't know what a soul mate is because I don't believe in souls. If you found the one for you, then that's what they are. But to label them something like a soul mate doesn't make much sense to me.

Karma: it's what I think of when Maude used to say: "God'll get you for that!"

Soul-mates: (a misnomer) - the feeling that happens when you meet someone, and have an interaction, even for a short while, and it makes you feel as if you are suddenly a happier you.

-this is an opinion of the establishment (me) and is not intended to be taken as fact.

1. Rubbish
2. Rubbisher
   .

1. What I have seen of people's interpretation of karma is really just schadenfreude or wanting vengeance. Not very karmic. No good deed goes unpunished! (;
2. There is always another mate. It's all in the mind.

Karma: An ancient internal moderator of (moral) behavior. It is sorta the precursor to the heaven/hell carrot/stick western silliness, that taught people the golden rule.

Soul-mates: I think smell has the most influence on this feeling. Smell is profoundly underrated as an influencer in all things emotional, and therefore, behaviorally.

We are programmed to use all out senses to determine interest, and avoidance. Smell is the most powerful memory recall stimulant.

Body odors include many chemical substances such as hormones, and pheromones, that are not consciously detectable.

I maintain how someone smells is a prime determiner for creating and continuing a relationship.

And: the wif and i share many similar ideas about morality, correct behaviors, and a sense of humor that keeps us both laughing, that has kept us together for 34+ years.

Karma doesn't exist. Shitty things happen to shitty people when people powerful enough decide to do something about it... Look at all the nazi war criminals that escaped to south america as an example... soul mates... I think you can find someone who is aligned to you... however, I don't think that there is a singular person out there for whom this connection could exist.

Karma: the unsubstantiated belief that ones actions affect the physical form they will have next time they are reincarnated. It's just superstition, but what goes around does seem to come around. (We certainly hope this is true with respect to the current occupant of the Oval Office.)

Soul mate: someone who will watch your favorite shows with you, read the similar books and articles and discuss them at length with you, lie down when you lie down, get up when you get up, play darts with you using a picture of the President's orange mug for a target.

If they exist, they are both too damn slow to arrive.

I don't believe there is an entity called Karma that doles out punishment and rewards, although that misunderstanding was a delightful premise for "My Name is Earl." But certainly our own behavior can cause us unhappiness or contentment. We can inspire kindness and generosity in others, or resentment and spite.
I guess we would need to agree on a definition for soulmate. The term is used pretty loosely. But I don't believe there is only one person in the world who is meant for us. The odds of finding that one person out of billions in the world would be tough. We find people at work, school, the park and grocery stores. Just being in physical proximity gives us the opportunity to know each other and discover shared interests and values. I do indeed think there can be multiple "soulmates" if we took the time to get to know one another.