Stocklas success: The brothers both bought tickets at the same time, while on holiday in Florida. But James Stocklas (right) won big with $291,400,000.00, while brother Bob (left) got just $7.00.
But it wasn't until Stocklas had returned to Pennsylvania that he discovered the big win.
He was having breakfast at his favorite diner -- where his friend Anna also was -- when he checked the numbers on his phone.
After the discovery he bought breakfast for everyone at the restaurant and promptly called his family to say: "We are going back to Florida!"
He asked a friend who owns a private jet business to fly him back to Florida in one day to verify his ticket -- a trip that cost him $20,000.00.
The elated judge described the day as a "blur" of champagne and signing papers.
Stocklas went home with a total of $40 million after splitting the winnings three ways and accounting for taxes.
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SUTRA: "The Brief Exposition of Karma"
Ven. Ñanamoli (The Buddha's Words on Kamma edited with preface, introductions by Ven. Khantipalo), "Four Discourses of the Buddha from the Middle Length Discourses; Cula-kamma-vibhanga Sutta (MN 135); Dhr. Seven, Crystal Quintero, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
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| The Buddha was not called a "Buddhist" in ancient India; he was called a karmavadin, a "teacher of the results of action." (Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena (Artfan70/flickr.com). |
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INTRODUCTION
Many of us want: long life, health, beauty, power, riches, high birth, wisdom, or at least some of these things. The Buddha teaches that they do not appear by chance. It is not our "luck" that we are healthy, or another's lack of it that s/he is foolish.
Although it may not be clear to us now, all such
inequalities among beings come about because of the karma they have made (willed, carried out, and thereby stored up for themselves) individually. Each person reaps his/her own
fruits (and
mental resultants).
KARMA INVOLVES
CHOICE: So if one is touched by short life, sickliness, ugliness, insignificance,
poverty, low birth, or foolishness and one does not like these things, there is no need to just accept that things are the way they are. The future need not be like that!
Provided one makes the right kind of karma now.
Knowing what karma to make and what not to make is the mark of a wise person. It is also the mark of one who is no longer drifting aimlessly but has some direction in life and some control over the sort of events that will occur.
THE SUTRA
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at
Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park.
Then
Subha the student (
Brahmin),
Todeyya's son, went to the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. And when the courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down respectfully to one side. When he had done so, Subha the student said to the Blessed One:
2. "
Master Gautama [a Brahmin's respectful form of address for the Buddha], what is the reason, what is the condition, why inferiority and superiority are met with among human beings, among humankind? For one meets with short-lived and long-lived people, sick and healthy people, ugly and beautiful people, insignificant and influential people, poor and rich people, low-born and high-born people, foolish and wise people. What is the reason, what is the condition, why superiority and inferiority are met with among human beings, among humankind?"
3. "Student, beings are owners of karmas (actions willed and carried out), heirs of karmas; they have karmas as their progenitor, karmas as their kin, karmas as their homing-place. It is karmas that differentiate beings according to inferiority and superiority."
4. "I do not understand the detailed meaning of Master Gautama's utterance spoken in brief without expounding the detailed meaning. It would be good if Master Gautama taught me
the Dharma so that I might understand the detailed meaning of Master Gautama's utterance spoken in brief without expounding the detailed meaning."
"Then listen, student, and heed well what I shall say."
"Even so, Master Gautama," Subha the student replied. And the Blessed One said this:
Deeds and results
5. "Here, student, some man or woman is a killer of living beings, murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to living beings. Due to having performed and completed such karmas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, s/he reappears in a
state of deprivation, in an
unhappy destination, in perdition, even in
hell(s).
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| Various "hells" in Buddhist and Hindu cosmology |
"If, on the dissolution of the body, after death, instead of reappearing in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, or in hell, one comes again to the human state [because of powerful intervening good karma], one is short-lived wherever one is reborn.
"This is the way that leads to short life, that is to say, to be a killer of living beings, murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to living beings.
6. "But here some man or woman, having abandoned the killing of living beings, abstains from killing living beings, lays aside the rod and the knife, is considerate and merciful, and dwells compassionate for the welfare of
all living beings.
"Due to having performed and completed such karmas as this, on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in a
happy destination, even in a
heavenly world.
"If, on the dissolution of the body, after death, instead of reappearing in a happy destination, in a heavenly world, one comes again to the human state [because of some intervening bad karma], one is long-lived wherever one is reborn.
"This is the way that leads to long life, that is to say, to have abandoned the killing of living beings, to abstain from killing living beings, to lay aside the rod and the knife, to be considerate and merciful, and to dwell compassionate for the welfare of all living beings.
7. "Here, student, some man or woman is one who
harms beings with hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives. Due to having performed and completed such karmas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in a state of deprivation...
"If instead one comes again to the human state, one is
sickly wherever one is reborn. This is the way that leads to sickness, that is to say, to be one who harms beings with one's hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives.
8. "But here some man or woman is not one who harms beings with hands, or with clods, or with sticks, or with knives. Due to having performed and completed such karmas [as abstaining from harming], on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in a happy destination...
"If instead one comes again to the human state, one is healthy wherever one is reborn. This is the way that leads to health, that is to say, not to be one who harms beings with hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives.
9. "Here, student, some woman or man is
angry, much given to rage. Even when little is said, one is furious, angry, ill-disposed, resentful, one shows ill-temper,
hate, and surliness. Due to having performed and completed such karmas [as fuming and/or expressing anger], on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in a state of deprivation...
"If instead one comes again to the human state, one is
ugly wherever one is reborn.
"This is the way that leads to ugliness, that is to say, to be furious, angry, ill-disposed, resentful, and to show ill-temper, hate, and surliness.
10. "But here some man or woman is
not angry or much given to rage. Even when much is said, one is not furious, angry, ill-disposed, resentful, nor does one show ill-temper, hate, or surliness. Due to having performed and completed such karmas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in a happy destination...
"If instead one comes again to the human state, one is
beautiful wherever one is reborn. This is the way that leads to beauty, that is to say, not to be angry or given to much, and even when much is said, not to be furious, angry, ill-disposed or resentful, or to show ill-temper, hate, or surliness.
11. "Here, student, some man or woman is
envious; one envies, begrudges, and harbors envy about others' gains, honor, veneration, respect, salutations, and offerings. Due to having performed and completed (willed and carried out) such karmas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in a state of deprivation...
"If instead one comes again to the human state, one is insignificant wherever one is reborn. This is the way that leads to insignificance, that is to say, to be envious, to envy, begrudge, and harbor envy about others' gain, honor, veneration, respect, salutations, and offerings.
12. "But here some man or woman is not envious, does not envy, begrudge, or harbor envy about others' gain, honor, veneration, respect, salutations, and offerings. Due to having performed and completed such karmas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, one reappears in a happy destination...
"If instead one comes again to the human state, one is
influential wherever one is reborn. This is the way that leads to influence, that is to say, not to be envious, not to envy, begrudge, or harbor envy about others' gain, honor, veneration, respect, salutations, or offerings.
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I write books for people who are starting to unzip the costume -- and some who have stripped it off., people who want to understand others, but also want to understand the thing inside themselves that keeps steering their life when they’re not looking.
