COMMENT/REACTION PAPER ON "KARMA"

                                                 by: Rhodora Jennifer V. Arboleda

                    Racism is one of the world's major issues today.many people are not aware of how much racism still exist in our schools,workplaces, and anywhere social lives are occurring.It is obvious that racism is bad as it was many decades ago but it sure has not gone away. racism very much exists and it is about time that people need to start thinking about the instigation and solutions to this matter. Many people believe that it depends on if a person was brought into the world as a racist or not but that is not the case at all. In fact, an individual cannot be born a racist but only learn to become one as they like Mohan Lal in karma, basic causes, mainstream, institution, government, anti racism groups.

                    For me  racism is the discrimination of different race/races and is the thought of one race or color of skin has more physical/mental abilities than another.it is based on the attitudes if one or more people based on the supposed superiority of one group to the supposed inferiority of another.like the story of KARMA , Mohan Lal was different after a 5-yr in abroad.he feel a shame for being Indian, for being dirt which is part of Indian culture. Now he discriminate even his countrymen and his wife. He became boastful,conceited, sangfroid to the condition of poor Indians, selfish and a loveless husband to his wife.

                   For me the lesson in this story is that, we must appreciate, accept and don't ever forget our origin,culture,country and have respect our love ones. And in the part of being rude to women should not tolerate and must be cease.Men must give respect and love women especially your wives despite of their odors, colors and ugliness.

Comment/Reaction on Karma

by Alberto M. Aquino Jr.

           Karma is a Hindu religion practical term which means "the personal accountability and responsibility of an individual for his own actions and deeds as well as words done or spoken in this world. Mohan Lal is the main character of this story and was the object of karma. He was a law student in western country, particularly Europe, and successfully passed the examination for law students and by passing those exam, he became a licensed and professional lawyer, as a graduate of western country he became proud, boastful and conceited, though his true identity is an Indian, he idolized foreign language, culture and behavior. He acted as a true Englishman and behave as an Englishman. He even discriminate his own country and forsake his identity as an Indian, he was not interested in his wife and considered her as a useless servant. Mohan Lal's attitude shows that he was really well-colonized and brainwashed by foreign cultures and way of life, but at the end of the day Mohan Lal's pride brought him low and in the path to downfall because he was badly treated by the British people (true Englishman) and considered Mohan Lal as an inferior being compared to them (the British people) despite of Mohan Lal's background as a lawyer.

          This story (karma) put much emphasis on prejudice and pride that's why I would like also to put more consideration on this issue, let's start with prejudice. Prejudice is an act of putting a person into shameful conditions or looking down a person through words and deeds. It starts when you regard yourself as a man superior to other beings (man), prejudice creates a barrier that separates  people and it is the main reason of most revolution. great potential is wasted because of prejudice. Mohan Lal enjoyed the power and prestige of his position, and he was enraged when someone did not respond with the expected reverential bow. Mohan Lal's attitude was prejudiced: he hated a group of people because of a difference in belief or culture. Prejudice grows out of personal pride -- considering oneself better than others. In the end, Mohan Lal suffered for his arrogant attitude. God will harshly judge those who prejudiced or whose pride causes them to look down on others. Prejudice can cause us to lose great blessings and can blind us to the truth. Now let's go to the issue of pride. Pride is a poison that gradually kills your desire to respect and love other people, it is an illness that makes you vulnerable to open attacks from foolish people. Pride causes us to want recognition. Mohan Lal's growing pride started out small -- taking credit for the education he attained from Europe, left unchecked, his pride grew into an ugly obsession; thus it destroyed him, tore his family apart, and threatened the well-being of his own physical, social, emotional, and mental health. Taking much credit for your accomplishments indicates that pride is controlling your life. It is not bad to take credit of your own accomplishments, but the bad thing happens when you focus on your accomplishments and think highly of yourself, then regard others as an inferior beings. When it happens, the mark of downfall begins -- pride. "Pride goes before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18) is an appropriate comment on Mohan Lal's ambitions, after he attained his educational status as a lawyer, Mohan Lal became proud and corrupt. It is true that "pride goes before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18). If God has given you wealth, influence, power, and popularity, be thankful, but be careful. God hates pride. While it is normal to feel elation when we accomplish something, it is wrong to be disdainful of God or to look down on others.  Check your attitude and remember to give God the credit for what you have. Use your gifts in ways that please Him. Pride is especially deceptive when we are doing right. But it separates us from God by making us think we're better than we really are. Then comes the tendency to trust our own opinions, which leads to other kinds of sin. While it is not wrong to recount past deeds, it is far better to recount God's blessings to us. This will help keep us from inadvertently falling into pride. "I was wrong" or " I need advice" are difficult phrases to utter because they require humility. Pride is an ingredient in every quarrel. It stirs up conflicts and divides people. Humility, by contrast, heals. Guard against pride. If you find yourself constantly arguing, examine your life for pride. Be open to the advice of others, ask for help when you need it, and be willing to admit your mistakes. Pride or insecurity can cause us to overvalue position and prestige.

             Prejudice starts with pride and pride ends up in prejudice, this is the relationship of prejudice and pride, they (prejudice and pride) are inseparable and indivisible, but both are a dangerous element for downfall and destruction. So be careful and guard yourself against prejudice and pride, so that Mohan Lal's fate will not happen to you.

      

Karma by Van Raeghxjel Y. Monoy

In the short story entitled Karma written by Khushwant Singh, 

at first I don’t like this short story because I don’t understand the story well, but when ma’am Fusilero discussed it with social interaction with us it become one of my favorite short stories next to Incense in the Lab and The Last Rite.

Karma is all about an Indian man named Sir Mohan Lal who went to England to study and learn English and the life and culture of the English people. When he went home to his country India, he discriminates and hates his own country. He is so bossy, boastful and hypocrite man. I think he really didn’t love his wife because he is not proud on her, he doesn’t care about her! He speaks English like an Englishman, the way he dress, the way he move, and do the things done by the English people.

Because of super vain of Sir Mohan Lal, even though he knows how to speak English more than the other English men, even though he uses the common things used by the Englishman, even though the way he dress will be like an Englishman, and knows many general information’s and current issues in the world, still in the eyes of the English people he was still an Indian, which means inferior to them because inferiority and superiority complex also exist this time.

At the end of the story for all the bad things done by Sir Mohan Lal to his own country, fellow people and etc. was hit back to him.  

He became the victim on it, and he experiences so much pain.

The moral lessons of the story for me are never pretend to be someone, just be who you are, because at the end of pretending stage, the truth will still revealed.  Love your own country and nationality, be proud of who you are and never discriminate people. Also love your own wife and treat them right, love is a gift and we should always treasure it. be a responsible and good husband.

I still believe that discrimination nowadays still exists, for me discrimination does not mean 1 race vs the other race or more but also 1 race vs itself. We can’t deny the fact that even us discriminate our own native men in the barrios and mountain side of our country. We should stop laughing at them, instead respect them and understand them. Discrimination exists many hundred years later until now, there should be equality.

I hope someday, somehow discrimination will be vanished and never come back because this can cause great chaos to different races in this world. We are all humans and believe from one God. I say no to discrimination and must stop it! and it should be now!

Faith, Love, Time and Dr.Lazaro:)

                 I want to reflect on the story, "Faith,Love,Time and Dr. Lazaro because it is the best story i ever read.
                 This story is a reflection of oneself. We can learn from this about how important faith, love and time to a man's life. In our life, we need faith to survive the challenges we are facing. Faith is like an energy that keeps us going. It helps us not to lose hope especially when we are in a situation that we feel like giving up...
                 We need love in order to love another. We need to show love in order to be loved. When we don't love, we are like walking dead. We are alive because we are breathing but we are dead because we don't see anymore the beauty of life.
                  We need time in order to enjoy the moment. Time is very important because we learn how to treasure  every moment we shared with our love ones. We need to enjoy every bit of the time we have so that we will not regret in the future if we don't have time anymore.
                   Life is too short. We need to enjoy it to the fullest. Life is not about money, achievements and luxury. It's about how you enjoy every moment you have when you have faith in God, when you loved and when you treasure the time given to you by God.