Good Luck and Fate
Good Luck and Fate
Content
What did the Buddha teach about magic and fortune telling?
Then why do people sometimes practise such things and believe in them?
But lucky charms do work, don't they?
Then is there such a thing as luck?
Q: What did the Buddha teach about magic and fortune telling?
A: The Buddha considered such practices as fortune telling, wearing magic charms
for protection, fixing lucky sites for building and fixing lucky days to be useless
superstitions and he expressly forbids his disciples to practise such things. He called
all these things 'low arts'.
Q: Then why do people sometimes practise such things and believe in them?
A: Because of greed, fear and ignorance. As soon as people understand the Buddha's
teachings, they realize that a pure heart can protect them much better than bits of
paper, bits of metal and a few chanted words and they no longer rely on such things.
In the teachings of the Buddha, it is honesty, kindness, understanding, patience,
forgiveness, generosity, loyalty and other good qualities that truly protect you and
give you true prosperity.
Q: But lucky charms do work, don't they?
A: I know a person who makes a living selling lucky charms. He claims that his
charms can give good luck, prosperity and he guarantees that you will be able to pick
three numbers. But if what he says is true then why isn't he himself a millionaire? If
his lucky charms really work, then why doesn't he win the lottery week after week? The
only luck he has is that there are people silly enough to buy his magic charms.
Q: Then is there such a thing as luck?
A: The dictionary defines luck as 'believing that whatever happens, either good or
bad, to a person in the course of events is due to chance, fate or fortune.' The Buddha
denied this belief completely. Everything that happens has a specific cause or causes
and there must be some relationships between the cause and the effect. Becoming sick,
for example has specific causes. One must come into contact with germs and one's body
must be weak enough for the germs to establish themselves. There is a definite
relationship between the cause and the effect
because we know that germs attack the organisms and give rise to sickness. But no
relationship can be found wearing a piece of paper with words written on it and being
rich or passing examinations. Buddhism teaches that whatever happens does so because of
a cause or causes and not due to luck, chance or fate. People who are interested in
luck are always trying to get something - usually more money and wealth. The Buddha
teaches us that it is far more important to develop our hearts and minds. He said:
Being deeply learned and skilled
Being well-trained and using well-spoken words;
this is the best good luck.
To support mother and father, to cherish wife and
child and to have a simple livelihood;
this is the best good luck.
Being generous, just, helping one's relatives and
being blameless in one's actions;
this is the best good luck.
To refrain from evil and from strong drink,
and to be always steadfast in virtue;
this is the best good luck.
Reverence, humility, contentment, gratitude and
hearing the good Dhamma;
this is the best good luck.
Sn 261-265