I believe that Sharon hit it on the head. What you do in life has repercussions whether you call it sin or karma. How the Chinese have acted towards others is catching up with them.

Hmm I think Sharon has been taken completely out of context here. She was just thinking out loud something that most of us would maybe self censor out. It is not nice to think that earthquake and the human tragedy it created, as China's karma. But i think her point was just that, that she had challenging thoughts about China and what a big lesson she learned about metta through the actions of the Tibetan Fundation.

Sharon Stone's comment about Katrina.

News Reporter: Did you hear know about the typhoon in New Orleans?

Stone: Of cause I have. You know, it's very interesting about that since first, I'm not happy about the way USA treats the Iraqis because I think anyone should not be unkind to anyone else. And so I am being very concerned about the election of the next president of the US and A, because we had not being nice to Saddam Hussein, who is a good friend of mine. And Katrina typhoon ,and all the stuff happened, and I thought, is that Karma? When you’re not nice that the bad things happen. And then I got a letter from the Iraqi Foundation that they want to go and be helpful. This made me cry. And they asked me if I
will write a quote to that, and I said I would that it was a big lesson to me, that sometimes you have to learn to put your face down and be a dog to the person who aren't nice to you. And that is a big lesson to me.

Yes, her use of the word was inappropriate. The appropriate term for Sharon Stone's comment is "metaphysical malpractice".

I don't believe her use of the word Karma was correct but she is amongst many who believe that Karma is payment for bad things that you have done. The quote sounded more like she was trying to figure out her role in this whole situation.
Yes, we should all do what we can to help the suffering, most of the people who have been affected by the earthquake are innocent and don't have anything to do with the mistreatment of the Tibetans or the Dalai Lama, they are just human beings.
Why do we judge people so harshly? Do we feel the need to add more suffering to this World?

to be honest, i'm not even entirely sure that her statement makes logical sense, nevermind being accurate. the woman is an actress, and people should not look to her for religious or karmic advice because clearly it is not her forte. i think it is unjust to criticise her statement when she has never claimed to be some sort of religious guru - people are entitled to their comments, whether or not they ring true with the beliefs of the involved religions.

Stone is just as offensive as the Rev. Hagee who said that New Orleans desrved the devastation of the hurricane because of their sinfulness. Disasters such as hurricanes, earth quakes etc have nothing whatsoever to do with karma or sin or God--bad things happen. I refuse to beleive that the Universe or God or however one wants to see it is so unfair that millions of innocent people would be harmed because of the Government that they cannot control or because there are people who do things that others think are bad. And what of all the animals that were harmed--did they deserve bad karma? However how the rest of us react to the disaster does effect OUR karma. Do we blame the victims/just ignore them or do we help the victims as much as we possibly can?

yeh I think
its too easy to invoke karma as a reason for peoples sufferings.
the buddha taught that there were 6 reasons the (Nyamas)of things affecting us one of these is karma . what you sow you reap.
Dharmadassin is right using karma as a reason for peoples sufferings is possibly a blame game
But one would never know what things are a result of.
But knowing this it does mean that the more acts of loving kindness we make we will enjoy a happier life or next lives , but we may still suffer as we burn off the karmic consequences of our previous deeds in this life and our past lives.
PS I had the same thoughts as Sharon Stone,

While it is a painful and unfortunate disaster, it still remains true that Karma is in everything. I read that China was banning the showing of all Stone's movies due to her statement.

Here's the thing. I'm in the middle of reading "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life" by H.H. the Dalai Lama himself, and he states that, while disasters are most unfortunate, whether natural or man-made, they are acts of Karma deserved by those receiving them. We should always lend a helping hand, but we should not be overly worried about things that happen to others that are out of our control, because they are, in fact, the karmic repercussions of the victims' own actions.

The Dalai Lama has been trying since the 60's to reach a peace with China that will allow Tibet to rule itself while remaining under China's control. They have replied with the murder of many, the destruction of temples, the kidnapping and disappearance of the Panchen Lama and his family and placement of their own Panchen Lama in order to try to control the naming of the next Dalai Lama, plus all the recent hub about lead in toys and rat poison in dog food.

China is a beautiful culture, and their peoples' lives are worth no less than anyone else's, but their government is doing shameful things and their people are allowing it to happen.

"Here's the thing. I'm in the middle of reading "How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life" by H.H. the Dalai Lama himself, and he states that, while disasters are most unfortunate, whether natural or man-made, they are acts of Karma deserved by those receiving them. We should always lend a helping hand, but we should not be overly worried about things that happen to others that are out of our control, because they are, in fact, the karmic repercussions of the victims' own actions."

THIS IS REALLY SICK THINKING!! ARE RAPE AND MURDER VICTIMS TO BLAME? ARE INNOCENT CHILDREN VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS OR WAR TO BLAME? It is sad how we humans always find some excuse like sin or karma to justify our cruelty and indifference. Remember that the caste system with all it's injustice and cruelty is based on karma and the Spanish Inquisition was based on sin.

I guess that the Dalai Lama has a lot of bad karma for him and his followers to be kicked out of Tibet in the first place. Should we ignore him and just let him work out his own bad karma?

Instead of pontificating about karma, perhaps we should ponitificate about the possibility that each of us individuallly and all of us collectively who have strong feelings about the Tibet issue are responsible for this event through the power of race consciousness. Though the practice of yoga we can learn and appreciate a deeper awareness of our oneness and unity with all of life and all of creation. It is sobering to consider the possiblity that collectively, we all may be responsible for this event through our collective beliefs and attitudes. The good news of this is that as each of us moves closer to our own personal enlightment, collectively through the power of race consciousness, ....

While I don't look to celebrities for guidance on things like spirituality and politics, I think Sharon Stone's comments brought attention to the poor people who suffered the effects of the earthquake. I don't believe that natural disasters are products of karma (sorry to disagree with His Holiness the Dalai Lama) but I do believe that the way we respond to the needs of others in these situations is an opportunity to create good karma.

Years ago, I read something in "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" that has always stuck with me: karma is too often used as an excuse to not ease the suffering of others.

People should ALWAYS do everything they can to help others; turning a blind eye to the suffering of others would bring bad karma on ourselves. Sharon Stone did not say we should not be helping them. She said she almost cried because she was so touched by the Dalai Lama's selflessness to be so immediate in his intent on helping.

Let Karma do what it does. Let mother nature do what she does.

And let us all exercise compassion no matter the circumstances.