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Jul 21 2011

How Karma Works

32 min 5 movies discussed
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While it's kind of perverted in the West, the concept of karma is a central tenet of several Eastern religions. Karma isn't just good or bad -- it's a natural law. Join Josh and Chuck to learn more about karma in this religiously respectful episode.

AI Summary

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck dive deep into the ancient concept of karma, exploring how this fundamental Eastern philosophy has been completely transformed in Western culture. They break down the traditional beliefs about karma in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—where karma is actually something you want to escape from rather than accumulate—and trace how it evolved into our modern "what goes around comes around" mentality through figures like the mystical Madame Blavatsky and pop culture references like "My Name is Earl."


Movies Discussed

28 Days Later
28 Days Later
2002 1h 53m
★ 7.2
"I was in 28 days later when they're in the grocery store — Chuck mentions hearing a Grandaddy song in the movie 28 Days Later during a grocery store scene." — Chuck
Hair
Hair
1979 2h 1m
★ 7.3
"What was that from here? Yeah. So there you go. Age of Aquarius — Josh references where the song 'Age of Aquarius' comes from when discussing the Aquarian Age concept." — Josh
Memphis Beat
Memphis Beat
2010
★ 6.9
"Have you seen that Memphis beat show? — Josh asks Chuck about the TV show Memphis Beat starring Jason Lee." — Josh
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl
2005
★ 7.7
"How it got on my name is Earl — Josh mentions how the concept of karma became the basis for the TV show My Name is Earl." — Josh
Star Wars
Star Wars
1977 2h 1m
★ 8.2
"This sort of reminded me of the midi-chlorians, how they explain the force — Josh compares Jainism's view of karma as atomic particles to how midi-chlorians explain the Force in Star Wars." — Josh

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