Tricycle | Awake in the World

When someone puts you down about a dream or goals you want to fulfill and generally gloats over your occasional misfortunes that you suffer along the way to achieving your goals and dreams, what sort of karmic payback, if any, does that negative person receive in life? Sincerely, Dina

Nagapriya responds:

Dina. It sounds as though you may be smarting from having someone gloat at you and that makes you a little annoyed. I understand that this is a painful experience and that maybe you would like to know that they will suffer as a consequence. I don’t think this is a skilful aspiration. After all, which is worse: gloating over the misfortunes of others or enjoying the later humiliation of the one who gloats? Wishing suffering on others is not a virtue. Perhaps rather than thinking of what punishment the gloater will befall, you could consider how unsatisfying their life must be for them to act in such a petty way. In terms of ‘punishment’ for their conduct, well, at the very least, they would seem to have foregone the benefit of your friendship. Their loss!