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Consider a thought experiment :-
I have an enemy. He wants to shoot me.
Case A: If I receive the bullet on my body, then the most general explanation given by Hinduism is that I had a bad karma (प्रारब्ध) in past-births. That's why I got hit.
Case B: If instead, I am fortunate enough to be saved, unharmed from bullet fired by my enemy, then the most general explanation given by Hinduism is that I had done some good deeds (प्रारब्ध), which saved me from suffering.

I see a flaw in this reasoning. And the flaw that I observe is that
My past karma (प्रारब्ध) is a function of an external stimuli (enemy here). My enemy's shooting ability is deciding if my past karma to be good or bad.

The paradox: Is my past karma creating a stimulus in my present birth ? Or is the stimulus in my present birth affecting my past karma ?
How can my past karma be changing in accordance with an external stimulus in my present birth ?

Please clarify.
Follow-up question: Is human body capable of creating new karma, or is it just to consume the fruits of past karma, or both ?
What are views of Hinduism, in this regard?

spkakkar
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    Please read Gita minutely and many of your queries and doubts will get cleared. –  Apr 20 '19 at 05:46
  • @commonman, I tried my best, but can't resolve this paradox. – spkakkar Apr 20 '19 at 08:53
  • Pl. read answers to https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/8848/if-karma-works-why-are-so-many-evil-or-corrupted-people-successful/32958#32958 –  Apr 20 '19 at 10:52
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    The problem with karma theory is there's no clear definition. See this question on its falsifiabilty. "My enemy's shooting ability is deciding if my past karma to be good or bad" - supporters would argue that the shooter's aim is also coded into his karma. If you're destined to become physically disabled then his karma is coded to shoot you in your spine. For your follow up question see: https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/q/2399 – Say No To Censorship Apr 20 '19 at 19:57
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    @sv. thanks directly from my heart for referring me to these wonderful questions & discussions. /\ – spkakkar Apr 20 '19 at 20:36
  • @sv, karma theory is definitely falsifiable if you have guts to perform penances mentioned in scriptures that help you recall past-lives. otherwise, you're just a pseudo-scientist crying sour grapes. falsifiability is completely dependent on the verification procedure. it's like this : you say that 'sun exists', and I ask 'is it falsifiable?', and you reply 'yes, just open your eyes during daytime on a clear day', but I refuse saying 'i have not tried opening eyes. i don't want to. it is too hard for me. so clearly your statement that sun exists is not falsifiable' – ram Apr 22 '19 at 03:00
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    @spkakkar, you have it other way around. your enemy's ability is not deciding your karma. your karma is deciding your enemy's ability. there is no paradox here. your past karma and also your present karma is creating multiple stimuli in your present birth and for future births. your past karma does not change. you're making a wrong assumption, hence imagining some paradox. to your follow up question - it's both. your body can generate new karma (optional, u have free will in this regard), it also experiences effects of past karma (not optional, u don't have free will in this regard). – ram Apr 22 '19 at 03:04
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    @sv, see this question on falsifiability. Your entire definition of falsifiability hinges on one's willingness and ability to perform the test/verification. If everyone refuses to perform the test, there is nothing you can do to convince anyone that anything is falsifiable. – ram Apr 22 '19 at 03:08
  • @ram Sir, please take some time to write an answer, I liked your reasoning. – spkakkar Apr 22 '19 at 21:14
  • @spkakkar As far as my humble understanding goes. It is your past karma which influences the present stimuli. So nothing is being changed in the past, there is no paradox. Where is the paradox? –  Jul 07 '19 at 17:20

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