Sharon Stone On Chinese Earthquake: "I Thought, Is That Karma?"

Last week in Cannes at the annual amFAR fundraiser for which she annually plays auctioneer, Sharon Stone chatted her way down the red carpet. Stopping to talk to a cluster of microphones, she was asked about the Chinese earthquake, the death toll for which tops 67,000 with over 20,000 still missing.
As seen below (on a Chinese broadcast, so excuse the Chinese introduction), Stone was asked her thoughts about the quake, wondered aloud if it was karma, and said the following:

"Well, you know, it was very interesting, because at first I am not happy about the way Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anybody should be unkind to anybody else... Then I've been concerned about how should we deal with the Olympics because they're not being nice to the Dalai Lama, who's a good friend of mine. And then all this earthquake, and all this stuff happened, I thought, is that karma? When you are not nice, the bad things happen to you. And then I got a letter from the Tibetan foundation that they wanted to go and be helpful, and that made me cry... That was a big lesson to me."

Watch the whole clip here:

Comments

[hypnus]

OMG! Who did her hair? Did they just take a mop off the pole and plop it on her head. Honey, the disaster is on your head.

[fcsakes]

hypnus, I wish I had your sense of humor - LOL!!

[dlbdpb]

IF the way you treat the Earth causes a catostrophic event, then we're in for a REALLY REALLY BIG ONE.

[raker]

Karma is the vapid Hollywood counterpart of christian fundamentalists' blaming hurricanes on gay pride parades. They aren't natural phenomena - it's magic! Magic that, in this case, killed tens of thousand of innocent humble Chinese people to punish the government with which they have no influence.

[darthdarcy]

The interesting thing is that going as far back as you can imagine and to the first Emperor and maybe even before no other culture makes the connection to floods famines and natural disasters with the Emperor and either his policies or character than the Chinese so Sharon bless her heart may not be for far off from a cultural stand point and many of these old Chinese attitudes persist even today..

That the God's Spirits Ancestors are showing their displeasure with the leadership and or Emperors threw these disasters.­..

As for China's ravaging of their environment it doesn't end with them the Coal Seam Fires in China alone burning out of control under ground but allowing heat and CO2 to escape as so bad they can be seen from space with the naked eye..!

China's human rights record in Darfur or Mayamar and elsewhere even Venezuela where they are going to build an AK-47 factory is all bad Karma ...

[kusalarhetoric]

After the tsunami, in Sri Lanka and Thailand (among other places), there was discussion among Buddhists whether it was Karma; scholars pointed out how the Buddha outlined several categories of causes for any particular action, Karma being only one, the random and chaotic acts of nature being another (in this case more proximate) cause. Knowing how the mix of causal factors affected any action/event is the stuff of enlightenment, not idle speculation. Stone seems to have encountered a bit of a revelation here, and admits having learned something, a wonderful spectacle.

Knowing what is going on in Tibet and then understanding what can be done is a dilemma not easily solved; speaking out, when one has the opportunity, against injustice seems, newsworthy. The story here engaging and constructive.

[Wiredwilly]

No, the Chinese Earthquake is an earthquake, not Karma. A duck is not a flagpole. Many people confuse Karma with retribution. Apparently Karma is a moment in mind's continuum when an event manifests from a series of causal relationships. Also eplat is correct, Buddhist don't " worship" the Dalai Llama or anything else. It 's more a teacher/ student relationship, with the student capable of equaling or surpassing the master at any time through practice .

[thismachinekillsfascists]

The real karma here is not the Chinese treatment of Tibetans (and other minorities in China), but the extent by which the Chinese have completely devastated their environment. China has become a land of deserts thanks to their policies of economic expansion, and their rivers are disgustingly polluted.. the ones that are still flowing that is!

2008: The Earth Strikes Back

[Artoo45]

Karma? How is that different from God's will? The right has its psychotic, blowhard diety who apparently loves to dish out misery for "reasons" mysterious. We on the left are afflicted with vague, new-age crap like Karma which is usually dispensed by "the universe". Magical thinking got us into this mess in the first place (manifest destiny, chosen people, holy wars), it will keep us here until we grow up and realize that shit happens for NO REASON and we'd better clean up our rooms and get along or die.

[cuguy]

Do colliding continental plates move in response to human political repression? Or is it rather dissipation of heat from the Earth's mantle and excess density of the oceanic lithosphere sinking in subduction zones? The jury is still out, in the mind of one Hollywood Buddhist and former Scientologist.

It looks like the Dalai Lama's karma just ran into Sharon Stone's dogma. Her understanding of the Universe is almost as coherent as Pastor John Hagee's. Another triumph for the demon-haunted world!

And, I'm sorry but even disgustingly polluted rivers, though damaging to humans and other creatures, do not cause earthquakes.

[Artoo45]

Refreshing reason cuguy, refreshing and rare.

[XMauiGirl]

Tibet - Myth & Reality
http://journeyeast.tripod.com/myth_and_reality.html
http://my.telegraph.co.uk/elle/march_2008/myth_and_reality_of_tibet.htm

People like Richard Gere, Mia Ferrell and Sharon Stone know very little of the history and facts of China & Tibet. By calling Dalai Lama their “friend,” they are each with a huge agenda and it’s mainly about promoting themselves in the name of a “nice” cause

[XMauiGirl]

The recent earthquakes in China as well as the tsunami in Indonesia which perceived as tragedy were actually gifts to humanity; both events had provoked and inspired Compassion.

Souls chose to “sacrifice” their human forms in death moved on to the next incarnation knowing that they have done a service; there’s no pain or suffering. Our lesson to learn is about Oneness, not Separation.

[Bruno4y]

Yes, I also think it's Karma. If you are mean to other people, something bad is going to happen with you, sooner or later.DONT FORGET IT. It does not mean that Share Stone is happy with the earthquake, no, but I have the same feeling, I mean, this dIsaster does not come from the wind, there is a reason and the reason is the bad treatment Chinese Government inflicts on the Tibetans. I have the feeling is not over. I feel something bad will happen with this evil goverment iof China and I hope this happens only with the government, not the Chinese People. I agree with Sharon Stone and I think she is right.

[robXdion]

People should be careful talking about "karma". If that's the case, SoCal can fall in the Pacific tomorrow.

[emerywood]

The Tibetan Foundation wanted to go to help ? And the Dalai Lama worshippers thought the earthquake in China was a karma ? What do they think of the tornados in the Midwest lately ?
That everybody was all wrong ?

[eplatypusunum]

Technically, Tibetan Buddhist revere the Dalai Lama, not worship him. Venerate might be a better term. He is an enlightened MAN, not a god.

The media often use the word 'worship.' It is unfortunate and incorrect.

epu

[wmbear]

THE DALAI LAMA PROBABLY IS A BODISATVA.­..

A Buddhist saint, albeit not the world's most engaging writer -- frankly, I find his books a crashing bore, a tired retread of obvious moral and spiritual principles in a prose completely lacking in distinction. And I don't think this is just due to bad translations. But I venerate him anyway. Writing talent is not the only good thing in the world (though it's up there)....

[ohiomark]

She ranks among the dumbest celebrities out there, what a nitwit.

[Agnim]

Another Hollyweird air head ignoramus demonstrating that she is really human shell.

Was 911 American karma? tsk tsk

[Bad actor]

Why is this news ? Huffpost is steadily going downhill. If you don't believe me then take a look at the selection of photographs of Hillary Clinton that have been used during the past several weeks. The intent is so juvenile and obvious that it is beneath any reasonable excuse. The bias in favor of Obama has been noted and does not need to be embellished with childish pranks.

[SelfishHedonist]

Thank you. I thought I was the only one. I walked into this Dem conundrum supporting Hillary but with the firm resolution to vote for Obama--and be happy about it--if that's how things ended up. Now, I'm not so sure. The amount of vitriol and misogyny directed at this woman almost makes me embarrassed to be a DEMOCRAT.

Honestly, if it weren't for this "100 more years of war in Iraq," I would probably vote for McCain. I cannot. Believe. I just. Indicated. In writing. That I would. Vote REPUBLICAN.

Seriously I'm thinking about ditching HuffPo because I don't share their viewpoint. There's progressive and then there's OBNOXIOUS.

[purplefishies]

I think her entire quote was just fine. The fact is that the selfless actions of the Tibetan made her question her own petty , gut-reaction to the situation. She sort of admitted that this did change her point of view.

[hope4theflowers]

She sort of admitted that this did change her point of view.


she more than sort of admitted it..she admitted it..period­.Not that I care....ju­st your comment bugged me.

[HermioneGranger]

What is the difference between her and Reverend Wright?

[wmbear]

W-E-E-E-E-­LL...

If you have to be told that....

[indigo218]

exactly!

[Birdman]

What an idiot.

[hope4theflowers]

yes you are birdman but theres still hope for you.