QUOTE(kmarc @ Apr 5 2020, 11:41 PM)
Since the experts can't answer satisfactorily, let me answer for them. Ahem.....
Karma is carried throughout a "consciousness" existence where the next cycle is determined by that has been done in the previous cycle.
The one that most people understand is that if you have done good in this life, you will rewarded with a better life next cycle. If you did bad, you will be demoted in the next cycle.
What happens to the ants that got the free insecticide then? Well, first of all, they were very bad in the last cycle so they were demoted to become ants. Serves them right. That's karma!!! So how are they going to get the opportunity to ascend when everybody knows ants can't do good or bad deeds. What? Ants going on a homicidal rampage then get bad karma? Or ants did good deeds by helping poor ants so get good karma? They probably don'tt understand anything at that time. Only mindless insects programmed to do their work. Punishment enough I would say.
So if the ants died suddenly, the default is that they get to ascend up the ranks... a bit. Maybe become spider. After dying, the ascend further. Up to a point where their consciousness become self aware, and they know what is good or bad. At that point in the cycle, karma kicks in, and you'll get what you deserve in the next cycle based on what you did in the previous life.
How did I do? Ok?

This gist of the thought experiment is that we are supposed to gather a random sample representing living things with very different past lives.
So selecting only ants, is considered non-random sampling.
Since this is only a thought experiment, let's re-construct the samples. We collect the samples of living things which includes ants, cockroach, monkey, tiger, human, prisoners, church pastors, monks, rapist, rich man, poor man, charity donors, serial killers.
And then there is a computer program to randomly split them into group A and group B.
Group A will be given hydrogen cyanide gas.
Group B will not be given hydrogen cyanide gas.
What will be the expected result ?
Will their past life background/karma have any impact to their destiny ?
There are many variations to the sample possible. But repeated experiments will show that the outcome is independent of their past lives. Present life karma/encounters/causes completely determine their destiny.
This post has been edited by puchongite: Apr 6 2020, 07:30 AM