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This NYTimes story is rich with issues to contemplate: Karma. International relations. Human rights. Celebrity.

The Christian Dior company dropped actress Sharon Stone from its advertising in China (note: ONLY China, not it’s global campaign,) after she said this doozer at last week’s Cannes Film Festival:

“I’m not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don’t think anyone should be unkind to anyone else. And then the earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you’re not nice that the bad things happen to you?”

Whoa.

Now a state-run Chinese news agency, is calling Stone “the public enemy of all mankind.”

Double whoa.

Karma is a huge concept that I think gets oversimplified by Western New Ageism. Do I believe what goes around comes around? Yes. Garbage in, garbage out. But ultimately, I don’t think the universe keeps score with the same metrics that humans tend to: linear, black and white, an eye for an eye. I feel that Life is much more holographic — it’s both ruthless and compassionate. There is so much beneath the surface of our actions (whether we’re giving or receiving) I’m hesitant to make karma calls on anyone’s actions — which, I find, leaves me more open to feel — whether I’m feeling sympathy, vengence, or confusion.

Maybe I’m making light of karma…