Nowhere has the Buddha said that all happenings in life are owing to karma, as there are other conditions governing life. Anyway, looking down upon the poor as karmically unqualified is utter abuse of the doctrine of karma. In the eyes of Dharma, the riches have no moral right to say to the poor: 'you deserve misery, as it's karmic.' Instead, they must have the tendency of compassion to help the poor whatever way possible. Seeing compassion as a reality that mustn't be mixed up with the reality of karma, the rich must extend a helping hand to the poor. There are, of course, great many a rich people helping the poor. There are poor people sharing their hardly earned, humble meal with their poverty-stricken fellow human beings.
This point has to be made, as the there's a popular misconception that the people of good karmic inheritance must enjoy theirs with no moral obligation whatsoever that they must help the poor.
I've seen people calling the poor and homeless 'miserable,' so as to kind of intentionally or unintentionally 'justify' the former party's reluctance to help the latter by referring to the poor karma of the latter. Don't judge the karmic suitability of those needing a helping hand, but give them a helping hand whatever way possible. That's an excellent karma you earn.
It's better to walk away from the poor rather than abusing them in order not to give and to justify the reluctance to help.
By Upananda Thero Dedunupitiye
(Picture by courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald)
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