Saturday, August 20, 2005
haha, i did this homework assigned by SQ for my Buddhist youth group in Melbourne. Might as well put it up
KARMA
1. What is karma?
While living in this samsara world, we often find ourselves questioning our circumstances. Why are some people more beautiful than others? Why are some people born into rich family, while others scramble to find food to feed themselves? These differences can be explained by the concept of karma
The knowledge of how living beings move from happy circumstances to unhappy circumstances, and vice versa, from unhappy to happy circumstances as a result of their karma - was part of the Buddha’s experience on the night of His enlightenment.
Karma is often mistaken for luck or fate. This unfortunate misinterpretation has led to the concept that our lives are predestined and there is nothing we can do to change the course of our future. This is a wrong view. The term karma actually means “ action”. It is an action that we make with intention and choice.
Every action will yield an effect. This effect may manifest in our present lives or in our future lives. This concept that every intentional action will yield an effect or fruit ( guo) is the law of Karma. A good way to illustrate this is if a person plants a mango seed. This action will soon yield an effect: A mango tree will grow which will bear a mango fruit. So one reaps what one sows. A wholesome action will yield a wholesome fruit, while an unwholesome action will yield an unwholesome fruit. Karma is emphasized in Buddhist because it is the only internal law we can modify on an individual level. Therefore, by upholding the precepts and practicing Buddha’s teachings, we will be able to do more good actions and get wholesome returns.
2. What types of karma are there?
There are 3 types of Karma. Good (wholesome) karma, Bad ( unwholesome) karma and Neutral karma. One will only know that whether an action is wholesome or unwholesome when that action bears its fruit and therefore we can only judge wholesome and unwholesome action from the point of view of long-term effect.
Good Karma
Good or wholesome karma means karma that benefits oneself and others. These actions spring not out of desire, ill-will and ignorance, but out of renunciation, loving-kindness and compassion, and wisdom. Some examples of wholesome actions include generosity, good conduct, meditation, reverence, service, transference of merits, rejoicing in the merit of others, hearing the Dharma, teaching the Dharma and straightening of one’s own views. Wholesome actions will yield wholesome effects. For example, generosity results in wealth. Hearing of the Dharma results in wisdom.
Bad Karma
Unwholesome (bad) actions are that of the body, speech and mind. The 3 unwholesome actions of the body are killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. The 4 unwholesome actions of speech are lying, slander, harsh speech and malicious gossip. The 3 unwholesome actions of the mind are greed, anger and delusion. These actions will yield unwholesome consequences eg. Rebirth into the lower realms, or unhappiness in this life as a human being. For example, murder will result in births in the lower realms of hell, where one will suffer for many kalpas. Or sexual misconduct will result in marital problems or sexually transmitted diseases.
Neutral karma
Neutral karma is karma that has no moral consequence either because the very nature of the action is such as to have no moral consequence or because it is done involuntarily and unintentionally. For example, sleeping, walking, breathing, eating
Conditions.
Take note that karma, be it wholesome or unwholesome, is modified by the conditions under which they are performed. These conditions determine the strength of the karma. For example, in a story from the sutras illustrates this point : In one of His past lives, the Buddha was a merchant who overheard a plot between 2 men to commit a mass murder of other merchants in order to gain more wealth. In order to stop these horrendous killings from being carried out, he killed the 2 men. His deed could be classified as an unwholesome one, but the weight of this unwholesome karma was lightened by his wholesome ( good) intentions to prevent the death of innocent beings. Therefore, even though he was reborn in hell to suffer as a consequence of his unwholesome deeds, his sufferings were probably less than that of a being who committed murder with the intention of getting more wealth for himself. Therefore, the law of karma is extremely complicated as it involves the coming together of many conditions involving the body, the speech and the mind ( intention). It is not a simple matter of black and white, good and bad. The working of the Law of Karma is very finely tuned and balanced so as to match effect with cause, so as to take into account the various conditions that determine the nature of an action. This ensures that the effects of actions are equal to and similar to the nature of the causes.
3. How can we reduce bad karma?
As discussed above, some people have the misconception that karma is fate and that once born into these circumstances, we are incapable of changing our course in life. But the law of karma actually helps us to understand that we are capable of sculpting our future. Once we understand that in our own life, every action will have a similar and equal reaction, we will refrain from unwholesome behaviour, because we do not want to experience unwholesome returns. And similarly, understanding that wholesome actions have happiness as a return, we will cultivate these wholesome actions.
Once an unwholesome deed is committed, it will definitely bear fruit. But the severity of this bad return can be diminished by doing wholesome deeds. This has often been compared to a bowl of water and a spoonful of salt. Putting the salt in the water ( doing an unwholesome deed) will make the water extremely salty. However, if we add more water ( do more wholesome deeds), we can dilute the saltiness of the water. However, the salt is still in the water, meaning that we cannot rid ourselves completely of the effects of our bad actions.
Ways of reducing bad karma would be to perform wholesome deeds like upholding the precepts, listening to the Dharma etc. as discussed under the passage on good /wholesome karma.
Reference:1. The Law of Karma
Extract from "Fundamentals of Buddhism", by Dr. Peter Della Santina.
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma1.htm2. Talk on “ Is Buddhism a religion?” – Buddhist Fellowship Youth session 3. Dharma talks from Fo Guang Shan 4. http://www.buddhistinformation.com/law_of_karma.htm
KARMA
1. What is karma?
While living in this samsara world, we often find ourselves questioning our circumstances. Why are some people more beautiful than others? Why are some people born into rich family, while others scramble to find food to feed themselves? These differences can be explained by the concept of karma
The knowledge of how living beings move from happy circumstances to unhappy circumstances, and vice versa, from unhappy to happy circumstances as a result of their karma - was part of the Buddha’s experience on the night of His enlightenment.
Karma is often mistaken for luck or fate. This unfortunate misinterpretation has led to the concept that our lives are predestined and there is nothing we can do to change the course of our future. This is a wrong view. The term karma actually means “ action”. It is an action that we make with intention and choice.
Every action will yield an effect. This effect may manifest in our present lives or in our future lives. This concept that every intentional action will yield an effect or fruit ( guo) is the law of Karma. A good way to illustrate this is if a person plants a mango seed. This action will soon yield an effect: A mango tree will grow which will bear a mango fruit. So one reaps what one sows. A wholesome action will yield a wholesome fruit, while an unwholesome action will yield an unwholesome fruit. Karma is emphasized in Buddhist because it is the only internal law we can modify on an individual level. Therefore, by upholding the precepts and practicing Buddha’s teachings, we will be able to do more good actions and get wholesome returns.
2. What types of karma are there?
There are 3 types of Karma. Good (wholesome) karma, Bad ( unwholesome) karma and Neutral karma. One will only know that whether an action is wholesome or unwholesome when that action bears its fruit and therefore we can only judge wholesome and unwholesome action from the point of view of long-term effect.
Good Karma
Good or wholesome karma means karma that benefits oneself and others. These actions spring not out of desire, ill-will and ignorance, but out of renunciation, loving-kindness and compassion, and wisdom. Some examples of wholesome actions include generosity, good conduct, meditation, reverence, service, transference of merits, rejoicing in the merit of others, hearing the Dharma, teaching the Dharma and straightening of one’s own views. Wholesome actions will yield wholesome effects. For example, generosity results in wealth. Hearing of the Dharma results in wisdom.
Bad Karma
Unwholesome (bad) actions are that of the body, speech and mind. The 3 unwholesome actions of the body are killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. The 4 unwholesome actions of speech are lying, slander, harsh speech and malicious gossip. The 3 unwholesome actions of the mind are greed, anger and delusion. These actions will yield unwholesome consequences eg. Rebirth into the lower realms, or unhappiness in this life as a human being. For example, murder will result in births in the lower realms of hell, where one will suffer for many kalpas. Or sexual misconduct will result in marital problems or sexually transmitted diseases.
Neutral karma
Neutral karma is karma that has no moral consequence either because the very nature of the action is such as to have no moral consequence or because it is done involuntarily and unintentionally. For example, sleeping, walking, breathing, eating
Conditions.
Take note that karma, be it wholesome or unwholesome, is modified by the conditions under which they are performed. These conditions determine the strength of the karma. For example, in a story from the sutras illustrates this point : In one of His past lives, the Buddha was a merchant who overheard a plot between 2 men to commit a mass murder of other merchants in order to gain more wealth. In order to stop these horrendous killings from being carried out, he killed the 2 men. His deed could be classified as an unwholesome one, but the weight of this unwholesome karma was lightened by his wholesome ( good) intentions to prevent the death of innocent beings. Therefore, even though he was reborn in hell to suffer as a consequence of his unwholesome deeds, his sufferings were probably less than that of a being who committed murder with the intention of getting more wealth for himself. Therefore, the law of karma is extremely complicated as it involves the coming together of many conditions involving the body, the speech and the mind ( intention). It is not a simple matter of black and white, good and bad. The working of the Law of Karma is very finely tuned and balanced so as to match effect with cause, so as to take into account the various conditions that determine the nature of an action. This ensures that the effects of actions are equal to and similar to the nature of the causes.
3. How can we reduce bad karma?
As discussed above, some people have the misconception that karma is fate and that once born into these circumstances, we are incapable of changing our course in life. But the law of karma actually helps us to understand that we are capable of sculpting our future. Once we understand that in our own life, every action will have a similar and equal reaction, we will refrain from unwholesome behaviour, because we do not want to experience unwholesome returns. And similarly, understanding that wholesome actions have happiness as a return, we will cultivate these wholesome actions.
Once an unwholesome deed is committed, it will definitely bear fruit. But the severity of this bad return can be diminished by doing wholesome deeds. This has often been compared to a bowl of water and a spoonful of salt. Putting the salt in the water ( doing an unwholesome deed) will make the water extremely salty. However, if we add more water ( do more wholesome deeds), we can dilute the saltiness of the water. However, the salt is still in the water, meaning that we cannot rid ourselves completely of the effects of our bad actions.
Ways of reducing bad karma would be to perform wholesome deeds like upholding the precepts, listening to the Dharma etc. as discussed under the passage on good /wholesome karma.
Reference:1. The Law of Karma
Extract from "Fundamentals of Buddhism", by Dr. Peter Della Santina.
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma1.htm2. Talk on “ Is Buddhism a religion?” – Buddhist Fellowship Youth session 3. Dharma talks from Fo Guang Shan 4. http://www.buddhistinformation.com/law_of_karma.htm
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