This document summarizes a discussion between three Buddhist scholars on the topic of karma - what it is, how it works, and its role in Buddhism. Some key points:
- Karma is the principle of cause and effect where intentional actions have consequences. It is carried from moment to moment and lifetime to lifetime by the continuum of consciousness.
- When rebirth occurs, the stream of consciousness transfers all accumulated karma, experiences, and latent tendencies to a new existence. Ignorance and craving perpetuate rebirth.
- While Westerners new to Buddhism may be skeptical of karma and rebirth, teachers recommend focusing first on teachings that can be verified through experience, like ethics and meditation, to build trust before
This document discusses Buddhist teachings on karma. It explains that karma refers to intentional actions that have moral causes and effects. Wholesome actions like generosity and goodwill lead to good karma and rebirth in pleasant realms, while unwholesome actions like killing and theft lead to bad karma and rebirth in unpleasant realms. The principle of karma is seen as an independent law of cause and effect that operates without interference from any god. Motivation behind actions also determines their karmic fruitfulness. The document outlines the ten wholesome and unwholesome types of bodily, verbal, and mental actions.
Vipassana is an ancient Buddhist meditation technique that focuses on self-observation and purification of the mind. It aims to dissolve mental impurities through understanding the deep connection between the mind and body, resulting in a balanced, compassionate mind and the highest happiness of full liberation. Taught in 10-day residential courses around the world, Vipassana is open to all sincere people and focuses on curing human suffering through an unbroken lineage dating back to the Buddha.
Introduction to upanishad (mundaka & mandukya upanishad )muskaan maurya
The Upanishads are philosophical texts considered to be an essential part of the Vedas. They discuss meditation and spiritual knowledge aimed at guiding students to the truth about ultimate reality. Two key Upanishads are discussed - the Mundaka Upanishad and the Mandukya Upanishad. The Mundaka Upanishad presents a dialogue where the teacher explains the concepts of lower knowledge focused on rituals and higher knowledge focused on realizing the imperishable truth of Brahman. The Mandukya Upanishad emphasizes the oneness of the individual self and Brahman, and the realization of non-duality as the goal to overcome suffering.
The document discusses the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga as described by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. It explains each of the eight limbs - Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi - and how following this eight-limbed path can lead one to individual and social well-being, physical fitness, intellectual awakening, mental peace, and contentment of the soul. It also briefly mentions different branches of yoga including Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga.
The document summarizes the eight limbs of yoga according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. The eight limbs are: yama (restraints), niyama (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (pure contemplation). Each limb builds upon the previous one and moves the practitioner from outer restraints and observances towards inner meditation and absorption. While modern yoga focuses on postures, Patanjali viewed them as just one limb and emphasized steady and comfortable positions to aid in meditation.
The document discusses various topics related to the human body systems and energy channels from a yogic perspective. It describes the 6 main systems of the human body and notes that the central nervous system is the most important. It then discusses the endocrine system and various glands. It provides details on the nadis or energy channels, including the 3 primary channels of ida, pingala, and sushumna. It explains the chakras as energy centers located along the spine that the nadi channels cross at various points and discusses the 7 main chakras and their attributes.
This is a short explanation of the course "Achieving Oneness with the Higher Soul" by Master Choa Kok Sui's school of Pranic healing and Arhatic Yoga. This course is open for all and is highly advised for anyone seeking a spiritual calling.
This document from satwayoga.com discusses using yoga to help treat anxiety. It defines anxiety as a general feeling of uneasiness, fear and sometimes panic. It lists common symptoms like shortness of breath and problems sleeping. It then discusses causes of anxiety like sedentary lifestyles and allergies and problems it can cause like heart disease, diabetes and headaches. Key yoga poses recommended for anxiety include bow, fish and headstand poses. It also recommends breathing techniques and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
This document discusses Buddhist teachings on karma. It explains that karma refers to intentional actions that have moral causes and effects. Wholesome actions like generosity and goodwill lead to good karma and rebirth in pleasant realms, while unwholesome actions like killing and theft lead to bad karma and rebirth in unpleasant realms. The principle of karma is seen as an independent law of cause and effect that operates without interference from any god. Motivation behind actions also determines their karmic fruitfulness. The document outlines the ten wholesome and unwholesome types of bodily, verbal, and mental actions.
Vipassana is an ancient Buddhist meditation technique that focuses on self-observation and purification of the mind. It aims to dissolve mental impurities through understanding the deep connection between the mind and body, resulting in a balanced, compassionate mind and the highest happiness of full liberation. Taught in 10-day residential courses around the world, Vipassana is open to all sincere people and focuses on curing human suffering through an unbroken lineage dating back to the Buddha.
Introduction to upanishad (mundaka & mandukya upanishad )muskaan maurya
The Upanishads are philosophical texts considered to be an essential part of the Vedas. They discuss meditation and spiritual knowledge aimed at guiding students to the truth about ultimate reality. Two key Upanishads are discussed - the Mundaka Upanishad and the Mandukya Upanishad. The Mundaka Upanishad presents a dialogue where the teacher explains the concepts of lower knowledge focused on rituals and higher knowledge focused on realizing the imperishable truth of Brahman. The Mandukya Upanishad emphasizes the oneness of the individual self and Brahman, and the realization of non-duality as the goal to overcome suffering.
The document discusses the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga as described by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. It explains each of the eight limbs - Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi - and how following this eight-limbed path can lead one to individual and social well-being, physical fitness, intellectual awakening, mental peace, and contentment of the soul. It also briefly mentions different branches of yoga including Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga.
The document summarizes the eight limbs of yoga according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. The eight limbs are: yama (restraints), niyama (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (pure contemplation). Each limb builds upon the previous one and moves the practitioner from outer restraints and observances towards inner meditation and absorption. While modern yoga focuses on postures, Patanjali viewed them as just one limb and emphasized steady and comfortable positions to aid in meditation.
The document discusses various topics related to the human body systems and energy channels from a yogic perspective. It describes the 6 main systems of the human body and notes that the central nervous system is the most important. It then discusses the endocrine system and various glands. It provides details on the nadis or energy channels, including the 3 primary channels of ida, pingala, and sushumna. It explains the chakras as energy centers located along the spine that the nadi channels cross at various points and discusses the 7 main chakras and their attributes.
This is a short explanation of the course "Achieving Oneness with the Higher Soul" by Master Choa Kok Sui's school of Pranic healing and Arhatic Yoga. This course is open for all and is highly advised for anyone seeking a spiritual calling.
This document from satwayoga.com discusses using yoga to help treat anxiety. It defines anxiety as a general feeling of uneasiness, fear and sometimes panic. It lists common symptoms like shortness of breath and problems sleeping. It then discusses causes of anxiety like sedentary lifestyles and allergies and problems it can cause like heart disease, diabetes and headaches. Key yoga poses recommended for anxiety include bow, fish and headstand poses. It also recommends breathing techniques and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Yoga therapy specifically applies yogic tools like postures, breathwork and meditation to address an individual's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs related to various health concerns. It can help with issues like chronic pain, neurological disorders, mental health issues, illness and general well-being. Yoga therapy sessions are more tailored to the individual than general yoga classes, with a therapeutic relationship and practices customized to each client's goals. Certified yoga therapists receive over 1,000 hours of training across relevant subjects like anatomy, psychology and a clinical practicum, compared to 200 hours for general yoga teachers. Research is growing around the biopsychosocial benefits of yoga therapy for various conditions.
Ray Sherwin - El Libro de Los Resultados.
Traducción al castellano de la cuarta edición de "The Book of Results" (El Libro de los Resultados), escrito por Ray Sherwin, uno de los originadores de la moderna Magia del Caos.
El autor es fundador a finales de los 70 de la revista "The New Equinox" junto a Pete Carroll (quien prologa el libro), co-fundador con él en 1978 de la organización IOT (Illuminates of Thanateros), y autor también de "El Teatro de la Magia", ya traducido en el año 2007 al castellano.
Secrets of srividya mantra deeksha and siddhi - by Sri Sadguru SivapremanandajiMulavarg Foundation
Secrets of srividya mantra deeksha and siddhi - by Sri Sadguru Sivapremanandaji
For more details, Please visit:
https://srividyasadhana.com/rajarajeshwari-kriya-yoga/
Call : +91 9901019177./ 7483528148
Connect with us :
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Mulavarg-Siddha-Teachings-1368413369880158/
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-16UGST-Eek
Karma yoga is one of the four classical schools of yoga alongside Jnana (knowledge or self-study), Bhakti (devotion) and Raja (meditation), each offering a path to moksha (spiritual liberation) and self-realization.
Derived from the Sanskrit term for "action", karma is understood by both Hindu and Buddhist traditions to be the sum of a person’s deeds in past, present and future states of existence. In yoga, karma is known as the path of action, or selfless service towards others.
Karma yoga is considered to be one of the most practical and effective means of spiritual development.
Buddhism for you lesson 05-the triple gem(part 2)Uncle Bugs
The document discusses the key aspects of Buddhism - the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dhamma (teachings), and Sangha (monastic community). It explains taking refuge in the Triple Gem through chanting and observing the Five Precepts to abstain from harming living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication. The Dhamma contains the Tipitaka scriptures and answers questions in science regarding impermanence, suffering, and absence of self - concepts that were taught by the Buddha over 2500 years ago. Monastic communities play an important role in teaching the Dhamma and serving others.
Karma refers to intentional actions that cause effects through a natural law of cause and effect. Wholesome intentional actions like compassion and wisdom lead to good karma and happiness, while unwholesome actions like anger, greed, and delusion lead to bad karma and suffering. Karma can bear fruit in this life or in future lives, and the severity of results depends on factors like intention and repetition of actions. Purifying past negative karma involves regret, commitment to change, and cultivating positivity. The cycle of rebirth continues until karma is extinguished through enlightenment.
The document summarizes the key teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. It discusses how the Gita teaches karma yoga and performing one's duties as a sacrifice to God. It also teaches that the Gita provides a holistic path involving duty, discipline, and devotion. It outlines several fundamental teachings on knowing the reality of the impermanent world and of oneself as distinct from the body and mind. It emphasizes restraining the senses, cultivating wisdom, performing actions without attachment, and surrendering fully to the divine.
The document discusses the concepts of nadis, ida, pingala, and sushumna channels which carry prana and consciousness through the body. It describes the 7 major chakras located along the spinal cord, from muladhara at the base to sahasrara at the crown of the head. Each chakra is associated with specific physical, mental, emotional and spiritual qualities. Kundalini is described as a dormant potential force located in muladhara chakra. The document outlines practices like yoga, pranayama and meditation that can be used to awaken kundalini energy and ascend it up the sushumna nadi to higher chakras.
Swami Sivananda was born in 1887 in Tamil Nadu, India. He received an education and worked as a successful doctor, but experienced a spiritual calling and renounced his career in 1923. He traveled to Rishikesh where he took sanyas in 1924, adopting the name Swami Sivananda. He established the Divine Life Society in 1936 and spread his message of yoga, Vedanta, and selfless service through extensive travel, writing over 300 books, and establishing ashrams that continue his work of spiritual guidance. Swami Sivananda attained samadhi in 1963, leaving a lasting spiritual legacy.
Bhagvad gita chapter 1 , Arjuna-Vishada yoga (The yoga of the dejection of Ar...Medicherla Kumar
Revised and updated in 2021. The flowcharts and overview black and white for printing.
• Chapter 1: Arjuna-Vishada yoga (The yoga of the dejection of Arjuna) - 47 verses. Arjuna's depression is presented as a system of yoga. When Arjuna sees his near and dear ones on the opposing army side of the Kurus, he loses morale and decides not to fight (1:20-27). Arjuna presents Krishna his arguments for refusing to fight (1:28-47). Basically, he fears the sinful reactions of killing.
This document discusses the concept of Bhakti Yoga or devotion to God. It defines Bhakti as love for God without selfish expectations. It describes different types of Bhakti like Sakamya (with desires), Nishkamya (without desires), Apara (for beginners focused on rituals) and Para (highest form seeing God everywhere). It also discusses different Bhava or emotional states in Bhakti like Shanta, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Madhurya. It outlines practices to cultivate Bhakti like worship, study of scriptures, singing kirtans and the nine forms of Bhakti - Sravana, Kirtana,
swami vivekananda four yoga karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakthi yoga and raja yogaKaruna Yoga Vidya Peetham
This document provides an overview of Karma Yoga, the path of selfless action. It defines Karma Yoga as an inner attitude towards action without attachment to fruits or results. Key aspects include performing duties without selfishness or attachments in order to unite the individual soul with the supreme soul. It also discusses the three types of Karma - sanchita (stored), agami (forthcoming), and prarabdha (present). The document then briefly introduces Jnana Yoga, the path of knowledge, and Raja Yoga, the royal path of meditation before concluding with an introduction to Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion.
The document discusses 12 laws of the universe. It explains that everything in the universe is energy that vibrates at different frequencies and can exist in different states. It then outlines each of the 12 laws, including the laws of vibration, action, correspondence, attraction, relativity, polarity, rhythm, and gender. The laws describe how all things are connected, that our thoughts and actions create our reality, and that everything has an opposite or counterpart.
Rishikesh in India is considered the birthplace of yoga. The practice of yoga began over 5,000 years ago in northern India. Though practiced earlier, the great sage Patanjali systematized yoga around 500 BC by compiling existing practices into his Yoga Sutras text. Yoga aims for self-realization and liberation through harmonizing the mind and body.
This document discusses various concepts and techniques related to concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana) in yoga. It provides details on how to begin practicing concentration through focusing on physical objects, mental imagery, mantras, or specific points in the body. Proper preparation is emphasized through physical and mental exercises to develop neuromuscular control and stillness before attempting more advanced practices. Gazing (trataka) and visualization exercises are presented as aids to developing one-pointed focus of the mind.
This document provides an outline and overview of key sections and teachings from Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita. It is divided into 5 main sections (A-E). Section A covers transcendental knowledge about Krishna. Section B applies this knowledge to work. Section C discusses nishkama karma yoga. Section D covers properly performed sacrifices that lead to transcendental knowledge. Section E summarizes the overall knowledge and the benefits of understanding it. Key points include understanding Krishna's eternal and transcendental nature, acting with detachment, different types of bona fide sacrifices, and the fruits of developing transcendental knowledge through devotion.
Kamma refers to intentional actions through body, speech, and mind that have moral or immoral consequences. Every action has a corresponding reaction or result. Ignorance and craving are the root causes of kamma. Kamma is not fatalistic, as one can divert the course of their kamma through effort. The five niyamas describe natural laws governing physical and mental phenomena. One is responsible for one's kamma and circumstances, but these can also be transcended by eliminating craving and ignorance.
This document summarizes the key sections and concepts from The Yoga-sûtra Of Patañjali. It outlines the four books/sections: Samadhi-pada (Integration), Sadhana-pada (The Path To Realization), Vibhuti-pada (The Extraordinary Powers), and Kaivalya Pada (Liberation). The first section defines yoga as the restraint of mental modifications. It also discusses the concepts of chitta, vrittis, and purusha vs prakriti. The second section covers the eight limbs of yoga practice and disciplines like yama, niyama and asana. The third section discusses supernatural powers that can arise from yoga
This injunction can be conveyed to a child by parents who have a boy when they wanted a girl or vice versa. Their non verbal message is “Don’t be the sex you are”.
The document discusses the laws of karma and how they apply to family and the workplace. It warns that continually criticizing, insulting, and judging others will result in similar treatment directed back at oneself according to the principles of karma.
This document discusses the elements and structure of a narrative essay. A narrative essay tells a story using elements like setting, characters, plot, theme, and mood. It should include an introduction with a hook and thesis to set up the story, a body organized chronologically with transitional sentences connecting events, and a conclusion that finishes the story and provides a lesson or revelation. An effective narrative essay incorporates these story elements and structural components to engage the reader.
Yoga therapy specifically applies yogic tools like postures, breathwork and meditation to address an individual's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs related to various health concerns. It can help with issues like chronic pain, neurological disorders, mental health issues, illness and general well-being. Yoga therapy sessions are more tailored to the individual than general yoga classes, with a therapeutic relationship and practices customized to each client's goals. Certified yoga therapists receive over 1,000 hours of training across relevant subjects like anatomy, psychology and a clinical practicum, compared to 200 hours for general yoga teachers. Research is growing around the biopsychosocial benefits of yoga therapy for various conditions.
Ray Sherwin - El Libro de Los Resultados.
Traducción al castellano de la cuarta edición de "The Book of Results" (El Libro de los Resultados), escrito por Ray Sherwin, uno de los originadores de la moderna Magia del Caos.
El autor es fundador a finales de los 70 de la revista "The New Equinox" junto a Pete Carroll (quien prologa el libro), co-fundador con él en 1978 de la organización IOT (Illuminates of Thanateros), y autor también de "El Teatro de la Magia", ya traducido en el año 2007 al castellano.
Secrets of srividya mantra deeksha and siddhi - by Sri Sadguru SivapremanandajiMulavarg Foundation
Secrets of srividya mantra deeksha and siddhi - by Sri Sadguru Sivapremanandaji
For more details, Please visit:
https://srividyasadhana.com/rajarajeshwari-kriya-yoga/
Call : +91 9901019177./ 7483528148
Connect with us :
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Mulavarg-Siddha-Teachings-1368413369880158/
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-16UGST-Eek
Karma yoga is one of the four classical schools of yoga alongside Jnana (knowledge or self-study), Bhakti (devotion) and Raja (meditation), each offering a path to moksha (spiritual liberation) and self-realization.
Derived from the Sanskrit term for "action", karma is understood by both Hindu and Buddhist traditions to be the sum of a person’s deeds in past, present and future states of existence. In yoga, karma is known as the path of action, or selfless service towards others.
Karma yoga is considered to be one of the most practical and effective means of spiritual development.
Buddhism for you lesson 05-the triple gem(part 2)Uncle Bugs
The document discusses the key aspects of Buddhism - the Triple Gem of the Buddha, Dhamma (teachings), and Sangha (monastic community). It explains taking refuge in the Triple Gem through chanting and observing the Five Precepts to abstain from harming living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication. The Dhamma contains the Tipitaka scriptures and answers questions in science regarding impermanence, suffering, and absence of self - concepts that were taught by the Buddha over 2500 years ago. Monastic communities play an important role in teaching the Dhamma and serving others.
Karma refers to intentional actions that cause effects through a natural law of cause and effect. Wholesome intentional actions like compassion and wisdom lead to good karma and happiness, while unwholesome actions like anger, greed, and delusion lead to bad karma and suffering. Karma can bear fruit in this life or in future lives, and the severity of results depends on factors like intention and repetition of actions. Purifying past negative karma involves regret, commitment to change, and cultivating positivity. The cycle of rebirth continues until karma is extinguished through enlightenment.
The document summarizes the key teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. It discusses how the Gita teaches karma yoga and performing one's duties as a sacrifice to God. It also teaches that the Gita provides a holistic path involving duty, discipline, and devotion. It outlines several fundamental teachings on knowing the reality of the impermanent world and of oneself as distinct from the body and mind. It emphasizes restraining the senses, cultivating wisdom, performing actions without attachment, and surrendering fully to the divine.
The document discusses the concepts of nadis, ida, pingala, and sushumna channels which carry prana and consciousness through the body. It describes the 7 major chakras located along the spinal cord, from muladhara at the base to sahasrara at the crown of the head. Each chakra is associated with specific physical, mental, emotional and spiritual qualities. Kundalini is described as a dormant potential force located in muladhara chakra. The document outlines practices like yoga, pranayama and meditation that can be used to awaken kundalini energy and ascend it up the sushumna nadi to higher chakras.
Swami Sivananda was born in 1887 in Tamil Nadu, India. He received an education and worked as a successful doctor, but experienced a spiritual calling and renounced his career in 1923. He traveled to Rishikesh where he took sanyas in 1924, adopting the name Swami Sivananda. He established the Divine Life Society in 1936 and spread his message of yoga, Vedanta, and selfless service through extensive travel, writing over 300 books, and establishing ashrams that continue his work of spiritual guidance. Swami Sivananda attained samadhi in 1963, leaving a lasting spiritual legacy.
Bhagvad gita chapter 1 , Arjuna-Vishada yoga (The yoga of the dejection of Ar...Medicherla Kumar
Revised and updated in 2021. The flowcharts and overview black and white for printing.
• Chapter 1: Arjuna-Vishada yoga (The yoga of the dejection of Arjuna) - 47 verses. Arjuna's depression is presented as a system of yoga. When Arjuna sees his near and dear ones on the opposing army side of the Kurus, he loses morale and decides not to fight (1:20-27). Arjuna presents Krishna his arguments for refusing to fight (1:28-47). Basically, he fears the sinful reactions of killing.
This document discusses the concept of Bhakti Yoga or devotion to God. It defines Bhakti as love for God without selfish expectations. It describes different types of Bhakti like Sakamya (with desires), Nishkamya (without desires), Apara (for beginners focused on rituals) and Para (highest form seeing God everywhere). It also discusses different Bhava or emotional states in Bhakti like Shanta, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Madhurya. It outlines practices to cultivate Bhakti like worship, study of scriptures, singing kirtans and the nine forms of Bhakti - Sravana, Kirtana,
swami vivekananda four yoga karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakthi yoga and raja yogaKaruna Yoga Vidya Peetham
This document provides an overview of Karma Yoga, the path of selfless action. It defines Karma Yoga as an inner attitude towards action without attachment to fruits or results. Key aspects include performing duties without selfishness or attachments in order to unite the individual soul with the supreme soul. It also discusses the three types of Karma - sanchita (stored), agami (forthcoming), and prarabdha (present). The document then briefly introduces Jnana Yoga, the path of knowledge, and Raja Yoga, the royal path of meditation before concluding with an introduction to Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion.
The document discusses 12 laws of the universe. It explains that everything in the universe is energy that vibrates at different frequencies and can exist in different states. It then outlines each of the 12 laws, including the laws of vibration, action, correspondence, attraction, relativity, polarity, rhythm, and gender. The laws describe how all things are connected, that our thoughts and actions create our reality, and that everything has an opposite or counterpart.
Rishikesh in India is considered the birthplace of yoga. The practice of yoga began over 5,000 years ago in northern India. Though practiced earlier, the great sage Patanjali systematized yoga around 500 BC by compiling existing practices into his Yoga Sutras text. Yoga aims for self-realization and liberation through harmonizing the mind and body.
This document discusses various concepts and techniques related to concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana) in yoga. It provides details on how to begin practicing concentration through focusing on physical objects, mental imagery, mantras, or specific points in the body. Proper preparation is emphasized through physical and mental exercises to develop neuromuscular control and stillness before attempting more advanced practices. Gazing (trataka) and visualization exercises are presented as aids to developing one-pointed focus of the mind.
This document provides an outline and overview of key sections and teachings from Chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita. It is divided into 5 main sections (A-E). Section A covers transcendental knowledge about Krishna. Section B applies this knowledge to work. Section C discusses nishkama karma yoga. Section D covers properly performed sacrifices that lead to transcendental knowledge. Section E summarizes the overall knowledge and the benefits of understanding it. Key points include understanding Krishna's eternal and transcendental nature, acting with detachment, different types of bona fide sacrifices, and the fruits of developing transcendental knowledge through devotion.
Kamma refers to intentional actions through body, speech, and mind that have moral or immoral consequences. Every action has a corresponding reaction or result. Ignorance and craving are the root causes of kamma. Kamma is not fatalistic, as one can divert the course of their kamma through effort. The five niyamas describe natural laws governing physical and mental phenomena. One is responsible for one's kamma and circumstances, but these can also be transcended by eliminating craving and ignorance.
This document summarizes the key sections and concepts from The Yoga-sûtra Of Patañjali. It outlines the four books/sections: Samadhi-pada (Integration), Sadhana-pada (The Path To Realization), Vibhuti-pada (The Extraordinary Powers), and Kaivalya Pada (Liberation). The first section defines yoga as the restraint of mental modifications. It also discusses the concepts of chitta, vrittis, and purusha vs prakriti. The second section covers the eight limbs of yoga practice and disciplines like yama, niyama and asana. The third section discusses supernatural powers that can arise from yoga
This injunction can be conveyed to a child by parents who have a boy when they wanted a girl or vice versa. Their non verbal message is “Don’t be the sex you are”.
The document discusses the laws of karma and how they apply to family and the workplace. It warns that continually criticizing, insulting, and judging others will result in similar treatment directed back at oneself according to the principles of karma.
This document discusses the elements and structure of a narrative essay. A narrative essay tells a story using elements like setting, characters, plot, theme, and mood. It should include an introduction with a hook and thesis to set up the story, a body organized chronologically with transitional sentences connecting events, and a conclusion that finishes the story and provides a lesson or revelation. An effective narrative essay incorporates these story elements and structural components to engage the reader.
This narrative essay describes a hunting trip taken by a group of villagers to track down a tiger that had been attacking locals. [The summary describes the key events of the trip in chronological order, including setting out from the village armed with machetes and rifles, spending a restless night in the jungle, finding shelter in another village, tracking the tiger's paw prints the next morning, encountering the tiger and having their leader shoot and kill it, then returning to their home village with their mission accomplished.]
This document provides guidance on writing a narrative essay, including defining what a narrative is, choosing a subject and details, incorporating song lyrics, and developing structure and style. Key points include:
- A narrative tells a story from a unique perspective, usually personal, about events or people that are important to share.
- Choosing an overall point or purpose for the story is important, such as teaching a lesson.
- Memorable narratives include vivid sensory details that bring the story to life.
- The assignment is to structure a narrative using songs and lyrics to represent important people and life events.
The document provides strategies for writing an effective introduction to a narrative essay. It discusses that an introduction should catch the reader's attention, establish the narrator's voice and point of view, and create interest to make the reader want to continue reading. The document also lists things to avoid in an introduction, such as summarizing the entire essay, using slang, or starting with a quote or question unless it is particularly interesting. Finally, it provides seven strategies for strong introduction openings, such as starting in the middle of the action, using something shocking or misleading, creating mystery, introducing a problem, using vivid imagery, employing humor, or posing an intriguing question.
This document provides guidance on writing a narrative essay. A narrative essay recreates a personal experience through descriptive details. It tells a story and communicates a lesson learned. When writing a narrative essay, identify a significant experience and draft details of what happened. Create an outline and use vivid language to immerse readers in the experience. Communicate the importance of the experience either at the beginning or end of the essay. Revise by ensuring the experience is effectively recreated and significance is clear. Potential essay topics include childhood memories, achievements, failures, realizations, and life changes.
This document provides an overview of the key elements of narrative writing, including plot structure, characters, setting, style, conflict, theme, and point of view. It discusses the basic components of a narrative, such as the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution of a story's plot. It also defines different types of literary devices commonly used in narratives, such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. The document serves as a reference for understanding what makes up a strong, well-written narrative.
Buddhism for you lesson 09-more lives than oneUncle Bugs
The document discusses Buddhist concepts of rebirth and reincarnation. It explains that rebirth is accepted in many Eastern religions and was also initially accepted by early Christians. It describes how Buddhists believe beings can be reborn into different realms, including 31 planes of existence like heavens, hells, and the human realm, based on their karma from past lives. The document also discusses the differences between the Buddhist concept of rebirth, which does not involve a permanent soul, versus other concepts of reincarnation that believe in an eternal soul.
The document provides guidance for volunteers working with terminally ill patients. It says to share one's beliefs about death to comfort patients and alleviate fear, but to present beliefs sensitively without causing conflict. It's recommended to discuss reports of the death experience and suggest following a bright light to progress spiritually. The body may be cremated after 2-3 days as the soul begins to separate, and suggestions can still be heard during this time. Organ transplantation should not occur for 2-3 days to avoid psychic shock to the spirit.
Swami #Vivekananda Bengali: , Shāmi Bibekānondo; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born #Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, a chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of# Vedanta and #Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising #interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. He was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India, and contributed to the concept of nationalism in colonial India. Vivekananda founded the #Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission. He is perhaps best known for his speech which began, "Sisters and brothers of America ...," in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.
Born into an aristocratic Bengali family of Calcutta, Vivekananda was inclined towards spirituality. He was influenced by his Guru, Ramakrishna Deva, from whom he learnt that all living beings were an embodiment of the divine self; therefore, service to God could be rendered by service to mankind. After Ramakrishna's death, Vivekananda toured the Indian subcontinent extensively and acquired first-hand knowledge of the conditions prevailing in British India. He later traveled to the United States, representing India at the 1893 Parliament of the World Religions. Vivekananda conducted hundreds of public and private lectures and classes, disseminating tenets of Hindu philosophy in the United States, England and Europe. In India, Vivekananda is regarded as a patriotic saint and his birthday is celebrated there as National Youth Day.
This article summarizes Barry Long's perspective on death as he approaches his own death from advanced prostate cancer. He draws on mystical teachings that view death as a natural transition of the eternal spirit from the physical body back to eternity. As the body weakens, one's attachment to physical existence fades and the divine spirit within becomes clearer. Death represents the final release of the spirit from past attachments to return to its eternal home.
This document provides an introduction to exploring concepts of infinity, existence, and humanity's place in the universe. It discusses how life involves seeking connection and purpose, and how humans try to achieve immortality through creative works. It also examines the nature of sound and communication as expressions of energy. Overall, the document presents philosophical reflections on existence, knowledge, freedom, and humanity's role and limitations.
The document discusses the concepts of reincarnation and karma in Hinduism. It explains that Hindu philosophy views the human as composed of two principles - the eternal spiritual soul (atman) and the temporary material body. Upon death, the atman is reborn in a new body, determined by its karma from past lives. This continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth, governed by the law of karma, is known as samsara. The goal is to achieve moksha or liberation from this cycle through fulfilling one's dharma and reaching spiritual perfection.
The document discusses different philosophical perspectives on the self from various thinkers throughout history. It provides summaries of the views of prominent philosophers including Plato, Socrates, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Freud on the nature of the self and how it is composed. Their views range from the self being dualistic with both a body and soul, to a bundle of perceptions and experiences, to the role of unconscious influences on behavior. The document aims to examine how one's personal identity is shaped by internal and external factors from these philosophical lenses.
Gilbert Ryle. 1949. Descartes’ Myth”, Chapter 1 of The Concep.docxhanneloremccaffery
Gilbert Ryle. 1949. “Descartes’ Myth”, Chapter 1 of The Concept of Mind, pp.
11-24
1. The Official Doctrine
There is a doctrine about the nature and place of minds which is so prevalent among
theorists and even among laymen that it deserves to be described as the official theory.
Most philosophers, psychologists and religious teachers subscribe, with minor reservations,
to its main articles and, although they admit certain theoretical difficulties in it, they tend to
assume that these can be overcome without serious modifications being made to the
architecture of the theory. It will be argued here that the central principles of the doctrine
are unsound and conflict with the whole body of what we know about minds when we are
not speculating about them.
The official doctrine, which hails chiefly from Descartes, is something like this. With the
doubtful exceptions of idiots and infants in arms every human being has both a body and a
mind. Some would prefer to say that every human being is both a body and a mind. His
body and his mind are ordinarily harnessed together, but after the death of the body his
mind may continue to exist and function.
Human bodies are in space and are subject to the mechanical laws which govern all other
bodies in space. Bodily processes and states can be inspected by external observers. So a
man's bodily life is as much a public affair as are the lives of animals and reptiles and even
as the careers of trees, crystals and planets.
But minds are not in space, nor are their operations subject to mechanical laws. The
workings of one mind are not witnessable by other observers; its career is private. Only I
can take direct cognisance of the states and processes of my own mind. A person therefore
lives through two collateral histories, one consisting of what happens in and to his body,
the other consisting of what happens in and to his mind. The first is public, the second
private. The events in the first history are events in the physical world, those in the second
are events in the mental world.
It has been disputed whether a person does or can directly monitor all or only some of the
episodes of his own private history; but, according to the official doctrine, of at least some
of these episodes he has direct and unchallengeable cognisance. In consciousness, self-
consciousness and introspection he is directly and authentically apprised of the present
states and operations of his mind. He may have great or small uncertainties about
concurrent and adjacent episodes in the physical world, but he can have none about at least
part of what is momentarily occupying his mind.
It is customary to express this bifurcation of his two lives and of his two worlds by saying
that the things and events which belong to the physical world, including his own body, are
external, while the workings of his own mind are internal. This antithesis of outer and inner
is of course meant to be construed as ...
The document discusses different philosophers' views on the concept of self:
1. For Socrates, self-examination is essential to living an examined life. He questioned people's awareness of themselves and their virtues.
2. Plato added that the rational, spirited, and appetitive souls must be governed by reason.
3. Augustine and Aquinas viewed humans as composed of a mortal body and immortal soul, with the soul giving humans their essence.
4. Descartes defined self as mind/consciousness, separate from the extended body. Hume saw self as a bundle of impressions and ideas. Kant argued the mind organizes sense impressions.
5. Ryle rejected the
2Thought Journal 3 The Socratic MethodWhen having a conversbartholomeocoombs
2
Thought Journal 3: The Socratic Method
When having a conversation, many people seem to avoid the topic of death. It is a very controversial topic in which each individual has their own belief, idea, opinions that would prefer to keep to themselves to avoid conflict and/or arguments. This is a phase that is real, that every individual has to go through. Some face death at the most common stage of being old and aging. Some people’s lives are gone in a matter of seconds without notice. Either they are going through an illness, commuting to their next destination via any type of transportation, etc. When a loved one has passed away, people have different ways of grieving and to grope around this tragic situation.
Now in terms of the Holocaust, approximately 11 million people did not occur to them that they were going to die in the way that they did.
ANOTHER SWEEPING GENERALIZATION; DR./SR. EDITH STEIN (IN THIS WEEK'S ESSAY) KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN--AND SO DID THE PRIEST FR. MAXIMILIAN KOLBY. PEOPLE WERE AWARE OF WHAT THE NAZIS WERE DOING, AND CERTAINLY MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CAMPS; IF THEY DIDN'T KNOW IN THE BEGINNING, THEY LEARNED QUICKY! N.
They were not aware that they were going to be a part of one of the deadliest and most tragic genocide that has occurred in the world’s history still until this day. They were not emotionally nor physically prepared for their last days here on Earth.
There are two different methods that will be discussed, the Scientific Method and the Socratic Method.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, they define scientific method as: “principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment and the formulation and testing of hypotheses”. This method dates back to the twelfth century, during the Renaissance era and has evolved over time with many thinkers who have modified this method. For instance, Isaac Newton, a scientist who refined the process of the scientific method, he was the first to realize that the scientific method needed both induction and deduction. This made a huge mark in the science field and drove this revolution forward.
The second being, the Socratic Method. I recall applying this method in many of the debates we had during my world history class when I was in high school. The professor assigned these type of debates in order for us to engage and critically think about the historic events that got us where we are today. This method is one of the oldest methods in terms of critical thinking and reasoning. There are five parts that make up this logical approach. First, one poses a question about the related topic. Forming an educated hypothesis comes second. The next step, is testing the hypothesis. The fourth step is accepting whether the hypothesis is valid or not. Lastly, concluding with a final statement that sums up all the information that was previously ...
The document discusses how past emotional stresses and negative attachments can get stuck in our subtle energy bodies over time and negatively impact our physical and emotional health. It describes an approach using intuitive kinesiological dowsing to help identify the root cause of issues, clear the associated energetic attachments, and allow healing. Releasing these "shadow aspects" through this energetic cleansing process can help realize our underlying goodness and restore a state of ease and wholeness.
This document discusses different philosophical perspectives on the concept of the self. It begins by outlining the objectives of understanding the self from a philosophical lens and exploring key questions about the nature of the self. It then provides an overview of empiricism and rationalism as two approaches in philosophy. Several philosophers are discussed, including their distinct views on the self - whether it is composed of mind and body, a soul, or reducible to behaviors. In under 3 sentences, the document seeks to explain different philosophical perspectives on the concept of the self by outlining key questions about the nature of the self, discussing empiricism and rationalism, and summarizing various philosophers' distinct views on whether the self is composed of mind and body, a soul
This document summarizes Sri Sankaracharya's teachings on direct realization and the nature of the self from his book Select Works. It discusses qualifications needed for spiritual inquiry such as detachment, discrimination, and faith. It then describes the process of inquiry where one questions if they are the body or senses and realizes they are the eternal, pure self. Through reasoning and scriptural evidence, it rejects identifying the self with the impermanent body and establishes that one's true nature is the infinite, secondless Brahman.
This is the basic study lesson in Theosophy:
The Theosophical Society was officially formed in New York City, United States, in November 1875 by Helena Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, William Quan Judge and others.
* To form a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or colour.
* To encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy, and science.
* To investigate the unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in man.
Theosophical Society in the Philippines
No. 1 Iba St. corner P. Florentino St.
Quezon City (near Welcome Rotonda)
Tel. No: (02) 741 -5740
Mobile: 0927.403.49.83
Please LIKE our PAGE
https://www.facebook.com/Students.of.Theosophy
Follow-us on TWITTER
https://twitter.com/theosophy101
Unit III Human Being: A Limited BeingReflection on my body. An IntroductionRhegieCua2
The document discusses the relationship between the human being and their body, and the concept of human finitude and historicity. It makes three key points:
1. A human being's consciousness and existence is experienced through their body. The body allows them to see themselves and interact with the world.
2. Humans are finite beings with a limited existence, as they will ultimately die. However, one can find authenticity in accepting this finitude.
3. As historical beings, humans are shaped by time and place. Their actions and relationships establish their historicity and humanity. One's history incorporates their past, present, and influence on the future.
This document provides an overview and summary of Bhikkhu Bodhi's recorded lectures on "Buddha's Teaching As It Is". The summary includes:
1) The lectures cover topics on rebirth and kamma based on Buddhist teachings.
2) Rebirth is explained as the repeated occurrence of existence without a transmigrating soul, through the transmission of mental and karmic influences between lives.
3) Kamma, or volitional actions, determine the specific form of rebirth and some experiences within lives according to the law of cause and effect.
The document discusses different views on the soul and its fate after death according to Spiritism. It summarizes that some believe the soul is merely a product of matter and ceases to exist after death (materialism). Others believe there is a single universal soul that portions itself out to beings (pantheism). Spiritualism holds that the soul is a distinct, immortal entity that retains its individuality after death. The text then addresses questions about the soul's liberation from the body at death and the state of confusion spirits may experience initially before achieving clarity. It stresses preparing for death through moral living and detachment from material things.
The document discusses concepts related to daemons and spiritual evolution from a Satanic perspective. It describes daemons as highly evolved souls that have progressed through multiple incarnations. Daemons can incarnate as humans to guide spiritual growth. The document also outlines methods for communicating with one's Holy Guardian Daemon, including assuming the form of deities through meditation. Rituals are described for requesting gifts from different gods. The piece cautions against worshipping daemons and stresses that all souls will continue evolving.
Semelhante a What is Karma and how does it work? (19)
Free Trilingual eBook ~ Jataka Tales with Moral Lessons pdf.pdfOH TEIK BIN
A free trilingual eBook comprising 5 PowerPoint presentations of meaningful Buddhist stories that teach important Dhamma/Life lessons. For reflection and practice to develop the mind to grow in love, compassion and wisdom. The texts are in English, Chinese & Malay.
(For other free eBooks, you can check out:
(对于其他免费电子书,您可以查看:
www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/presentations
www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/documents )
A Free eBook ~ Valuable LIFE Lessons to Learn ( 5 Sets of Presentations)...OH TEIK BIN
A free eBook comprising 5 sets of PowerPoint presentations of meaningful stories /Inspirational pieces that teach important Dhamma/Life lessons. For reflection and practice to develop the mind to grow in love, compassion and wisdom. The texts are in English and Chinese.
My other free eBooks can be obtained from the following Links:
https://www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/presentations
https://www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/documents
Why is this So? ~ Do Seek to KNOW (English & Chinese).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation based on the Dhamma teaching of Kamma-Vipaka (Intentional Actions-Ripening Effects).
A Presentation for developing morality, concentration and wisdom and to spur us to practice the Dhamma diligently.
The texts are in English and Chinese.
The Selfish Crocodile ~ A Children's Moral Story (English & Chinese).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation of a Children’s Moral Story with good lessons of moral values. The texts are in English and Chinese.
For the Video Presentation with audio narration and explanation in English (Texts are in English and Chinese), please check it out at the YouTube URL Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUjTq4NgEDE
The PBHP DYC ~ Reflections on The Dhamma (English).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation based on the Dhamma Reflections for the PBHP DYC for the years 1993 – 2012. To motivate and inspire DYC members to keep on practicing the Dhamma and to do the meritorious deed of Dhammaduta work.
The texts are in English.
For the Video with audio narration, comments and texts in English, please check out the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF2g_43NEa0
The Story of 'Chin Kiam Siap' ~ An AI Generated Story ~ English & Chinese.pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation based on an AI Generated moral story with some editing.
Life Lessons based on the story are penned for the presentation.
The texts are in English and Chinese.
The audio narration with explanation is in Hokkien.
For the Video with audio narration and explanation in Hokkien (Texts are in English and Chinese), please check out the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l8qD7skfi8
Life Lessons to Learn ~ A Free Full-Color eBook (English).pdfOH TEIK BIN
A Free Full-Color eBook of 66 Life Lessons using images and pics of inspiration/motivation, stories and humor. For developing love, compassion and wisdom.
For more free eBooks check out the following Links:
www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/presentations
www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/documents
Reflections and Aspirations for Wesak 2024 (Eng. & Chi.).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation of the Reflections & Aspirations to be done during Wesak 2024 as a wise Dhamma practice for mind development. The texts are in English and Chinese
For the Videos, check out the following:
(English Narration)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_pHcH7HemQ
(Hokkien Narration)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlbxSCQ8iKo
Twelve Terrific Teachings (English & Chinese).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation of a selection of the Buddha’s teachings as found in the Suttas of the Nikayas. For reflection and practice to grow in compassion and wisdom. The texts are in English and Chinese.
For the Video with audio narration and explanation in Hokkien, please go to the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_0o6vdeoRc
Emails, Facebook, WhatsApp and the Dhamma (English and Chinese).pdfOH TEIK BIN
A pdf file of a Dhamma article with very meaningful messages of Life Lessons for our reflection to grow in mind development in our quest for wisdom. Beneficial for all,
young and old.
The texts are in English and Chinese.
An Octopus in Trouble ~ A Children's Story with Life Lessons (Eng. & Chi.).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation of a meaningful Children’s story that teaches important Life Lessons /Virtues /Moral values.
The texts are in English and Chinese.
For the Video with audio narration and explanation in English, please check out the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ3ek4wC_5w
The King Great Goodness Part 2 ~ Mahasilava Jataka (Eng. & Chi.).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation of a Jataka Story (Part 2) that can impart good Dhamma teachings on virtue, moral values and strength of character.
The texts are in English and Chinese.
For the Video with audio narration in Hokkien, please go to the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=360UiWIRoYY
Solving Puzzles Benefits Everyone (English).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A Presentation of a selection of Puzzles, Brain Teasers and Thinking Problems to exercise both the mind and the Right and Left Brain. To help keep the mind and brain fit and healthy. Good for both the young and old alike.
Answers are given for all the puzzles and problems.
10 Life Lessons to Live By (Eng. & Chi.).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation on important moral / Life lessons to learn and practice to live a more meaningful, happy and peaceful life.
The texts are in English and Chinese.
For the Video with audio narration and explanation in English, please check out the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv2OvmM6ZHw
The King 'Great Goodness' Part 1 Mahasilava Jataka (Eng. & Chi.).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation of a Jataka Story (Part 1) that can impart good Dhamma teachings on virtue, moral values and strength of character.
The texts are in English and Chinese.
For the Video with audio narration in Hokkien, please go to the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pndBvmNq1jo
A Tsunami Tragedy ~ Wise Reflections for Troubled Times (Eng. & Chi.).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation based on the 2004 Tsunami tragedy with
important Dhamma teachings for constant reflection.
A Presentation for mental development and to spur us to practice the Dhamma diligently.
The texts are in English and Chinese. Images are drawn from the Google Image search.
The Wolf, The Buffalo and The Shepherd ~ A Kids' Story with Life Lessons (En...OH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation of a children’s story that teaches the importance of values like clear thinking, wisdom and compassion.
The texts are in English and Malay.
For the Video with audio narration and explanation in English, please check out the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRpUw8ssl0I
Free eBook ~ 6 Superb Stories That Teach Precious Dhamma.pdfOH TEIK BIN
A free eBook comprising 6 PowerPoint presentations of meaningful Buddhist stories that teach important Dhamma/Life lessons. For reflection and practice to develop the mind to grow in love, compassion and wisdom. The texts are in English and Chinese.
Indications of Rebirth ~ My Reflections (English & Chinese).pptxOH TEIK BIN
A PowerPoint Presentation on the empirical evidences that point to the Truth of Rebirth or Reincarnation. My reflections are given for each of the cases.
The texts are in English and Chinese.
For the video with audio narration and explanation in English please check out the Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKGgVq3OT-g
Free eBook ~ 5 Malaysian Stories with Lessons to Learn (English).pdfOH TEIK BIN
A free eBook comprising 5 Malaysian Stories with important teachings on Dhamma/ Life Lessons to reflect upon. For mental development to grow in love-kindness, virtue, compassion and wisdom. The texts are in English.
Sanatan Vastu | Experience Great Living | Vastu ExpertSanatan Vastu
Santan Vastu Provides Vedic astrology courses & Vastu remedies, If you are searching Vastu for home, Vastu for kitchen, Vastu for house, Vastu for Office & Factory. Best Vastu in Bahadurgarh. Best Vastu in Delhi NCR
The Enchantment and Shadows_ Unveiling the Mysteries of Magic and Black Magic...Phoenix O
This manual will guide you through basic skills and tasks to help you get started with various aspects of Magic. Each section is designed to be easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions.
The Book of Ruth is included in the third division, or the Writings, of the Hebrew Bible. In most Christian canons it is treated as one of the historical books and placed between Judges and 1 Samuel.
A375 Example Taste the taste of the Lord, the taste of the Lord The taste of...franktsao4
It seems that current missionary work requires spending a lot of money, preparing a lot of materials, and traveling to far away places, so that it feels like missionary work. But what was the result they brought back? It's just a lot of photos of activities, fun eating, drinking and some playing games. And then we have to do the same thing next year, never ending. The church once mentioned that a certain missionary would go to the field where she used to work before the end of his life. It seemed that if she had not gone, no one would be willing to go. The reason why these missionary work is so difficult is that no one obeys God’s words, and the Bible is not the main content during missionary work, because in the eyes of those who do not obey God’s words, the Bible is just words and cannot be connected with life, so Reading out God's words is boring because it doesn't have any life experience, so it cannot be connected with human life. I will give a few examples in the hope that this situation can be changed. A375
The forces involved in this witchcraft spell will re-establish the loving bond between you and help to build a strong, loving relationship from which to start anew. Despite any previous hardships or problems, the spell work will re-establish the strong bonds of friendship and love upon which the marriage and relationship originated. Have faith, these stop divorce and stop separation spells are extremely powerful and will reconnect you and your partner in a strong and harmonious relationship.
My ritual will not only stop separation and divorce, but rebuild a strong bond between you and your partner that is based on truth, honesty, and unconditional love. For an even stronger effect, you may want to consider using the Eternal Love Bond spell to ensure your relationship and love will last through all tests of time. If you have not yet determined if your partner is considering separation or divorce, but are aware of rifts in the relationship, try the Love Spells to remove problems in a relationship or marriage. Keep in mind that all my love spells are 100% customized and that you'll only need 1 spell to address all problems/wishes.
Save your marriage from divorce & make your relationship stronger using anti divorce spells to make him or her fall back in love with you. End your marriage if you are no longer in love with your husband or wife. Permanently end your marriage using divorce spells that work fast. Protect your marriage from divorce using love spells to boost commitment, love & bind your hearts together for a stronger marriage that will last. Get your ex lover who has remarried using divorce spells to break up a couple & make your ex lost lover come back to you permanently.
Visit https://www.profbalaj.com/love-spells-loves-spells-that-work/
Call/WhatsApp +27836633417 for more info.
The Hope of Salvation - Jude 1:24-25 - MessageCole Hartman
Jude gives us hope at the end of a dark letter. In a dark world like today, we need the light of Christ to shine brighter and brighter. Jude shows us where to fix our focus so we can be filled with God's goodness and glory. Join us to explore this incredible passage.
1. What is Karma
and
How does it Work?
A Thought-Provoking
Article from The Lion’s Roar
on the Discussion
Between
Bhikkhu Bodhi, a prominent American Buddhist monk and scholar.
Jan Chozen Bays, a Zen master in the lineage of Maezumi Roshi and a pediatrician
working in the field of child abuse.
Jeffrey Hopkins, a Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at the University of
Virginia.
1
2. What Is Karma and How Does It Work?
BY LION'S ROAR STAFF| JUNE 7, 2016
The Buddha taught that because of karma, beings are bound to the ever-turning wheel of
rebirth. Only when a person stops believing in the existence of a permanent and
real self can he or she become free from karma. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Jan Chozen
Bays, and Jeffrey Hopkins discuss what that means.
Contents
• What is karma?
• How is karma carried from moment to moment and lifetime to lifetime?
• Should one try to convince a new Buddhist to accept the principles of karma and
rebirth?
• How central is the doctrine of karma to Buddhism? Is it possible to call oneself a
Buddhist without believing in karma?
• Does karma mean you don’t have to work to alleviate perceived injustice?
What is karma, according to the Buddhist teachings?
Bhikkhu Bodhi: Perhaps we could begin with the description of the Buddha’s
enlightenment experience as given in various sutras in the Middle Length Discourses of
the Buddha (Pali, Majjhima Nikaya). This gives a very concise statement of the early
Buddha’s understanding of karma.
The Buddha’s enlightenment unfolded by way of what are called the Three Higher
Knowledges. The first of these is the Buddha’s knowledge of his past lives—recollecting
his previous lives going back hundreds of thousands of eons. The second is his
knowledge of the death and rebirth of beings, which involves understanding how beings
transmigrate according to their karma. Perhaps I could read a passage describing this
from the Bhayabherava Sutta:
2
3. “When my concentrated mind was purified, bright and so on, I directed it to knowledge
of the passing away and rebirth of beings. With the divine eye, which is purified and
surpasses the human, I saw beings passing away and being reborn, inferior and superior,
bare and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate. I understood how beings pass on according to
their actions thus:
“These beings who are ill-conducted in body, speech and mind, revilers of noble ones,
wrong in their views, giving effect to wrong view in their actions, with the breakup of the
body after death, have reappeared in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the
lower worlds, even in hell.
“But these worthy beings who were well conducted in body, speech and mind, not
revilers of noble ones, right in their views, giving effect to right view in their actions, on
the breakup of the body after death, have been reborn in a good destination, even in the
heavenly world.
“Thus, with the divine eye I saw beings passing away and being reborn and I understood
how beings pass on according to their actions.”
Finally, the third knowledge is described as the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths. But
preceding that comes the understanding of the chain of dependent origination
(Pali,patichcha-samuppada), or dependent arising. This involves understanding the
dynamics of how karma, in conjunction with the basic defilements of ignorance and
craving, brings about rebirth.
Jan Chozen Bays: As a physician, I teach karma from a scientific point of view, because
what I love about karma is that it is rational. Karma is like the laws of physics. It’s almost
mathematically precise, and there is a great relief in that. Because if you understand
karma, you really understand who and what you are, and you understand the rest of the
universe too, because the laws of karma are universally applicable.
3
4. When I teach about rebirth, I ask people to consider what happens to the physical
elements of the body after they die. I ask them, if we buried you in the ground with no
preservatives and dug you up in a week, would we recognize you? Yes. If we dug you up
in a year, would we recognize you? Maybe. If we dug you up in ten years, would we
recognize you? No. So what happened to the elements that made up the body? They all
dispersed and became other things.
If you die angry, what happens to that energy of anger?
Appreciating this, people begin to understand that on the physical level there is an
endless chain of energy that passes through a series of changes. Then if you apply the
same principle to our mental and emotional energy, you can also ask where it goes. That
energy is also not destroyed, though the energy that was “you” will transform.
Karma is a wonderfully exact force in our lives. If you die angry, what happens to that
energy of anger? Where does it go? When you walk into a room where people have been
angry, you can sense it—the energy is palpable. So is that the kind of energy you would
like to pass on, to be picked up by other lives? One can also look back at what energies
have been passed down to you—perhaps by your family or the people who influenced
you—and that helps you understand that energy doesn’t die but rather continues on in
some form.
I don’t worry too much about questions like, “Am I going to remember that I was Queen
Victoria or her servant?” People get caught up in that sort of approach to karma and
rebirth, but it’s almost irrelevant. The continuity of the energy is what’s important. What
do you want to pass on—suffering or happiness?
Bhikkhu Bodhi: Somebody who is a strict materialist might reply to your argument by
saying that of course the mental energy is dependent on the physical basis—the body, the
nervous system, the brain—and so when the body dies whatever mental energy has been
4
5. generated by that person perishes also. In response to that, I would look at two extreme
cases: an extreme case of evil, Adolph Hitler, and on the other hand, somebody like
Mother Theresa, who engaged in so much self-sacrificing labor for the good of others. If
we take a materialistic viewpoint, then when each of them dies, it is the complete end.
Maybe for Hitler there are a few moments of remorse or regret, then it’s just blank, it’s
all over. When Mother Theresa is about to die, there might be a few moments of rejoicing
for her altruistic work, then everything is over.
If one takes the materialistic viewpoint, then, it means that the universe has no underlying
principle of moral justice. However, if we are going to recognize some kind of moral
justice in the universe, there would have to be some continuity beyond death. That could
take the form of an eternal afterlife in one realm or another—eternity in hell, eternity in
heaven—but that seems difficult to reconcile with the position that any kind of volitional
action generates only a finite mental force. What seems more convincing is that our
various activities in this life will produce rebirth in a realm where they will expend their
force over a finite period of time, to be followed by a new existence somewhere else.
Jeffrey Hopkins: The appeal of karma to me is psychological, based on my own
experience of attitudes and actions from earlier parts of my life that I have seen play out
later. I meet a lot of people who have an experiential sense of karma. We even see it on
television and in the movies. On the last episode of Seinfeld, the characters paid for their
karma. They all ended up in jail for very specific things they had done that they were
reflecting on. The movie Flatliners was very successful, and it was all about karma.
Things people had done earlier in a lifetime were coming back to haunt them.
As each moment of consciousness perishes, it passes its entire accumulated
storage of impressions, experiences, potentially memories, and karmic deposits on
to the succeeding moment of consciousness.
At another level, understanding emptiness enhances one’s understanding of karma.
Proper understanding of emptiness should not yield the view that things do not exist, that
5
6. actions and so forth do not exist. A proper understanding of emptiness requires a proper
understanding of dependent arising. Once there is dependent arising, there is cause and
effect. Once there is cause and effect, our actions have effect. And since the mind is
something that is not physical, it can serve as a repository of the potencies established by
actions and can carry them from lifetime to lifetime. If a person’s seeming understanding
of emptiness undercuts the entire existence of phenomena, the traditions that I know hold
this to be wrong. If one thoroughly understands actions and their effects, the very fact
that an action can create an effect means that it does not exist in and of itself. So,
understanding dependent arising leads to understanding emptiness. In turn, understanding
emptiness leads to greater understanding of the cause and effect of actions.
What is the medium by which karma is carried from moment to moment, and
lifetime to lifetime? What is it that creates this continuity?
Bhikkhu Bodhi: It is a stream of consciousness, a continuum of moments of
consciousness. As each moment of consciousness perishes, it passes its entire
accumulated storage of impressions, experiences, potentially memories, and karmic
deposits on to the succeeding moment of consciousness.
Within a single lifetime, that continuum of consciousness rests on the basis of a physical
body. When death takes place, the physical body can no longer serve as the basis for the
continuity of consciousness. But as long as latent tendencies of ignorance and craving
still exist within that stream of consciousness, it will re-arise after death using some new
physical organism as its basis. (There are formless realms where the continuity of
consciousness can occur without a physical basis, but we need not discuss those here.)
The underlying latent defilements—in particular the craving for new existence
(Pali, bhava-tanha) and behind that, ignorance (Pali, avijja)—maintain the continuity of
consciousness from life to life. When death takes place, ignorance and craving renew the
process of conditioned existence. The stream of consciousness preserves and transmits all
6
7. the wholesome and unwholesome karmas generated by that being, not only in the
immediately terminating lifetime but from beginningless time. All the karmas whose
force has yet to be expended will be transmitted.
Jan Chozen Bays: What carries karma forward is the energy of the three poisons:
clinging, aversion and ignorance. As a pediatrician, I have examined hundreds of
newborn babies, and each one of them has these characteristics. Some are born angry and
upset at the world. Others are born wanting sense experiences and are upset if they don’t
get them. Still others just like to go unconscious, and if distressed, they go to sleep. These
same energies bond human existence together moment by moment. But if we can
experience our life as individual moments, as occurrences within a framework of
emptiness, there is no difficulty and in that moment karma is not transmitted.
Someone said that when you sit very deeply, at least you are doing no harm. One of our
early precepts in Zen is, “First cease from evil.” When you sit in absolute stillness, you
stop transmitting the karmic streams that are moving through you all the time. If my
parents abused me and therefore I carry aggressive energy that wants to strike out at
others, I can nevertheless create a gap through my practice, so that when the impulse to
become angry arises, I don’t carry it out in speech and action. I have expiated not only
my own karma but also my parents’ karma. That is the most wonderful aspect of karma:
it spreads out from us in all directions throughout space and time. We are made of
emptiness and karma.
Jeffrey Hopkins: In the teachings, there are descriptions of a mind basis of all,
the alaya-vijnana, that serves as a medium for karma. There are also descriptions of a
subtle mental consciousness that serves as the medium for the infusion of karma. And
then interestingly, there is the description of the person as the medium of karma, which is
rather fascinating.
7
8. The emptiness of persons doesn’t mean that persons don’t exist. Persons do exist. We
exist as dependent arising. When we say things like, “I finally owned up to what I did,”
there is the sense of “I did it.” I often pause to catch myself seeing the locus of owning
the action as “I.” That’s very provocative. Not much is said about it, but it is widely
known that this is another way of talking about the medium of karma.
Then there is another view, which is that the mere ending of the action is in itself a
sufficient medium. It is an impermanent phenomenon that goes on and on until it brings
about the result of that action. This is perhaps the most mysterious of them all.
Finally, in highest yoga tantra, there is the extremely subtle mind of clear light which
serves as the basis and carries the previous positions from lifetime to lifetime.
I should add that the stopping of ignorance and attachment that has been discussed here
doesn’t necessarily bring about the end of embodiment. But it would put one in a state
where one would be called to unleash the energies of all of those karmas and turn them
into buddhahood.
Should one try to convince a Westerner just coming to Buddhism to accept the
principles of karma and rebirth fully?
Bhikkhu Bodhi: I wouldn’t begin by trying to impose the full weight of classical
Buddhist doctrine on a Westerner who has newly come to Buddhism. Yet I wouldn’t
disguise or camouflage the teachings. I would tell someone exactly what the Buddha
teaches.
I would say, though, that if one is coming to Buddhism out of the blue, one should begin
by examining those principles of the Buddha’s teaching that can be verified within one’s
life here and now. One can see, for example, that when one observes ethical conduct, the
quality of one’s life improves. One can see that when systematic development in
meditation diminishes greed, anger and ignorance, one becomes more mindful, more
8
9. aware, and gains greater insight into experience. One will see, as a result, that one
experiences greater happiness, peace and contentment. On that basis, I would say that one
can recognize where these teachings are coming from: they are coming from the Buddha,
the Enlightened One.
Many people call themselves Buddhists having only a vague notion of what
Buddhism is about. That’s okay. You could be a beginning geologist and not
understand all of geology, but you still call yourself a geologist because you are
studying it.
Once one gains a working confidence in the Buddha—based on what one can validate
and confirm in one’s own experience—then one should be willing to place trust in those
teachings of the Buddha which lie beyond the scope of one’s immediate experience. Not
out of blind submission to the authority of the Buddha, but because one has gained
experiential validation of some aspects of his teachings. Therefore, if one wants to follow
that teaching to its full extent, one should be ready to accept on trust those teachings that
lie beyond one’s present capacity for confirmation.
Jeffrey Hopkins: Certainly, skepticism is still required, at least in the type of scriptures I
am used to. Buddha taught, for example, that the earth is flat. This has been contradicted
by direct perception. Accepting all of it, then, strikes me as difficult and opposes a basic
Buddhist attitude of questioning and skepticism. I think faith and skepticism can fit
together in the same person.
Is it more important to believe in karma or is it more important to believe that the central
thing I should do is be a kind person? One could believe in karma and not work too hard
at being kind. That would mean your belief in karma didn’t have much effect on you.
Jan Chozen Bays: A wonderful aspect of Buddhist teaching is that each person is asked
to be curious, to investigate and confirm from their own experience. I think it helps to ask
people to consider examples from their own lives, as Bhikkhu Bodhi was saying. People
9
10. can understand examples from their own lives and begin to generalize to other people’s
lives. People see, for example, that if no one interrupts the cycle of child abuse, it can be
perpetuated generation after generation. Only if someone can come in and stop this force
that moves forward and causes suffering can you free future generations.
It seems to me that karma works like a pendulum, or like one of those little gadgets with
the line of balls hanging from strings. You pull one ball out and let it go and it hits the
line of four balls and another ball at the other end goes out. There is conservation of
energy. Consider a family in which the father is a career military officer. One child in that
family may rebel against that as a way to find happiness and end suffering. The child sees
the defects, fairly clearly as children often do, and becomes a hippie pacifist. This child
grow ups and then one of their children, seeing the weaknesses of the pacifist and the
rejection of the material world, rebels and becomes a Wall Street broker. Then the child
of the Wall Street broker becomes a Buddhist monk. You get this swing back and forth of
action and reaction, until someone says, “I can see that this is going to continue forever,
and it is not breaking the cycle of suffering, so I am going to do something about it.”
With this kind of very practical explanation, using examples from their own lives, people
can begin to see how karma works.
Many Westerners have trouble accepting the doctrine of karma. Others say it is not
essential. How central is the doctrine of karma to Buddhism? Is it possible to
call oneself a Buddhist without believing in karma?
Jeffrey Hopkins: The acceptance of the importance of karma in a former and future
lifetime is crucial. Personally, it is quite valuable for my own practice. However,
someone might be inspired by stories about the Buddha—or about bodhisattvas or arhats
who act with compassion—and seek to help others as a result. If they then call
themselves Buddhists, despite not believing in rebirth and that karma carries over from
one lifetime to another, I have no problem at all.
10
11. Jan Chozen Bays: It confuses me to call it the “doctrine of karma,” because to me that’s
like saying the “doctrine of gravity.” It is a fact, not a doctrine. It is a fact that underlies
how the universe works. Once you understand that fact and also experience it, it is such a
relief. It brings happiness because it relieves your anxiety about how things work.
How central is the “doctrine of karma”? Absolutely central, because it is central to our
existence. You may call yourself a Buddhist without accepting karma as a fact, just as
you may call yourself anything you want to. In fact, many people call themselves
Buddhists having only a vague notion of what Buddhism is about. That’s okay. You
could be a beginning geologist and not understand all of geology, but you still call
yourself a geologist because you are studying it.
A Buddhist studies their buddhanature, their essential nature, or the essential truth of how
the universe works. We could think of ourselves as nursery school Buddhists, who are
just beginning to understand and experience the truth of Buddhism. If people want to call
themselves Buddhists and say they don’t understand or experience karma, that’s okay.
Hopefully, they will simply continue to study it.
Bhikkhu Bodhi: If one sincerely and deeply goes for refuge to the Triple Gem, then one
has to investigate what is implied by that act of taking refuge. When I go for refuge in the
Buddha, I place confidence in the Buddha as the fully enlightened one. When I
investigate his own account of his enlightenment, I find that it includes recollection of
previous lives and realization of karmic laws that govern the process of rebirth.
When I take refuge in the dharma and study the doctrine deeply, I see that karma and
rebirth are pillars of the teaching. The ideas of karma and rebirth are included in many of
the formulations of right view. So if I really accept the dharma, then I should consent to
the ideas of karma and rebirth. When I enter the path, I can begin to observe Buddhist
ethics, and I could engage in intensive meditation without believing in karma and rebirth.
But if my path is really to become part of the Noble Eightfold Path, leading to final
11
12. liberation, I will find that right view is defined in some contexts as the acceptance of the
principles of karma and rebirth.
From the Theravadin point of view, the goal of one’s path is nirvana, the extinction of
karma and the release from the round of rebirth. When one takes refuge in the sangha,
one understands that the true sangha is the aryan sangha, the community of noble ones.
These noble ones are defined precisely by the extent to which they have cut off the root
of rebirth.
I would say, then, that the act of taking refuge itself, when it is done sincerely, with clear
understanding, will involve consenting to the ideas of karma and rebirth. Some
proponents of what I call modernistic Buddhism, or what Stephen Batchelor calls
“agnostic Buddhism,” say it is sufficient to base one’s life and practice on the Four Noble
Truths, without bringing in ancient Indian metaphysics or the cultural baggage of Asian
superstitions. However, if we examine the implications of the Four Noble Truths deeply
enough, we will find they are quite inseparable from the ideas of karma and rebirth.
For example, the First Noble Truth of dukkha doesn’t mean simply experiencing sorrow,
anguish, greed, worry and anxiety. At the deepest level, it means the continuity of these
five clinging aggregates. Without some notion of karmas and rebirth, the very idea of five
clinging aggregates at the basis of one’s being becomes incomprehensible. Then from the
point of view of the Second Noble Truth, how is craving the origin of suffering? We
could look at it psychologically and say that when there is craving, one makes oneself
vulnerable to the clinging aggregates. But when one studies the sutras deeply, one finds
that craving is the force that brings the renewal of the five aggregates from one life to the
next. From this premise, the Third and Fourth Noble Truths follow logically.
The act of taking refuge, then, the act of practicing in accordance with the Four Noble
Truths, implies accepting the principles of karma and rebirth.
12
13. Jeffrey Hopkins: I think Bhikkhu Bodhi makes many good points. Nevertheless, I think
that someone can take refuge in the Three Jewels sincerely and not understand many of
the points that I too consider very important. There are simply many levels, and I want to
try hard not to be exclusivist. I’m not saying that Bhikkhu Bodhi is exclusivist, because
he didn’t indicate that. He has made a very good case about the Four Noble Truths, the
Eightfold Path and the Three Jewels.
It is a huge mistake to take the doctrine of karma as being simply deterministic.
Nevertheless, I think one can call oneself a Buddhist because one is inspired by various
and sundry aspects of the Buddhist teachings. At some point, I think that one would
nevertheless come to see the cause and effect of actions and would eventually see that
there were former and future lifetimes.
We have to consider that people are brought up to think many things. A young person in
China and Tibet today is propagandized to think that Tibet is just one of the provinces of
China. To a great many people, it becomes unthinkable that it is anything else. Just so,
people who go through the educational system in America are propagandized to think
that the mind is the brain, a physical phenomenon, or at best an epi-phenomenon of the
brain.
We are also faced with the very difficult psychological fact that few of us remember our
former lifetimes. That is a great stumbling block to thinking that we are going to have to
undergo the future effects of what we are doing now. We just plain don’t remember past
lives, so we don’t have a sense of continuity from former lifetimes. But we also don’t
have a sense of continuity of many of our dreams from the night before. You could be
lying with somebody in bed and the next morning the other person will say, “You really
went through it last night,” and you say, “What? I don’t remember anything.”
13
14. If karma implies that people’s situations are the result of their own actions in the
past, do we still work to alleviate what we see as injustice?
Jeffrey Hopkins: It is a huge mistake to take the doctrine of karma as being simply
deterministic. The mere fact that suffering that I undergo or others undergo is due to
former karma doesn’t mean that one wouldn’t work hard to alleviate it now and in the
future. Karma has the dual meaning of past actions that shape the present, and present
intentions and actions that will shape the future. Intention is the heart of karma, the very
heart. What does intention mean? It means will.
I wouldn’t call this justice. In a way, it is indeed just, in the sense that we are getting our
just desserts. But justice also has the sense that it is right. Quite simply, I did something
and I’m suffering from those earlier actions in this lifetime or former lifetimes. The
question to ask is, what can I do to turn this all around for myself and for others? It is an
absolute call to work very hard for social betterment and for the betterment of oneself.
One of the great pitfalls for Buddhists is to think there is nothing we can do about the
condition we find ourselves in—it is simply karma. That is a pitfall. But pitfalls are
somehow built into the system. The system opens up this pit for us to fall into. Maybe
another pitfall is saying, “Well, karma says I can direct my future.” The pitfall there is to
think, “Well, let me change for a couple of days, and I’ll be able to change my entire
future.”
Bhikkhu Bodhi: Earlier when I used the phrase “moral justice in the universe,” I was
using “justice” in a somewhat metaphorical sense. I didn’t intend to imply that a person’s
past karma can justify having them live in poverty under very unbearable circumstances
in this present life. The principle of karma implies obligation to alleviate the sufferings of
others and try to establish a just and peaceful social order.
Quite independently of the doctrines of karma and rebirth, Buddhism can lay a kind of
blueprint for establishing social and political justice, derived from the concept of dharma.
14
15. Dharma in this case refers not to the Buddha’s formulated teaching but rather to the
universal law of righteousness. A number of the sutras speak about the ideal king, the
Cakkavatti raja, the universal monarch who rules on the basis of dharma. In one of them
from the Anguttara Nikaya, it says:
“The Universal Monarch, the just and righteous King, relying on the dharma, the law of
righteousness, honoring it, regarding it highly and respecting it, with the dharma as his
standard, banner and sovereign, provides lawful protection, shelter and safety for his own
dependents, for the warrior nobles, for his army, for the Brahmans and householders, for
the citizens of town and countryside, for ascetics and Brahmans, and for the beasts and
birds. He is also obliged to keep the country free of crime and to give wealth to the poor.”
These kinds of principles, which were ascribed in earlier times to the ideal Buddhist
monarch, can now be transferred to present-day governments, and we can regard it as
their obligation to fulfill these basic principles that flow from the dharma—justice,
establishing social harmony, alleviating poverty, providing protection of the people.
Jan Chozen Bays: Buddhism is the ultimate action for social justice. To teach people the
way of liberation is the most fundamental way to help relieve suffering in the world. If
that is not social justice, I don’t know what is. According to the laws of karma, everyone
is created equal in terms of their ability eventually to become free. If we are made of
emptiness and cause and effect, we are all the same. Because we know a path out of
suffering, our way of acting in the world as Buddhists and applying social justice is to
teach others the path, so that they themselves can use these tools and become free and
happy.
You can, of course, relieve suffering in a simple way by giving someone a meal, for
example, if that is within your means. Not to do that would be unwholesome karma, for
you and for them. I work in the field of child abuse, even though I know that some of the
things I do are going to have unintended effects because they get mixed up in the sea of
15
16. bureaucracy. Nevertheless, I try to do the best I can with the child or the family in front
of me. The most nourishing food, however, is the food of the dharma. That’s what
everybody wants.
FIVE SUBJECTS FOR FREQUENT RECOLLECTION
经常省察五件人生事件
I am subject to aging, have not gone beyond aging.
I am subject to illness, have not gone beyond illness.
I am subject to death, have not gone beyond death.
I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and
appealing to me.
I am the owner of my actions;
I am born of my actions;
I am related to my actions;
I am supported by my actions;
Any thoughts, words or deeds I do, good or evil, those I
will inherit.
These are the five facts that one should reflect on often.
16