Karma
Subtitle: what it is, what it isn't, why it matters
By: Traleg Kyabgon
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 163
ISBN-13: 9781590308882
Subjects: Karma
Description: "A jargon-free explanation of two central teachings of the Buddha: karma and rebirth. By now, we've all heard someone say, "It must have been his karma" or "She had bad karma." But what is karma, really? Does karmic theory say that we are helpless victims of our past? Is all karma bad, or can there be good karma too? Is reincarnation the same as the Buddhist theory of rebirth? In this short and eminently readable book, Traleg Kyabgon answers these questions and more by elucidating the Buddha's teachings on karma and rebirth. He distinguishes the Buddhist view of karma and rebirth from related notions of karma and reincarnation found in the Hindu tradition, explains why the notion of karma is indispensable to the theory and practice of Buddhism, and demonstrates how karmic theory provides a foundation for morality that doesn't require belief in God. Throughout he shows how to work with karma intelligently to bring about beneficial changes in the way we relate to our thoughts, feelings, and circumstances"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: The origins of the concept of karma; title: The Buddha's view of karma; title: The Yogacara School's contribution to karmic theory; title: The Bardo teachings on death, intermediate state, and rebirth; title: No karma; title: emptiness and the two truths; title: Meaning in life and the fear of death; title: Immortality, reincarnation, and rebirth; title: Karmic theory as a possible foundation for ethics; title: The empirical aspects of karmic theory and rebirth; title: Working with karma; title: Conclusion.