8. Karma and the law of causality
OVERVIEW
Do our happy and unhappy experiences arise arbitrarily, without any causes? Do successes and failures depend only on our efforts? Is there a place for luck? How to explain the deep tendencies that we may observe within us and that are expressed through our behaviors? Why is it sometimes so difficult to change? Is the environment that surrounds us utterly unrelated to us Such are some of the questions explored by Rinpoche in the course of these teachings which shed a new light on our every day experiences and invite us to lead a more righteous life, an existence more respectful of ourselves and others.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THESE TEACHINGS?
In connection with a careful description of our mind, Rinpoche introduces the elements that lead Buddhists to consider the existence of future lives and past lives, as well as this fundamental notion of the Buddha's teaching which is closely related to them: karma. Far from the clichés sometimes conveyed by this expression, he brings out the different realities it encompasses, while detailing the fundamental characteristics of karma and drawing up a detailed typology. From there, he exposes the essential ethics taught by the Buddha: abstention from the ten non-virtues, describing the subtleties of each of them while endeavoring to specify their effects in terms of rebirths, conditions of life, tendencies, or environment. He thus shows how respecting this fundamental ethic is a source of happiness in this life as well as in future lives. He is also careful to explain how any consequences of whatever harmful activities we may have committed can be dispelled through the four forces of purification. In doing so, Rinpoche allows us to realize how, far from being a doctrine of fatality, this description of the deep mechanisms of our mind allows us to become more than ever the real actors of our lives.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
These teachings will help you better understand the subtle links between your present or past actions and the events that mark your life. They will lead you to see clearly that the main causes of happiness and suffering are not outside, but inside of you. As you gradually integrate this understanding into your daily life, it will enable you to cope better with any difficulties you may encounter and inspire you to lead a righteous life - in action, in word, or in thought.
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