Karma, Niyama, and Tibetan Buddhism
Rowan1980
Keeper of the ZooAsheville, NC Veteran
Hi there. I'm quite new to Buddhism from the standpoint of a practitioner, and I only recently joined the forums after perusing the discussions for a few weeks or so. I've a question that I didn't see in older topics, and it's something I've been mulling over for a few days.
From my understanding of karma specifically within the Tibetan Buddhist perspective, all experiences, for better or for worse, are the results of our previous actions. On the other hand, I've also read about niyamas, of which karma is only one factor for experiences, but this doesn't appear to be part of the TB paradigm(s). Are the niyamas specifically part of the Hinayana branch of Buddhism? My other question is how would/could one better understand the differences in the all experiences being the results of karma vs. experiences are rooted in conditions of which karma is only one of them?
If this has previously been address, please let me know. (My apologies if it has!)
Comments
My teacher, Shenpen Hookham, has said to me that karma is like "the sun rises in the east". So it is a way of understanding reality, but as an absolute truth there are all sorts of problems with it. In the sun example you would say "well who lifts the sun".
I can see that. So, karma as something to help us grasp or at least consider what's happening, but not as the be-all-end-all answer as to why. Do I have that correct, or am I off?
I think that's what she meant. So you can use it to help motivate yourself to put yourself in a space both physically and mentally to study, reflect on, and put in practice compassion and the dharma.
Causality is a simple enough model. So for example calling Theravadins Hinayana does not go down well with them . . .
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266163/Hinayana
Just as deriding the Mahayana as upstarts and heretics is not a good ploy . . . :wave: .
Of course in these modern, environmentally sensitive days Greater Vehicles are less desirable, as they leave larger carbon tire tracks than the Smaller Ones.
Eek! Good to know re: Theraveda vs. Hinayana. Apologies for any offense.
@Rowan1980 Theravada is not the target of Mahayanas three vehicles. Theravada is a totally different thing. It is like saying Buddha is a prophet of Christianity ie mixing totally separate things. Tibetan Buddhism organizes teachings into 3 vehicles, but other traditions that is foreign and is meaningless to say Theravada is Hinayana. Some Mahayanists are calling Hinayana 'fundamental yana' because everyone studies it in Mahayana but there are vows not to descend into the Hinayana view from the Bodhisattva path. So it is foundational but one doesn't want to descend into the view from the Mahayana if possible.