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Karma and the Eightfold Noble Path
I've been studying Buddhism on and off for a number of years and have recently started actively reading the Dharma, doing walking meditation, sitting meditation, mindful eating, attending the local Zen monastery, and I've started to try mindful working.
I was reading on the Eightfold Noble Path/Sila, Prajna, Samadhi. Buddha stated that it was by following this path that one found release from karma and the cycle of rebirths.
My question however is this: How exactly does this path prevent future production of karma, whether harmful or good?
A follow on question is: By what basis or for what reason do Buddhists/Hindus believe that past merits and progression continue into the next life? Is karma really all that defines our existence?
I was reading on the Eightfold Noble Path/Sila, Prajna, Samadhi. Buddha stated that it was by following this path that one found release from karma and the cycle of rebirths.
My question however is this: How exactly does this path prevent future production of karma, whether harmful or good?
A follow on question is: By what basis or for what reason do Buddhists/Hindus believe that past merits and progression continue into the next life? Is karma really all that defines our existence?
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Comments
and herein lies the problem. The teachings on kamma in Buddhism are quite different from Hindu kamma.
But naturally our actions will have effects even after our death. Regardless of literal rebirth. Either way, who says that's all that defines our lives?
I wouldn't say it's what defines our lives, but isn't the stance on rebirth that we have volitionally acted on our desires, which generated karma and then the karma resulted in our continued existence?
I'll read your article on the Buddhist perspective on karma here in a little bit.
How does one make any decision in light of his desire without generating karma? Even if he realizes that he is/is not giving in to a desire and handles it skillfully, how is he still not generating karma? While reading on Nirvana I heard reference to the pacification of desire. What exactly does this mean?
I think of karma in terms of "momentum in the continuum of consciousness". If a person develops "good" momentum in the continuum of consciousness, one is more inclined to get more good momentum, and ultimately to be able to enter a more fortunate incarnation in the next life. Additionally, if one has developed some "technical" proficiency in generating certain states of consciousness, like calm abiding, one is able to face "adverse" (scary, unpleasant) circumstances in this life with more equanimity, and hopefully to enter the death-state in a state of relative calm abiding and equanimity. Just for me, from my understanding of Vajrayana, all these terms like "karma" and "dukkha" and even the Tibetan dieties are things that take place in consciousness. If I pray to Tara, for instance, I pray to the mother-force-of-the-universe (which is just another symbol too), or Tara-in-me, or whatever.
Conversely, negative momentum in the continuum of consciousness tends to drag a person down karmically. That's my understanding of how it is from Vajrayana.
"If we see it rightly, we will understand that when the mind-body is not-self, the results of its actions will happen to a selfless mind-body, also."
Let's use an example here. You're starving and you are given the opportunity to eat. You can eat anything you want because it's a huge banquet. If you don't take this opportunity to eat, odds are high that you might die as a result of it. How does one choose to eat/what to eat from the perspective of not-self?
Just give me about five burgers and a pound of fries and a gallon of chocolate frosty and I'll figure that other shit out later. I'm f***ing hungry.
Mushroom swiss burgers, that is.
I'm sorry for my language- I guess I forgot myself. Where are my manners? Someone mentioned the other day that for a Vajrayanist I lack sobriety. Well, there you go.
You gonna eat that coleslaw? It looks good.
SOITENLY! nyuk nyuk nyuk...