Question about karma (in Buddhism)

[sophian]

Hi,
I want to know, besides of practical good deeds or actions, how do buddhists cleanse the negative karma ?
(you could also suggest a book or a resource for reading...)
Thanks !
:)

[Shaunc]

You don't cleanse karma. Whatever you have done, said or thought these karmic consequence of that action will come to fruition at some stage.
We've all done wrong in our lives at some point, so all we can really do are some positive thoughts, words and deeds to try and accumulate some good karma to weigh up, or better still outweigh the bad karma.
Good luck and best wishes.

[sophian]

Originally Posted by Shaunc

You don't cleanse karma. Whatever you have done, said or thought these karmic consequence of that action will come to fruition at some stage.
We've all done wrong in our lives at some point, so all we can really do are some positive thoughts, words and deeds to try and accumulate some good karma to weigh up, or better still outweigh the bad karma.
Good luck and best wishes.

Still, Vajrasattva mantra is supposed to clean negative karma...
(although, there are many sites ,saying many different things...)

Originally Posted by Shaunc

You don't cleanse karma. Whatever you have done, said or thought these karmic consequence of that action will come to fruition at some stage.
We've all done wrong in our lives at some point, so all we can really do are some positive thoughts, words and deeds to try and accumulate some good karma to weigh up, or better still outweigh the bad karma.
Good luck and best wishes.

So then are you saying that through good actions, we can alter the trajectory of our Karma and those consequences (of our bad Karma) will no longer come to fruition?

[Gem]

Originally Posted by ketzer

So then are you saying that through good actions, we can alter the trajectory of our Karma and those consequences (of our bad Karma) will no longer come to fruition?

In Buddhist philosophy, 'kamma' refers to the volition. The volition is 'cause' and past volitions have created potentials which will manifest to conscious awareness when all the conditions come together. That's destiny and you can't do anything about that. The idea that good deeds wash out and prevent these manifestations is not consistent with Buddhist philosophy. Ill intent of the past is going to manifest in a bad way (just as it has always done), and when it does the person can continue the habit of reacting with aversion and craving more desirable experiences, and thus perpetuate misery, or cease reacting like that and accept it because it is true.



The meditation is to cease the volitions by coming to peace with the past and the destiny already created. To cease reacting to the manifesting circumstances with aversions and desires, and thereby be at peace with circumstances regardless of what they are, and thus undermine the wish for things to be otherwise, thereby bringing volition to an end and stopping kamma causes altogether. That equanimity of mind lets the old potentials manifest as they are wont to do (without resistance, avoidance or desirous, clingng reactivity) and you do not add any new potentials by generating kamma, and in this way the 'stockpile' starts to empty out in a process of purification.

Originally Posted by Gem

In Buddhist philosophy, 'kamma' refers to the volition. The volition is 'cause' and past volitions have created potentials which will manifest to conscious awareness when all the conditions come together. That's destiny and you can't do anything about that. The idea that good deeds wash out and prevent these manifestations is not consistent with Buddhist philosophy. Ill intent of the past is going to manifest in a bad way (just as it has always done), and when it does the person can continue the habit of reacting with aversion and craving more desirable experiences, and thus perpetuate misery, or cease reacting like that and accept it because it is true.



The meditation is to cease the volitions by coming to peace with the past and the destiny already created. To cease reacting to the manifesting circumstances with aversions and desires, and thereby be at peace with circumstances regardless of what they are, and thus undermine the wish for things to be otherwise, thereby bringing volition to an end and stopping kamma causes altogether. That equanimity of mind lets the old potentials manifest as they are wont to do (without resistance, avoidance or desirous, clingng reactivity) and you do not add any new potentials by generating kamma, and in this way the 'stockpile' starts to empty out in a process of purification.

Thx, makes good sense to me.

[7luminaries]

Originally Posted by ketzer

Thx, makes good sense to me.

It does and it is just that, so simple.

Is the Tao (or, the dhamma) of Poo why he is banned in China?
Sorry...but this is actually a serious question, if anyone is familiar with this.

Peace & blessings
7L

[7luminaries]

Originally Posted by Gem

In Buddhist philosophy, 'kamma' refers to the volition. The volition is 'cause' and past volitions have created potentials which will manifest to conscious awareness when all the conditions come together. That's destiny and you can't do anything about that. The idea that good deeds wash out and prevent these manifestations is not consistent with Buddhist philosophy. Ill intent of the past is going to manifest in a bad way (just as it has always done), and when it does the person can continue the habit of reacting with aversion and craving more desirable experiences, and thus perpetuate misery, or cease reacting like that and accept it because it is true.

The meditation is to cease the volitions by coming to peace with the past and the destiny already created. To cease reacting to the manifesting circumstances with aversions and desires, and thereby be at peace with circumstances regardless of what they are, and thus undermine the wish for things to be otherwise, thereby bringing volition to an end and stopping kamma causes altogether. That equanimity of mind lets the old potentials manifest as they are wont to do (without resistance, avoidance or desirous, clingng reactivity) and you do not add any new potentials by generating kamma, and in this way the 'stockpile' starts to empty out in a process of purification.

Gem...very nice explanation.

But to this, I would note that the addition of lovingkindness from a place of equanimity surely can't hurt anything -- can it? -- and may help (to alleviate suffering and add to the balance of well-being in the world).

Lovingkindness simply for its own sake, that is, and not with any specific intent save one...in support of the highest good of each one equally to all, and of all equally to each one.

Peace & blessings
7L

[Busby]

It's worth pointing out - as this seems to have slipped through our minds - that who you are at this moment, where you are at this moment, how you are at this moment both in physical form and in mental presence is a result of everything that has ever happened in your collective environment(s) (family, village, town, country and planet) in relation to your conscious partaking of this thing we call life.

All that has ever been is at this moment at its zenith. You and the trees and the grass and your dog and your bicycle. They are in the now all the result of everything.

There cannot be various sorts of karma, whether Buddhist or anything else. The proof lies in the now pudding and the pudding permanently resides in the now.

If you want to improve your lot then make a firm start now, but don't forget you need to do it with the rest of everything.

The processes and procedures we call karma have another - let's say more modern word - Evolution.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by 7luminaries

Gem...very nice explanation.

But to this, I would note that the addition of lovingkindness from a place of equanimity surely can't hurt anything -- can it? -- and may help (to alleviate suffering and add to the balance of well-being in the world).

Lovingkindness simply for its own sake, that is, and not with any specific intent save one...in support of the highest good of each one equally to all, and of all equally to each one.

Peace & blessings
7L

The concept of metta In Buddhism is a deep philosophy, but primarily it is the underlying wish that all living things be happy. The other wishes to hurt, harm, undermine and otherwise generate misery are all regarded as ill-intent. If we contextualise that not with good intent, but with a notion of pure intent, then we either have pure intent or tarnished intent and the absence if ill-will is the same as good-will - or what we might call free of impurity or defilement. This is because in the core of us is an everlasting outpouring of pure love that inspires the wish for the happiness of all beings, and that deep aspect is not of our volition. It is non-volitional by nature - and 'just Is.' Thus, all ill-will is generated through a false sense of self enlivened by aversions and desires and such reactivity. The ability to observe sans reactivity is the essence of the purification process simply because that's a pure observation or pure awareness, and in the absence of aversion/reaction there is no ill-will. Hence loving kindness is endemic of our nature, and ill-will but a false illusion generated by our desires for, and aversion toward, our own sensations.