Karma: What It Is, What It Isn't, Why It Matters

178 Pages·2015·4.44 MB·English

by  Traleg Kyabgon

WHAT IT IS
K A R M A
WHAT IT ISN'T
WHY IT MATTERS
• • •
Traleg Kyabgon
Foreword by His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa

KARMA

K A R M A
WHAT IT IS,
WHAT IT ISN’T,
WHY IT MATTERS
Traleg Kyabgon
SHAMBHALA
Boston & London
2015
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
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Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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© 2015 by Traleg Kyabgon
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
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permission in writing from the publisher.
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition
Printed in the United States of America
©This edition is printed on acid-free paper that meets the
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OThis book is printed on 30% postconsumer recycled paper.
For more information please visit www.shambhala.com.
Distributed in the United States by Penguin Random House LLC
and in Canada by Random House of Canada Ltd
Designed by K. E. White
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kyabgon, Traleg, 1955-
Karma: what it is, what it isn’t, why it matters / Traleg Kyabgon.
pages cm.
isbn 978-1-59030-888-2 (paperback)
1. Karma. I. Title.
BL2015.K3K93 2015
202.2—dc23
2014042484
CONTENTS
Foreword by Ogyen Trinley Dorje,
the Seventeenth Karmapa vii
Introduction 1
1. The Origins of the Concept of Karma
13
2. The Buddhas View of Karma
27
3. The Yogacara Schools Contribution to Karmic Theory
59
4. The Bardo Teachings on Death, Intermediate State,
and Rebirth
65
5. No Karma—Emptiness and the Two Truths
73
6. Meaning in Life and the Fear of Death 85
7. Immortality, Reincarnation, and Rebirth
97
8. Karmic Theory as a Possible Foundation for Ethics 105
9. The Empirical Aspects of Karmic Theory and Rebirth 121
10. Working with Karma
135
Conclusion
145
Notes
151
Bibliography
153
Index 155

THE KARMAPA
FOREWORD
Of the many Tibetan Dharma teachers who have settled in the
West, Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche was one of the few who pos­
sessed an extensive training in traditional Buddhist philos­
ophy combined with knowledge of Western philosophy and
psychology and the study of comparative religion. During his
many years working with Westerners, he developed a deep un­
derstanding of Western culture. Able to communicate in fluent
English, he was well aware of the misappropriation of Buddhist
terms in popular culture and was always concerned to main­
tain the essence and purity of Buddhism through his Dharma
teachings.
In this, Rinpoches last book, his thorough examination of
karma and related topics, such as emptiness, the nature of the
self, death, and rebirth, will be of great benefit as an authorita­
tive countermeasure to common misunderstandings of Bud­
dhist teachings. He clearly explains how the process of karma
is not mechanistic but dynamic; it operates within a complex
web that interconnects and affects all things within the universe,
both animate and inanimate. I believe that fully understanding
this is of particular importance in the twenty-first century, when
the actions of individuals, groups, and nations have far-ranging
impacts on the lives and well-being of other sentient beings.
VIII . FOREWORD
Indeed, our planet itself now faces possible destruction at the
hands of human beings. It is very important that we understand
the intricate, multifaceted relationship between cause and effect.
What we do as individuals in daily life will affect not just us but
other people, the world at large, and even the universe.
At the individual level, this book provides helpful advice and
practical suggestions for Buddhist practitioners, emphasizing
how a correct understanding of karma can open up opportuni­
ties for transformation and help us make our lives meaningful.
It is my hope that this final flourishing of Rinpoches scholar­
ship and Dharma teaching will be of benefit to all his students,
to Buddhists of all traditions, and to those who wish to explore
what Buddhism teaches.
Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the Seventeenth Karmapa
Gyuto Monastery, Dharamsala, India
August 4, 2014