Karma : what it is, what it isn't, why it matters ; foreword by [Ogyen Trinley Dorje

**A jargon-free explanation of two central teachings of the Buddha: karma and rebirth.** The Buddha’s teaching on karma (literally, “action”) is nothing other than his compassionate explanation of the way things are: our thoughts and actions determine our future, and therefore we ourselves are largely responsible for the way our lives unfold. Yet this supremely useful teaching is often ignored due to the misconceptions about it that abound in popular culture, especially oversimplifications that make it seem like something not to be taken seriously. Karma is not simple, as Traleg Kyabgon shows, and it’s to be taken very seriously indeed. He cuts through the persistent illusions we cling to about karma to show what it really is—the mechanics of why we suffer and how we can make the suffering end. He explains how a realistic understanding of karma is indispensable to Buddhist practice, how it provides a foundation for a moral life, and how understanding it can have a transformative effect on the way we relate to our thoughts and feelings and to those around us. A Jargon-free Explanation Of Two Central Teachings Of The Buddha: Karma And Rebirth. By Now, We've All Heard Someone Say, It Must Have Been His Karma Or She Had Bad Karma. But What Is Karma, Really? Does Karmic Theory Say That We Are Helpless Victims Of Our Past? Is All Karma Bad, Or Can There Be Good Karma Too? Is Reincarnation The Same As The Buddhist Theory Of Rebirth? In This Short And Eminently Readable Book, Traleg Kyabgon Answers These Questions And More By Elucidating The Buddha's Teachings On Karma And Rebirth. He Distinguishes The Buddhist View Of Karma And Rebirth From Related Notions Of Karma And Reincarnation Found In The Hindu Tradition, Explains Why The Notion Of Karma Is Indispensable To The Theory And Practice Of Buddhism, And Demonstrates How Karmic Theory Provides A Foundation For Morality That Doesn't Require Belief In God. Throughout He Shows How To Work With Karma Intelligently To Bring About Beneficial Changes In The Way We Relate To Our Thoughts, Feelings, And Circumstances-- Introduction -- The Origins Of The Concept Of Karma -- The Buddha's View Of Karma -- The Yogacara School's Contribution To Karmic Theory -- The Bardo Teachings On Death, Intermediate State, And Rebirth -- No Karma-- Emptiness And The Two Truths -- Meaning In Life And The Fear Of Death -- Immortality, Reincarnation, And Rebirth -- Karmic Theory As A Possible Foundation For Ethics -- The Empirical Aspects Of Karmic Theory And Rebirth -- Working With Karma -- Conclusion. Traleg Kyabgon. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A master of Tibetan Buddhism cuts through prevalent misconceptions around karma and rebirth to get to the root cause of our sufferingand how we can end it The Buddhas teaching on karma (literally, action) is nothing other than his compassionate explanation of the way things our thoughts and actions determine our future, and therefore we ourselves are largely responsible for the way our lives unfold. Yet this supremely useful teaching is often ignored due to the misconceptions found in popular culture, especially oversimplifications that make it seem like something not to be taken seriously. Karma is not simple, as Traleg Kyabgon shows, and its to be taken very seriously indeed. In this book, Kyabgon cuts through the persistent illusions we cling to about karma to show what it really isthe mechanics of why we suffer and how we can make the suffering end. He explains how a realistic understanding of karma is indispensable to Buddhist practice, how it provides a foundation for a moral life, and how understanding it can have a transformative effect on the way we relate to our thoughts and feelings and to those around us. "A jargon-free explanation of two central teachings of the Buddha: karma and rebirth. By now, we've all heard someone say, "It must have been his karma" or "She had bad karma." But what is karma, really? Does karmic theory say that we are helpless victims of our past? Is all karma bad, or can there be good karma too? Is reincarnation the same as the Buddhist theory of rebirth? In this short and eminently readable book, Traleg Kyabgon answers these questions and more by elucidating the Buddha's teachings on karma and rebirth. He distinguishes the Buddhist view of karma and rebirth from related notions of karma and reincarnation found in the Hindu tradition, explains why the notion of karma is indispensable to the theory and practice of Buddhism, and demonstrates how karmic theory provides a foundation for morality that doesn't require belief in God. Throughout he shows how to work with karma intelligently to bring about beneficial changes in the way we relate to our thoughts, feelings, and circumstances"-- Provided by publisher