New York Insight
"Understanding the Law of Karma"
-the law of karma…..
-the law of karma is the heart of the Buddha’s teachings on wisdom….
-to develop wisdom, it is essential to develop understanding into the law of karma….
-the law of karma teaches us that…..
-our actions determine what our lives are….
-whether there is suffering/happiness in our lives….
-skillful actions lead to happiness….
-unskillful actions lead to suffering….
-whether an action is skillful/unskillful is determined by intention…..
-intention……
-intention informs action…..
-unskillful intention leads to unskillful action … action that causes suffering….
-skillful intention leads to skillful action … actions that causes happiness….
-intention is a mental movement….
-intention is shaped by past karma and/or present karma…..
-intention will be shaped by past karma (our past actions) … unless we make an intervention, and develop a new intention…..
-unskillful intention….
-the mental movement of intention is unskillful when it is imbued with…..
-desire
-aversion
-skillful intention…..
-the mental movement of intention is skillful when it is imbued with….
-lovingkindness
-compassion
-lovingkindness….
-intention imbued with lovingkindness is rooted in the wish we have to have to be happy … the wish we have for others that they be happy….
-compassion….
-intention imbued with compassion is rooted in the wish we have to be free from suffering … the wish we have for others that they be free from suffering…
-action…….
-there are three forms of action…..
-physical action (our deeds)
-verbal action (speech)
-mental action (thinking)
-unskillful intention leads to unskillful action…..
-skillful intention leads to skillful action…..
-results/consequences…..
-action brings about result/consequences….
-in the present….
-into the future…..
-Five Step Process for Developing Skillful Action…..
1-Seeing what the mind is like….
-before we take action we look at the quality of the mind….
-what is the quality of our intention….?
-is our mind/intention imbued with unskillful qualities…?
-aversion
-desire
-delusion
-is our mind/intention imbued wth skillful qualities…?
-lovingkindness
-compassion
-if the intention is unskillful … we seek to abandon the unskillful intention….
-if the intention is not skillful and we can’t abandon it, we may have to consider not taking the action….
2- Setting skillful intention….
-before we act, we set a skillful intention….
-skillful intention is imbued with lovingkindness/compassion….
-the process for setting skillful intention includes….
a)fabrication….
-stating the intention, internally….
-for example, I am going to give out of compassion….
b)felt sense…..
-connecting to a felt sense of the heart….
-the felt quality of lovingkindness/compassion….
3- Acting….
-as we act, we continue to monitor the quality of our intention/action….
-if our intention has veered off into an unskillful state … we re-set the intention….
4-Seeing the benefits…..
-after we act skillfully, we pay attention to the benefits that derive from having taken skillful action….
-short term benefits
-long term benefits
5-Taking Joy…..
-after we act skillfully, we take joy in our skillful actions….
Five Subjects for Frequent Recollection (Chant)
Jaraa-dhammomhi jaram anatiito.
I am subject to aging. Aging is unavoidable.
Byaadhi-dhammomhi byaadhim anatiito.
I am subject to illness. Illness is unavoidable.
Marana-dhammomhi maranam anatiito.
I am subject to death. Death is unavoidable.
Sabbehi me piyehi manaapehi naanaa-bhaavo vinaa-bhaavo.
I will grow different, separate from all that is dear & appealing to me.
Kammassakomhi kamma-daayaado kamma-yoni kamma-bandhu kamma-patisarano.
I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and live dependent on my actions.
Yam kammam karissaami kalyaanam vaa paapakam vaa tassa daayaado bhavissaami.
Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir.
Evam amhehi abhinham paccavekkhitabbam.
We should often reflect on this.
-Resources....
-"Reclaiming Our Agency" (Peter Doobinin)
-"The Road to Nirvana is Paved with Skillful Intentions" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
-"Skillful Action" (Peter Doobinin)
"Understanding the Law of Karma"
-the law of karma…..
-the law of karma is the heart of the Buddha’s teachings on wisdom….
-to develop wisdom, it is essential to develop understanding into the law of karma….
-the law of karma teaches us that…..
-our actions determine what our lives are….
-whether there is suffering/happiness in our lives….
-skillful actions lead to happiness….
-unskillful actions lead to suffering….
-whether an action is skillful/unskillful is determined by intention…..
-intention……
-intention informs action…..
-unskillful intention leads to unskillful action … action that causes suffering….
-skillful intention leads to skillful action … actions that causes happiness….
-intention is a mental movement….
-intention is shaped by past karma and/or present karma…..
-intention will be shaped by past karma (our past actions) … unless we make an intervention, and develop a new intention…..
-unskillful intention….
-the mental movement of intention is unskillful when it is imbued with…..
-desire
-aversion
-skillful intention…..
-the mental movement of intention is skillful when it is imbued with….
-lovingkindness
-compassion
-lovingkindness….
-intention imbued with lovingkindness is rooted in the wish we have to have to be happy … the wish we have for others that they be happy….
-compassion….
-intention imbued with compassion is rooted in the wish we have to be free from suffering … the wish we have for others that they be free from suffering…
-action…….
-there are three forms of action…..
-physical action (our deeds)
-verbal action (speech)
-mental action (thinking)
-unskillful intention leads to unskillful action…..
-skillful intention leads to skillful action…..
-results/consequences…..
-action brings about result/consequences….
-in the present….
-into the future…..
-Five Step Process for Developing Skillful Action…..
1-Seeing what the mind is like….
-before we take action we look at the quality of the mind….
-what is the quality of our intention….?
-is our mind/intention imbued with unskillful qualities…?
-aversion
-desire
-delusion
-is our mind/intention imbued wth skillful qualities…?
-lovingkindness
-compassion
-if the intention is unskillful … we seek to abandon the unskillful intention….
-if the intention is not skillful and we can’t abandon it, we may have to consider not taking the action….
2- Setting skillful intention….
-before we act, we set a skillful intention….
-skillful intention is imbued with lovingkindness/compassion….
-the process for setting skillful intention includes….
a)fabrication….
-stating the intention, internally….
-for example, I am going to give out of compassion….
b)felt sense…..
-connecting to a felt sense of the heart….
-the felt quality of lovingkindness/compassion….
3- Acting….
-as we act, we continue to monitor the quality of our intention/action….
-if our intention has veered off into an unskillful state … we re-set the intention….
4-Seeing the benefits…..
-after we act skillfully, we pay attention to the benefits that derive from having taken skillful action….
-short term benefits
-long term benefits
5-Taking Joy…..
-after we act skillfully, we take joy in our skillful actions….
Five Subjects for Frequent Recollection (Chant)
Jaraa-dhammomhi jaram anatiito.
I am subject to aging. Aging is unavoidable.
Byaadhi-dhammomhi byaadhim anatiito.
I am subject to illness. Illness is unavoidable.
Marana-dhammomhi maranam anatiito.
I am subject to death. Death is unavoidable.
Sabbehi me piyehi manaapehi naanaa-bhaavo vinaa-bhaavo.
I will grow different, separate from all that is dear & appealing to me.
Kammassakomhi kamma-daayaado kamma-yoni kamma-bandhu kamma-patisarano.
I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and live dependent on my actions.
Yam kammam karissaami kalyaanam vaa paapakam vaa tassa daayaado bhavissaami.
Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir.
Evam amhehi abhinham paccavekkhitabbam.
We should often reflect on this.
-Resources....
-"Reclaiming Our Agency" (Peter Doobinin)
-"The Road to Nirvana is Paved with Skillful Intentions" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
-"Skillful Action" (Peter Doobinin)
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