Samsara, Karma and Rebirth

• what is samsara

  'continual flow'

  - refers to the continual flow of the birth and death of negative desires from moment to moment and also the cycle of physical rebirths (for those who believe it) which a person is bound to through incorrect perceptions of the Dharma

  - a state of mind which keeps us trapped to negative cycles, e.g. smoking

  - a person is bound to the cycle of Samsara through the 3 fires: greed, ignorance and hatred

  - beginningless cycle, no creation stories in Buddhism and no value speculating how a person came to be in this cycle

  - Tanha helps us understand what causes this cycle of suffering

  - aim is to escape through eliminating the fires, leading an ethical life and practicing the 3 virtues (action and behaviour). overcoming ignorance and craving
• what are some metaphors for samsara

  ocean of samsara - there are dangers everywhere (e.g. 3 fires) and we must navigate these waters of life and get to safety (Nirvana)

  
  

  wandering on (continual flow) - conveys idea of a long and aimless process as we wander endlessly from life to life trying to find permanent happiness, but as we are impermanent, we will never find it

  
  

  trapped on the endless treadmill - constant cycle, makes life feel pointless as we think all of our effort is meaningless and has no effect as nothing seems to change (suffering of conditioned existence, Dukkha)
• what is karma

  'action', referring to intentional actions or intentionally not acting; natural law of cause and effect.

  - effects of karmic actions are inevitable and as our actions are irreversible, eventually we'll have to undergo these effects

  - seen in many religions

  - metaphysical element as some seeds may come to fruition in future lives but some may in this life which is observable

  - distinction between moral and non-moral actions; non-moral actions do not necessarily cause karmic effect, e.g. getting out of bed. moral actions are ones with intention, those deliberately willed

  - behind every bad action is ill will and the presence of ill will in the mind creates potential which is the karmic seed

  - strength of karmic seeds depend on: whether we act, how strongly we feel it etc.

  - one can destroy karmic seeds, e.g. by ensuring you don't repeat an action and feeling regret
• why is intention important in karma

  intention is key factor behind gaining good karma - result of an action does carry some karmic force but intention is key contributor

  need to use 8fold path and wisdom to guide intention of actions
• what are the effects of karma

  karmic results affect us psychologically more than any other factor

  karma defines how we relate and experience the world as we make our own experience (it's internal)

  we feel better when we act better and vice versa
• is karma fatalistic

  no, it's not exactly what goes around comes around - you're not mapping out your future life with your actions. however, karma will inevitably affect your mental state (although this can be subject to change)

  karma is a justice system and can account for inequality

  no concept of reward/punishment but rather reaping what one shows
• how are samsara and karma linked

  directly linked in terms of our intentional actions (do we act on negative habits?)
• what are the criteria for whether an action is wholesome/unwholesome

  - motivation of action

  - direct effects of action in terms of happiness/suffering

  - actions contribution to spiritual development
• what are wholesome actions

  - non-greed (generous impulses to renunciation)

  - non-hatred (compassion and loving kindness to all beings)

  - non-delusion (wisdom, clarity of mind which is important as you cannot solely have generosity/compassion otherwise it may be misguided, e.g. giving money to a corrupt charity)
• what are unwholesome actions

  fuelled by the 3 fires

  greed - longing, lust, fame-seeking, clinging

  hatred - mild irritation to burning hatred and wrath

  delusion - veiling the truth/turning away from it
• what is rebirth

  - samsara, which we're bound to by our karma

  - death marks the end of one life and the beginning of the next

  - karmic actions affect the mental state of our next life

  - rebirth is negative as it means we're still attached and not liberated from suffering

  - refers to moment-to-moment rebirth and redeath as well as physical lives, which is why it's not called reincarnation

  - this cycle is painful, aim is to escape it as it's associated with suffering

  - it's karmic seeds/energy which transmigrate into your next life, it's not 'you' as you have no permanent essence/soul; however you are the sum of your actions so you are your karma. one is not exactly the same but not completely different as there's continuity as everything always changes

  - not same physical form

  - analogy: old candle lighting a new candle

  - rebirth is instant

  - don't dwell on how
• what does the person consist of

  we're made up of a combination of physical and psychological factors that are ever-changing (5 Skandhas) and interdependent, so we're not the same person day to day

  no permanent essence
• what are the 5 skandhas

  form/matter - physical elements that make up the body. we don't really own ourselves as nature changes our body, therefore we can't be too attached to the form

  
  

  sensations/sense feelings

  
  

  perception - what we become aware of and how we perceive the world as well as how others perceive us

  
  

  mental formation and impulses - choices that result from our internal will. intentional actions/karmic imprint makes us who we are and is the only part of us which remains

  
  

  consciousness - basic awareness of being alive with thoughts and feelings