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Module 4: Foundations of Buddhist Theory III: The Essence of Karma and Morality · The Buddha’s Path

A module of The Buddha's Path study programme with David Oromith on karma and Buddhist ethics, and what cause and effect means for our future happiness.

This Module is part of our Buddhist Study Programme, The Buddha's Path. It delves into Buddhist ethical considerations and the theory of karma, which form the very heart of Buddhist theory and practice. The Buddha’s view of reality is that the universe exists within the natural law of cause of effect, what he explained as karma. According to this view, what happens to us is not fate, nor is it determined by a higher being, nor is it completely random. What we experience now are the natural results of prior actions performed before, what we experience later will be the natural result of actions performed now. In this way, the Dalai Lama says the view of karma is one of “self-creation.” It explains how we are, literally, in this moment here, the creator of our future lives, both our happiness and our suffering. The experiential implication of this view is empowerment, accountability, and the courage to change and grow. During this module, we will explore what is meant by the Buddhist theory of cause and effect, the law of karma. We will explore how we create karma and what that means for our future happiness and suffering. We will then explore the classic ten 'nonvirtues' and 'vir

What this course covers

• What is meant by the Buddhist law of cause and effect
• How we create karma, and what that means for our future happiness and suffering
• The ten nonvirtues and the ten virtues
• Purifying negative karma through the Four Opponent Powers

Sessions

1. Session 1 - An Overview & Introduction to Karma 87 minutes
2. Session 2 - The Ten Nonvirtues (Three of Body) 75 minutes
3. Session 3 - The Ten Nonvirtues (Four of Speech) 76 minutes
4. Session 4 - The Ten Nonvirtues (Three of Mind) & How Karma Ripens 80 minutes
5. Session 5 - Purifying Negative Karma - The Four Opponent Powers 94 minutes