The Goals (3)

1. The Goals (3) What are the goals during life? The goal during life is to make progress towards Enlightenment.

2. The Goals (3) • Kamma — the natural law of cause and effect. • ‘Unskilful’ actions bind the unenlightened to samsara, ‘skilful’ actions lead towards enlightenment. • pp. 63-78

3. The Goals • Buddhists believe that there is a purpose to our existence, our life is for something. • What’s more, they believe that a new ‘you’ is created every moment (think Anicca and Anatta). • This new ‘you’ is dependant on choices by the previous ‘you’. • In a way ‘you’ die every moment for the new ‘you’ to be created.

4. The Goals • So… it doesn’t matter so much about physical death, it’s about now. What kind of person are you recreating by your actions right now? (are paying attention?!) • To Buddhists we are all living in ignorance. • The Goal of life is to progress toward Enlightenment. To a place where we are no longer ignorant to Reality.

5. The Goals • Only humans are capable of enlightenment. • Humans must do something about it,. • It is your actions now that are important. • There is no God to help you.

6. Take a few moments… • What are your goals in life? • Does your life have a point? • Should your life have a point? • What happens when you die? • Does this affect the way you live? • How should you live?

7. The Law of Kamma • Kamma: the natural law of cause and effect • Unskillful (akusala) actions bind the unenlightened to Samsara • Skillful (kusala) actions lead to enlightenment and escape from Samsara • Put simply, every conscious ethical choice you make has a consequence. The nature of your decisions will have a direct impact on your future. • Put even more simply…

9. Haud oan • Isn’t having the Goal of Enlightenment a form of desire? • Good question. • Maybe it is used to start you off? • What is the intention behind the desire? • Is it motivated by the 3 Root Poisons? • Is it Chanda or Tanha?

10. The Law of Kamma • To Buddhists your present existence is shaped by the pattern of actions set up in previous existences. It is just cause and effect. A Natural Law. • Throughout your life your thoughts lead to actions which lead to consequences. • We are in control of our own lives and responsible for our present situation.

11. The Law of Kamma • Think seeds (Kammic seeds are called bija) in that for every conscious ethical choice you make there will be a consequence. Cause and effect. • If you sew cherry seeds you’re going to get a cherry tree. Likewise if you make good ethical choices you are going to receive good results.

12. Bad Kamma?

13. The Law of Kamma: What is the root of the action? • All trees need roots. Good roots will produce good fruit. • All kammic actions need intentions. Good intentions will produce good consequences. • To a Buddhist what three things might motivate bad intentions (Think Samsara)?

14. The Law of Kamma: Kusala and Akusala (Skillfull and Unskillful) • Akusala (Unskillful) actions are motivated by • Desire • Hatred • Ignorance • Kusala (Skillful) actions are motivated by • Non-attachment • Kindness • Understanding

15. Which are kusalaor akusala actions? • You turn off a life support machine. • You kick a dog and it’s jaw breaks. • You give a friend £10. • You loan someone a pencil. • You see someone stealing and say nothing… they don’t get caught.

16. Remember • The Buddha encouraged self-reflection and a critical examination of his teachings. • There are no inflexible ‘rules’ or ‘laws’ in Buddhism. • The Dalai Lama: “Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly”

17. Skillful and Unskillful • There are no moral absolutes. • Completely different choices could be right depending on the situation. • Buddhists ask • Was your choice skillful or unskillful? • What was your motivation?

18. Intentions • To Buddhists the action was wrong if your intention was wrong. • If you do ‘good’ things to gain an advantage for yourself, your action is wrong. • Can you think of any examples?

19. The Drunk Driver and the “I never meant to hurt anyone” defence • Buddhist response: If you drive under the influence you are more likely to make mistakes and have slower reaction time which may lead to an accident. • Think your actions through. • In this case the decision to get in the car was unskillful. The skillful choice would have been to get in a taxi.

20. The situation • There are no absolutes and what’s right for one person may not be right for another. • Different situations call for different choices. • Is you choice kusala or akusala? • What is the intention?

21. So what happens? • Kammic consequences or imprints will impact throughout this life or the next (remember momentary deaths too). • Your current conditions depended on your previous actions. • Your future conditions depends on your actions now. • It is all up to you. Remember for Buddhists only humans are capable of making conscious ethical choices.

22. Compassion • Quotes p.73 • For Buddhists compassion means basing your actions on the three good roots: • Non-attachment • Kindness • Understanding • All life is suffering and we are all inter-related so it is key to learn compassion for one another.

23. Compassion • If you approach your conscious ethical choices with compassion you’re never really go wrong. • Compassion – Skillful Actions – Good Kammic Results • Is Buddhism an inward looking faith? • E.g. on p.75

24. Check Your Learning • Kamma — the natural law of cause and effect. • ‘Unskilful’ actions bind the unenlightened to samsara, ‘skilful’ actions lead towards enlightenment.

25. Activity • As a class, complete the questions on pp.76 & 77. Look over them all tonight. Any questions? • Next Step: Nibbana