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Precious Garland review: Characteristics of karma

Precious Garland review: Characteristics of karma

Chapter 1 addresses what to abandon and what to practice to attain upper rebirth and highest good. Part of a series of talks on Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland of Advice for a King.

  • The practice of restraining from the 10 nonvirtues and practicing the 10 virtues is the basis of upper rebirth and highest goodness
  • Karma is cause and result, it’s not about reward and punishment or judgement.
    • Karma was not invented by the Buddha, he merely described it
  • Karmic causality means there is an ethical dimension to actions
  • The four general characteristics of karma:
    • karma is definite
    • karma is expandable
    • karma is not lost
    • if the cause is not created the results are not experienced

Precious Garland 06: Review characteristics of karma (download)

Venerable Thubten Tarpa

Venerable Thubten Tarpa is an American practicing in the Tibetan tradition since 2000 when she took formal refuge. She has lived at Sravasti Abbey under the guidance of Venerable Thubten Chodron since May of 2005. She was the first person to ordain at Sravasti Abbey, taking her sramanerika and sikasamana ordinations with Venerable Chodron as her preceptor in 2006. See pictures of her ordination. Her other main teachers are H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya and H.E. Dagmo Kusho. She has had the good fortune to receive teachings from some of Venerable Chodron's teachers as well. Before moving to Sravasti Abbey, Venerable Tarpa (then Jan Howell) worked as a Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer for 30 years in colleges, hospital clinics, and private practice settings. In this career she had the opportunity to help patients and teach students and colleagues, which was very rewarding. She has B.S. degrees from Michigan State and University of Washington and an M.S. degree from the University of Oregon. She coordinates the Abbey's building projects. On December 20, 2008 Ven. Tarpa traveled to Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights California receiving bhikhshuni ordination. The temple is affiliated with Taiwan's Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order.

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