We often hear about karma and that the fruits of our past and present actions will inevitably ripen in this life and in future lives. Creating a non-virtuous action, for example, such as stealing, will bring a negative result in the future. Our circumstances of this life, including our human form, appearance, and status, are the result of our actions, thoughts, and speech in the past.
Dependent origination is sometimes called "interdependent causation." Not only do we live a life of interconnectedness but the very nature of everything that exists is dependent on multiple causes and conditions -- even a simple wooden bowl requires a seed, soil, water, sunlight and time to grow the tree, a woodcutter, tools to carve the bowl, and a woodcarver. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, "In Sanskrit the word for dependent-arising is pratityasamutpada. The word pratitya has three different meanings -- meeting, relying, and depending -- but all three, in terms of their basic import, mean dependence. Samutpada means arising." Nothing in this world is independently existent.
What is the nature of the relationship between karma and dependent origination, and how do we use this understanding of interdependence and interconnectedness with everything around us as a positive support to guide our actions toward good karmic effect? Please join us for what are sure to be illuminating teachings.
Biography
Born in Australia in 1944, Ven. Robina Courtin spent the early part of her life studying classical singing, being involved with the radical left/feminist activism and then, in her quest for a spiritual path, studying martial arts. She became a student of Lama Yeshe and was ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun at Kopan Monastery in 1978. Since then, she has worked full-time for the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) in several roles; editorial director of Wisdom Publications, editor of the Mandala Magazine, and director of the Liberation Prison Project. Since 1987 she has taught Buddhist courses and retreats at FPMT centers worldwide. Well-known for her intense energy and no-nonsense manner of expressing her profound understanding of Buddhist philosophy, Ven. Robina is the subject of an award-winning documentary, "Chasing Buddha" and a film by Christine Lundberg called "On the Road Home".
21 дек 2013
