Understanding, Working With, and Ending Karma (class), Online 10/5 - 11/23

Practice Center
Date / Time
Oct 5, 2021 / 7:30pm - Nov 23, 2021 / 9:00pm
Event Type
Classes & Extended Courses
Description

The Zoom link will be provided at least 24 hours before the class begins. Please call 415-354-0360 if you have any questions.


Eight Tuesdays, 7:30 – 9 pm PT

The Buddha’s teachings on karma (literally, “action” or intentional action)—while complex and easily misunderstood—are nothing other than his compassionate explanation of the way things are: our thoughts and actions determine our character and our future, and therefore we ourselves are largely responsible for the way our lives unfold. Karma points to the mechanics of why we suffer and how we can make the suffering end.

In this eight-week class, we will explore various aspects of karma, including distinctions between wholesome and unwholesome ("good" and "bad') karma, personal and collective karma, notions of reincarnation and rebirth, and the emptiness of karma. We’ll also touch upon the related subjects of interdependent origination (also known as the twelve-fold chain of causation), the creation of selfhood and identity, and how it is that a theory of karma can serve as a foundation for ethics.

Through readings, group exercises and discussions, weekly reflections, and individual practice suggestions, we will look at our intention to live mindfully, making decisions that turn our karma away from negative, habituated tendencies and toward the cultivation of wholesome, compassionate actions. In this way, we can realize in time—just as the Buddha did—that the path of practice leads to the cessation of karma and hence true liberation and happiness.

The primary text for the class will be Karma: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why It Matters by Traleg Kyabgon.

Open to beginners and experienced practitioners alike.

Fee Information
  • General $240
  • Current SFZC Members $216

We offer a number of discounted tickets:

  • Sliding Scale 1: $144
  • Sliding Scale 2: $60

For additional discount options, please email us at rezoffice@sfzc.org.

Register Online

Or call 415-354-0360.