Karma has become a popular term in the West, often connected with somewhat naive or deterministic ideas of rebirth and reincarnation. It is also often equated with views of morality and guilt. In The Future Is Open, Chogyam Trungpa unpacks this intriguing but misunderstood topic. He viewed an understanding of karma as good news, showing us that liberation is possible and that the future is never predetermined. His unique approach to presenting the Buddhist teachings lends itself to an insightful and profound view of karma, its cause and effects, and how to cut the root of karma itself.
Chogyam Trungpa (1940-1987)--meditation master, teacher, and artist--founded Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, the first Buddhist-inspired university in North America; the Shambhala Training program; and an international association of meditation centers known as Shambhala International. He is the author of numerous books, including Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, and The Myth of Freedom.
Preface |
xi
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Part One: The Birth of karma |
1 |
1. Karma, Compassion, and the Dark Age
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3 |
2. Karma and rebirth
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15 |
3. The Wheel of Life
|
15 |
4. Past, Present, and Future
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31 |
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Part Two: The Painfull Reality of Samasara |
51 |
5. Karma, Ego, and Buddha Nature
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53 |
6. The Wheel of Life
|
63 |
7. The Power of Flickering Thoughts
|
83 |
8. Perpetually Recreating Suffering
|
89 |
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Part Three: The Future is Open
|
107 |
9. Choiceless Choice
|
109 |
10. The Path of Meditation
|
117 |
11. Cutting the Root of Samsara
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127 |
12. Auspicious Coincidence
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137 |
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Coda: Karma in Everday Life: Work, Sex, and Money
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147 |
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Acknowledgments |
159 |
Sources |
163 |
Glossary of Tibetan Terms |
165 |
About the Author |
167 |
Index |
173 |
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