Buddhism Practices: Ethics

Question 1

What is Karma?

Answer 1

• Karma is the principle at the centre of Buddhist ethics
• It means One’s actions, and is the idea that the motive behind people’s actions leads to happiness or suffering
• Actions are divided into skilful and unskilful actions. Which lead to happiness or suffering

Question 2

How does Karma affect rebirth?

Answer 2

• Buddhists believe that their Karma continues with them into this rebirth
• If someone has lots of skilful karma, they will have a favourable rebirth into one of the six realms and vice versa

Question 3

How does karma affect Buddhists?

Answer 3

• For Buddhists the idea of karma is empowering, because it means they can change the future through their actions
• The fact that their behaviour causes their happiness or suffering motivates them to live in a more skilful way

Question 4

What is Karuna?

Answer 4

• Buddhist word for Compassion
• One of the four sublime states
• It means being concerned for the suffering of others and wanting to relieve their suffering
• It includes recognising that a person cannot be truly happy if others are suffering

Question 5

What are the four sublime states?

Answer 5

• Loving-kindness (Metta)
• Compassion (karuna)
• Sympathetic joy – being happy for others
• Equanimity – staying stable and calm in both happiness and suffering
• These explain how Buddhists should act towards themselves and others

Question 6

What is Metta?

Answer 6

• Means loving kindness
• One of the four sublime states
• It is a desire for others to be happy and free from suffering

Question 7

How are Metta and Karuna different?

Answer 7

• Metta is a general desire to want all people to be happy
• It is an attitude of kindness and warmth
• Karuna is a result of metta coming into contact with a specific person who is suffering
• For example, a person might wish for their friend to be happy (metta). But if something bad happens to hurt that friend has an accident, the person’s loving kindness then becomes compassion and desire to relieve their suffering (karuna)

Question 8

Loving-Kindness Meditation

Answer 8

• A form of Buddhist meditation which helps the meditator develop an attitude of Metta, firstly towards themselves and then towards everyone else in the world, Often consisting of five steps