Buddhism & Ethics (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

Kamma (Karma) & Rebirth

The concept of kamma

• Kamma is the principle at the centre of Buddhist ethics

• The word kamma means one’s actions

  • Kamma is the Pali language version of the word

  • It is spelled as karma in Sanskrit

• Kamma is the idea that the motive behind people’s actions leads to happiness or suffering

• This motivates Buddhists to behave in a way that will increase their own and other people’s happiness

• Actions are divided into skilful and unskilful actions. These have opposing motives and consequences

Actions and their results

• Repeatedly performing skilful or unskilful actions leads to habits that cause happiness or suffering

  • For example, if someone regularly acts with anger, they become an angry person

  • Anger is an unpleasant state, this leads to actions that cause suffering for that person and others

  • For example, angry people shout, break things, and create a situation where no one wants to be around them

• This is Kamma shows that people are punished or rewarded by their actions, not for their actions

Kamma and rebirth

• Buddhist tradition teaches that a person's actions in this life will not only impact their happiness and suffering right now but will also affect their future lives

• Buddhists believe there is no unchanging self or soul (Anatta), this means that a personality might pass through several states

  • Their kamma continues with them into this rebirth

  • They might pass through many lives before they achieve enlightenment and are freed from this cycle of Samsara

• Depending on a person's kamma, they may be reborn in one of six realms

• These are shown in the illustration below

The six realms of rebirth

• The human realm is said to be the best realm within which to reach enlightenment

• This is because humans can develop skilful mental states and actions to live a happier life

Buddhist Ethics

• 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

  • This will have a positive effect on their own happiness, and will also mean they reduce suffering for other people

  • For example, they might help the poor, act with compassion towards others, and avoid harming animals

Compassion (Karuna)

• Karuna is the Buddhist word for compassion

• It means being concerned for the suffering of others and wanting to relieve their suffering

  • This includes recognising that a person cannot be truly happy if others are suffering

  • It also includes recognising suffering within oneself and acting with self-compassion

• Karuna is part of every Buddhist’s spiritual path

  • It is especially important to Mahayana Buddhists who see it as an essential quality for becoming a Bodhisattvas

• Karuna is one of the four sublime states (the four qualities the Buddha taught that all Buddhists should develop)

The importance of Karuna in Buddhism

• Karuna is one of the four sublime states in Buddhism

  • These explain how Buddhists should act towards themselves and others

• The four sublime states are:

  • Loving-kindness (Metta)

  • Compassion (karuna)

  • Sympathetic joy – being happy for others

  • Equanimity – staying stable and calm in both happiness and suffering

• One of the ways Buddhists can show compassion is by supporting ROKPA

  • ROKPA is a Tibetan word meaning help or friend

  • The ROKPA charity was set up in 1980 to undertake projects that help children access education and families out of poverty in countries such as Nepal, Tibet, and Zimbabwe

  • One of the important aims of ROKPA is to teach children about the value of compassion so that they will grow up with a desire to help others and build a fairer world

Loving Kindness (Metta)

What is Metta?

• Metta means loving kindness

• It is a desire for others to be happy and free from suffering

• Metta leads to happiness and peace

• Metta:

  • Is one of the four sublime states of Buddhism

  • A loving, kind, friendly attitude towards yourself and all other beings

  • Wishing for all beings to be happy and free from suffering, without expecting anything in return

  • Does not even depend on the goodness of others; metta is cultivated even towards people who act unskilfully

The Difference Between Metta and Karuna

• 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)

Loving-Kindness Meditation

• Loving-kindness meditation is a form of Buddhist meditation

• It helps the meditator develop an attitude of metta, firstly towards themselves and then towards everyone else in the world

• It often consists of five steps. These involve showing loving-kindness towards:

  • Yourself

  • A good friend

  • A 'neutral' person (someone who does not give rise to strong positive or negative emotions)

  • A 'difficult' person (someone you don’t like)

  • All four of these people, gradually followed by everyone else in the world

How to Practice Loving-Kindness Meditation

• The meditator visualises or imagines one of these people looking happy

• They might reflect on the positive qualities of the person and any acts of kindness they have done

• They may say phrases such as, “May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful”

• Then they will apply these phrases to others