The Future Is Open : Good Karma, Bad Karma, and Beyond Karma

Renowned meditation master Chögyam Trungpa challenges popular misconceptions of the Buddhist doctrines of karma and rebirth, in the process showing how to step beyond karma on the path to awakening. 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, Chögyam 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. Topics include: the origin of karma; samsara and the world of ego and how they are shaped by karma; traditional teachings on karma; the difference between karma and fate; individual, group, and national karma; good karma, bad karma, beyond karma; karma and reincarnation; buddha activity and how it relates to ordinary practitioners; and meditation practice as the vehicle to step outside of the normal cycle of karma.