1. Paradigm Shift From Karma to Nirvana
Rosan Osamu Yoshida, Ph.D.
Presentation At
Fo Guang Shan
Saint Louis Buddhist Center
March 11, 2017 C.E.

2. Karma = Ceremony: Action: Habit: Heredity
√ kṛ : create with body, mouth, mind
“All beings are karma-heirs, -owners,
-machines, -refuged.” - the Buddha

3. “The World Is on Fire!”
The World Doomed to
Destruction

4. Problems of Civilization
　　　　 Civilization Realm men
over-
population
class-crime-war
Ideology-ism-WMD
Fanaticism-nationalism
Mass-production/consumption
/wasting/pollution/depletion/damage
/disorder/disease/deterioration/demise
Animal Field 　　 　 Life Realm　
Loss of life/species/life function/habitat/biodiversity/
Adaptability/invasion of new species/disturbance of system
Plant Field
Loss of forests//coral reefs/lakes/marshes/rivers/streams/
vitality/resistance-disease-dislocation-deterioration-destruction-demise
Life Field
　　 global warming・loss of land/glacier/iceberg/water-sealevelrise-dissertification-
pollution of air/water/earth-depletion of resources/ozone layer-abnormal weather/season

5. Pyramidal Civilization
power
matter
ego
(population)
greed, anger, ignorance
discrimination, exploitation, killing
production, consumption, wasting
deterioration, depletion, pollution
malfunction, abnormality, extinction
heart
　life
ECO

6. Pyramidal Civilization
Three Steps
matter
power 力
delusion
action
Click slide for motion.
suffering
heart
life
Click for motion

7. Problems & Sufferings
All problems and sufferings are dependently originated on karmas (past, present bodily, verbal, and mental actions/functions).
Karmas create the triple poisons of craving,
hatred, and delusion: sources of suffering.

8. Problems & Sufferings
1. 4 individual S.: Birth, Aging, Sickness, Death
2. 8 individual S.: 1 + Not attaining the desired,
Parting with the loved ones,
Meeting the hated ones,
In short, Rampant raging of
the five aggregates (karmas)
3. Social P. & S.: Nukes, Power Pyramids, etc.
4. Global P. & S.: Global warming, Mass extinction

9. Solution of Suffering & Samsara
1. Two roots of suffering: Craving & Nescinece
2. One root of samsara (becoming): Nescience
Nescience = no witness of selfless nature
(:self-sama, self-sovereign), i.e.,
Dependent Co-origination
3. Source of Suffering & Samsara: Karma =
Triple Poisons (nescience,
craving, hatred or discrimination)

10. 12-limbed Dependent Origination (1)
Old oral tradition (can be only in linear representation):
Nescience → formations → consciousness → name-form → six bases →contact
→ feeling → craving → appropriation → becoming → birth → aging-death
New structural interpretation = showing suffering of samsara (impermanence):
Notes on the terms:
Name-form = sense object
= dharma
Six bases = six sense organs
Contact = contact of sense organ,
sense object and consciousness
Formation = function (karma)
Becoming = birth/aging/death
= samsara (flow) Craving, formations & suffering
are called “three steps (sando)”
Nescience (existential ignorance)
appropriates body-mind as self,
involved in becoming (birth,
aging, death = samsara).
name-form
six bases
consciousness
feeling
formations
appropriation
becoming
birth/aging-death
contact
craving
nescience
suffering
(karma)

11. Zen = Stilling Karma Zen (Zazen: sitting meditation) stills Karma,
sees Dharma, serves and saves all, reaching
Nirvana.
Nirvana = No-wind (of Karma)
“Nivāte padīpa”
(lamp-light in no-wind)

12. 1st stage of zen (jhāna)
　reflection
　contemplation
　joy
　comfort
one-pointedness
5 coverings (lust-desire, covetousness-malevolence,
sloth-drowsiness, agitation-worry, doubt) extinct
4 fluxes (lust, becoming, view, nescience) still extant

13. 2nd stage of zen (jhāna) joy comfort one-pointedness of mind
　4 fluxes (lust,
　becoming,
　view,
　nescience)
now extinct

14. 3rd stage of zen (jhāna)
comfort
one-pointedness of mind
equipoised

15. 4th stage of zen (jhāna)
one-pointedness of mind
equanimity

16. Nirvana Definition (1)
Definition: No-wind (nir-vāna: ni-vāta), of karma
(= not blown up & down by karma)
Characteristics:
Essence: Universal (beyond influence of karma)
Nature: Pure (before influence karma)
Function: Free (unbound by karma)
Practicality: Here now (for all beyond karma)

17. Nirvana: Practice (2) Universal, but w/o cultivation not developed &
w/o verification not attained (due to karma)
Cultivation/verification allows anyone to attain
Nirvana/awakening.
Nirvana/awakening allows anyone to appreciate
and use all (as the treasure house) at will.

18. Nirvana: Fruit (3) Free function (from karma: triple poisons, sins,
discriminations, defilements, delusions, death,
conventions: comparative truth (view/values),
unmoved, indestructible, no coverings, etc.
Full function (awakening/activation of the
ultimate truth: wholly wholesome way/world;
prognosis/peace in original nature, limitless life,
light, liberation, love, appreciation, use of all, etc.

19. Karma & Nirvana (4) 1. Nirvana & Dependent Cessation:
a. Cessation of craving ⇨ suffering
b. Cessation of nescience ⇨ samsara
c. Cessation of mental fabrication
(: pure perception: “seen only, etc.”)
2. Nirvana w/ remainder and w/o remainder:
a. Nirvana w/ remainder (5 aggregates)
b. Nirvana w/o remainder (5 aggregates)

20. 12-limbed Dependent Origination (2)
Composition of 3 Dependent Origination Processes:
1. D.O. of consciousness/perception: top portion
2. D.O. of suffering (dissatisfaction): middle portion
3. D.O. of samsara (becoming): bottom portion
Notes on the terms:
Name-form = sense object
= dharma
Six bases = six sense organs
Contact = contact of sense organ,
sense object and consciousness
Formation = function (karma)
Becoming = birth/aging/death
= samsara (flow) Craving, formations & suffering
are called “three steps (sando)”
Nescience (existential ignorance)
appropriates body-mind as self,
involved in becoming (birth,
aging, death = samsara).
name-form
six bases
consciousness
feeling
formations
appropriation
becoming
birth/aging-death
(Samsara)
contact
1 ⇨
2 ⇨
3 ⇨
craving
nescience
suffering
(karma)

21. Nirvana: Advantages (5)
Purity
Penetration
Peace
Prognosis
Perspective
Perfection
Practice
Precious

22. Indra-net System Network
Every crystal reflecting all others limitlessly

23. Dharma A. Meanings of Dharma 1. Dharma = form = phenomena
2. Dharma = norm = law/truth
3. Dharma = teaching
B. Dharma of all dharmas
(Law of all phenomena)
= Dependent Origination
(All phenomena Dependently Originated
on causes and conditions.)

24. 5 Fictitious Bodies nation religion corporation education media
Mutual influence
corporation
Thes five fictitious bodies are major players and promotors in the modern civilization, pyramidal system, which is causing global problematique (intertwined problems, such as population explosion, crimes, wars, climate change, nuclear holocaust, mass extinction, etc.).
education
media
Major players in the modern civilization with its global problematique

25. 5 Fictitious Bodies’ Transformation
Inter-
religious
dialog
NGO
NPO
Life-
long
education
Information Revolution
Mutual Development

26. 5 Fictitious Bodies’ Transformation
Inter-religious
cooperation
NGO
NPO
Information
Networking
Centerless
centers
Lifelong education
Global interchange
Mutual Interpenetration

27. Dharma-world = a clear crystal ball
“Entire world in ten directions is a clear crystal ball”
Limitless life, light, liberation and love

29. 一顆明珠