[lesso73]

Hello all

I have read 2 books by the same author "Introduction to Buddhism" and "Modern Buddhism"

after reading both books and spending time on this forum and other sites, I think I see what appears to be either contradictions or my lack of understanding showing.

First in the chapter "what is Karma" on page 25, there appears to be a list of actions and a set karmic outcomes.

Example: "...The experience similar to sexual misconduct is that we are quickly separated from our friends and family, our partners abandon us for someone else, the people who work for us soon resign, and we experience loneliness..."

He advises that this can be in this life or in another life and goes on to list other bad actions and the karmic outcomes of those actions.

Is he not doing what Buddha advised us not to do?

"There are these four unconjecturables that are not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about them. Which four?..."The [precise working out of the] results of kamma..."

At the beginning of the book, he tells a story about a monk who could transfer his consciousness into the dead body of either an animal or human and reanimate it, thus extending his existence. 1) I find this impossible to believe and reminds me of all the stories told to me as a child of Catholic Saints doing impossible things, like bringing statues of Jesus alive for the purpose of playing games, fish leaving the water to listen to gospel etc etc 2) is this not also in contradiction to what Buddha said??

"There are these four unconjecturables that are not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about them. Which four?..."The Buddha-range of the Buddhas is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it...."

any help would be appreciated. Thank you