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**Figelac** · 07-15-2010, 10:42 PM

But the Buddha *did* talk about karma, and he did talk about a cycle of births

Yes, but the Buddha ascribed different meanings to these terms.

So yes, he talked about karma a whole lot.

He talked about a lot of things. But talking about something doesn't make it his teaching. And his discussions referencing kamma as intention are "middling" teachings, designed to draw a believer-of-karma toward his own teachings.In the end, though, his own liberative teachings are devoid of vedic kamma/karma.

It is almost as though that view of the cosmos, the Vedic view, comes with its own specialized language, and he is translating from "buddha-think" to "vedic-speak", and speaking like a native.

It is well-known that this is exactly what the Buddha did -- take terms like "kamma" and "jati" and gave them his own meanings. Even hard-core born-again red dots like Bhikkhu Bodhi admit this.

I do wonder why I've never found even one instance in the suttas where the Buddha says "many times in one life".

When the Buddha talks about many births in his boiler-plate description of the "first watch of the night", this is what he is talking about -- he is using metaphor. Same for the language of the "second watch".

07-15-2010, 10:42 PM	#33
Figelac Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 518 Senior Member	But the Buddha did talk about karma, and he did talk about a cycle of births Yes, but the Buddha ascribed different meanings to these terms. So yes, he talked about karma a whole lot. He talked about a lot of things. But talking about something doesn't make it his teaching. And his discussions referencing kamma as intention are "middling" teachings, designed to draw a believer-of-karma toward his own teachings.In the end, though, his own liberative teachings are devoid of vedic kamma/karma. It is almost as though that view of the cosmos, the Vedic view, comes with its own specialized language, and he is translating from "buddha-think" to "vedic-speak", and speaking like a native. It is well-known that this is exactly what the Buddha did -- take terms like "kamma" and "jati" and gave them his own meanings. Even hard-core born-again red dots like Bhikkhu Bodhi admit this. I do wonder why I've never found even one instance in the suttas where the Buddha says "many times in one life". When the Buddha talks about many births in his boiler-plate description of the "first watch of the night", this is what he is talking about -- he is using metaphor. Same for the language of the "second watch".
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