Introduction

There are some particular areas of Buddhist teaching that keep throwing up questions. Nobody can give definitive answers to these questions that all Buddhists would accept. This is not because nobody has the skill - it is because the tradition is too varied. It would also not be honest even to give answers that claim to represent the views of one school. So what follows is the fruit of some thinking, but it is essentially personal, although, when I can, I do lean on Kagyu teaching.

The areas that most often seem to worry beginners are rebirth, karma, emptiness and meditation. Subsidiary questions are:
If you haven't got a soul, then what is reborn?
How does karma work?
Does karma explain everything that happens?
Can karma really explain the suffering of the innocent?
What is emptiness about - isn't Buddhism all very negative?
Isn't Nirvana a very negative goal?
Isn't Buddhism essentially selfish?
What is the use of meditation?
Do tantric deities actually exist?
Isn't guru worship something to steer clear of?

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