V- Quick Answers!

To summarise, I offer some quick answers to the questions with which this essay opened.

If you haven't got a soul, then what is reborn?
Much the same as goes from day to day.

How does karma work?
By sowing seeds in your mind.

Does it explain everything that happens?
No.

Can karma really explain the suffering of the innocent?
Not fully.

What is emptiness about - isn't Buddhism all very negative?
"Realising" emptiness is mainly a matter of dropping wrong, exaggerated or elaborate ideas.

Isn't Nirvana a very negative goal?
Some forms perhaps are - it depends which interpretation you take.

Isn't Buddhism essentially selfish?
No. Compassion is as important as wisdom.

What is the use of meditation?
To internalise valuable ideas, and to clear the mind so that its true nature can be seen.

Do tantric deities actually exist?
Not in the simple sense of superior beings who come to our aid, but they are more than just symbolic.

Isn't guru worship something to steer clear of?
It is something not to be misunderstood, and not to be confused with the guru-worship found in some other systems.

I hope some of these thoughts help a bit. If you think I'm wrong, please tell me! Chagchen home