Everyone treats the teaching on karma as if it were kindergarten Buddhism. Karma is actually radically central to everything the Buddha taught. Your intentions are the big issue in life, the big issue in the practice.

"Think about the teaching on karma. Everyone treats it as if it were kindergarten Buddhism. Some people actually treat it as if it weren’t really Buddhist: something that got picked up by the tradition from its surroundings in India, something that got thrown into the baggage by mistake when it flew over here from Asia. But that’s not the case. The teaching on karma is actually radically central to everything the Buddha taught. Your intentions are the big issue in life, the big issue in the practice, and they come one by one by one. You can watch them one by one by one, and you can see that they have their impact. You learn how to judge them by evaluating that impact and connecting the dots: It’s the kind of intention that gives this or that kind of result. The next time you see it, then if it’s a bad result, watch out and try to avoid it. If it’s a good result, remember it and add it to your range of skills. You still have to watch it carefully, just to be sure, but meanwhile you want to nurture the skillful actions as you understand them."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Path is in the Details"

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