During worship this past August, we reflected upon the Buddhist practice entitled “The Four Opponent Powers of Purification.” This serves as a way for Buddhists to counter any bad karma they may have accumulated from a specific, harmful action. There are four steps to follow in this process:
- The power of regret
- The power of reliance on Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
- The power of the opponent force
- The power of promise
In our faith tradition, this can be understood as, one, having regret for the action we have committed. Two, relying on our community, the teachings of our faith, and all that we hold sacred to guide us through the repair process. Three, performing an action that counters the harm we have caused and four, not committing the same action for a set amount of time.
During our Saturday session, we will each reflect upon a specific example from our own lives to guide us through these steps on a personal level. In the process, we will delve even deeper into Buddhist ideas of delusions, unwholesome thoughts, karma, and intention.
Our class will be held Saturday, October 11 from 1-2pm at the church office. Please RSVP by Tuesday, October 7.
I hope to see you there!