The Karma of Questions: Essays on the Buddhist Path

The book is arranged as a series of essays on Buddhist practice and interpretation. “Introduction” explains the karmic power of questions and the Buddha’s strategic approach to answering only those questions useful for ending suffering. “Life Isn’t Just Suffering” corrects the common misunderstanding of the First Noble Truth and presents the Four Noble Truths as a practical framework for liberation. “Opening the Door to the Dhamma” discusses respect in Buddhist thought and practice, showing how respect supports learning, heedfulness, and spiritual maturity. “Questions of Skill” examines how the Buddha’s teachings, including not-self, should be understood through the question of what is skillful and unskillful. Later essays include “Freedom from Fear,” “Samsara,” “Samsara Divided by Zero,” “The Agendas of Mindfulness,” “De-perception,” “The Weight of Mountains,” “Five Piles of Bricks,” “Perennial Issues,” and “When you know for yourselves…,” each developing practical themes of kamma, perception, mindfulness, suffering, and direct verification. The book concludes with a glossary and abbreviations.