Celebrating Chinese/Vietnamese New Year, everyone is usually hoping for good luck, health, long life, beauty, success and happiness for the new year. However, can we really achieve these things by means of blessings, auspicious times, fortune telling, and so on? The Buddha strongly encouraged us not to depend on 'auspicious objects' / 'blessings' / 'good fortune'. Instead, he encourages us to rely on KARMA. Karma (Pāli: Kamma) means action. It is our intentional actions that generate karma, and we will receive the results of that karma. If we want long life, health, wealth and happiness, we have to create karma with that result. And we have to avoid creating bad karma resulting in the opposite. In the talk, Ajahn Dhammasiha describes several forms of karma and the results the Buddha explained for them. For example: The karma of killing is short life. The karma of avoiding any intentional killing, even of insects, is long life. The karma of hurting and harming other beings is ill-health. The karma of caring for and healing and nurturing other beings is good health. The karma of stealing is loss of possessions. The karma of giving, generostiy, is being wealthy. And so on... Sources for Ajahn's Talk: Majjhima Nikāya / Middle Length Discourses, #135 "The Short Exposition of Kamma" Anguttara Nikāya / Numerical Discourses, Bood of Eights, #40 "Results of Bad Conduct" Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .