Ten Ways to Purify Karma: Buddhist Ethics and the Soul’s Evolution through the Planets
- Luna Feyth
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
In Buddhist thought, the universe is not a morally neutral place—it is woven through with cause and effect, intention and result. Karma is not merely action, but action shaped by the quality of the heart. Greed, hatred, and delusion give rise to suffering while generosity, compassion, and clarity create peace. Although the outer cosmos may appear indifferent, the inner cosmos is ethically alive, mirroring back the consequences of our choices across time.
The 10 wholesome actions, known as kusala-kamma-patha, offer a timeless map for cultivating a life of virtue, clarity, and spiritual freedom. These are not commandments but pathways—practices that align our body, speech, and mind with the natural laws of harmony and liberation. In Buddhist cosmology, these actions are not only moral; they are deeply cosmic, shaping the realms we inhabit and the mental states we generate.
When we bring astrology into this contemplative field, the planetary archetypes can be seen as karmic forces that can be distorted or purified. Each planet has the potential to expresses unwholesome tendencies and its wholesome counterpart. Mars can act as aggression or moral courage; Mercury can express as deceit or wisdom; Venus can cling possessively or love ethically. If a planet is prone to expressing in its lower function, we can be extra mindful of these hindrances and address them tactfully.
In this way, the planets become agents of inner evolution, guiding the soul not through fate, but through the refinement of intention. This article explores how the 10 wholesome actions correspond to planetary energies—offering a framework for living more ethically, and thus more freely, within this morally organized cosmos.
The Planets as the Ten Wholesome Actions
The 10 wholesome actions are traditionally divided into three categories—bodily, verbal, and mental actions—reflecting the three primary channels through which karma is created and purified. Each action serves as an antidote to its unwholesome counterpart, dissolving the karmic residue of past harm and establishing new patterns of harmony. When paired with planetary archetypes, these ethical qualities take on a vibrant aliveness, revealing how our personal astrology can become a mirror for the path of liberation. What follows is a contemplative synthesis of these teachings—where Buddhist virtue converges with Astrological archetypes.
Wholesome Bodily Actions (Kāya-kamma)
Protecting Life (Refraining from killing)
Virtue: Compassion
Planet: Moon
Description: The Moon governs nurturance, care, and emotional attunement. When balanced, it inclines us toward tenderness and the preservation of life.
Generosity (Refraining from stealing)
Virtue: Faith, Abundance
Planet: Jupiter
Description: Jupiter reflects moral expansion, trust, and abundance. Generosity is a natural expression of a healthy Jupiter, grounded in faith that there is enough.
Ethical Intimacy (Refraining from sexual misconduct)
Virtue: Boundaries, Respectful Love
Planet: Venus
Description: Venus governs relationships, pleasure, and harmony. In its elevated form, it expresses beauty without exploitation, love without possessiveness.
Wholesome Verbal Actions (Vaci-kamma)
Truthful Speech (Refraining from false speech)
Virtue: Honesty, Clarity
Planet: Mercury
Description: Mercury rules communication. When aligned with Dhamma, it speaks with clarity, sincerity, and precision.
Harmonious Speech (Refraining from divisive speech)
Virtue: Unity, Tact
Planet: Venus (especially in Libra)
Description: Venus in Libra seeks connection through understanding and tact. Harmony in speech mirrors spiritual maturity.
Gentle Speech (Refraining from harsh speech)
Virtue: Kindness, Loving Tone
Planets: Moon, Venus
Description: Words become a vessel of compassion. The Moon softens tone, and Venus inspires grace and softness.
Purposeful Speech (Refraining from idle chatter)
Virtue: Mindful Restraint
Planets: Saturn, Mercury
Description: Saturn gives structure and silence where needed. Mercury, purified, speaks only when it serves wisdom or connection.
Wholesome Mental Actions (Mano-kamma)
Contentment (Refraining from covetousness)
Virtue: Simplicity, Gratitude
Planets: Venus, Saturn
Description: Saturn encourages renunciation; Venus stabilizes through sufficiency. This virtue resists craving by finding richness in what is.
Loving-Kindness (Refraining from ill-will)
Virtue: Benevolence, Unconditional Care
Planets: Moon, Jupiter
Description: The Moon opens the heart; Jupiter uplifts it. Together, they foster goodwill toward all beings.
Right View (Refraining from wrong view)
Virtue: Wisdom, Insight
Planets: Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Description: Saturn gives the structure of the Eightfold Path. Uranus breaks illusions of false view and awakens insight. Neptune, in its highest, sees interconnection and non-self. Right view is the corrective to delusion and the seed of liberation.
To live ethically is to recognize the true nature of the cosmos—not as a system of rewards and punishments, but as a mirror of intention. The planets, in this view, are not fixed determinants of fate but living symbols of energies that can be purified through choosing to live a wholesome life.
When we reflect on the wholesome actions and embody their corresponding virtues, we begin to soften the traces of karmic imprints. The celestial map becomes not a diagnosis, but a dharma gate—each planetary energy offering us a lesson in how to love more wisely, speak more truthfully, act more compassionately, and see more clearly.
Contemplative Questions
Where in my life do I feel the tension between desire and contentment? What planet speaks of these themes and how does it express itself in my chart?
Is my speech a vehicle of clarity, or mental gymnastics? Do I speak to connect, to inspire or do I have more personal motivations?
When I offer love, is it rooted in respect and freedom—or in fear and attachment?
Do I trust that there is enough—for me, and for others? How does generosity feel in my body?
When I feel the urge to act, is it driven by conscious effort or by reactivity?
What does my inner voice say when no one is listening—and would I call it kind?
Which planet in my chart feels like a karmic teacher? What virtue is it asking me to embody?
What would it mean to treat my birth chart not as a label—but as a mirror for ethical becoming?
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