MAJJHIMA NIKAYA 135 -
CULA-KAMMA VIBHANGA SUTTA
THE SHORT DISCOURSE ON
KAMMA
Thus I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was
staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's
monastery.
Then Subha the student, Todeyya's son, went to the Blessed
One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After
an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one
side.
As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: "Master
Gotama, what is the reason, what is the cause, why baseness &
excellence are seen among human beings, among the human
race?
For short-lived & long-lived people are to be seen,
sickly & healthy, ugly & beautiful, uninfluential &
influential, poor & rich, low-born & high-born, stupid
& discerning people are to be seen.
So what is the reason, what is the cause, why baseness &
excellence are seen among human beings, among the human
race?"
"Student, beings are owners of their actions, heirs of
their actions, born of their actions, related through their
actions, and have their actions as their arbitrator.
Action is what differentiates beings in terms of baseness
& excellence."
"I don't understand the detailed meaning of Master
Gotama's statement spoken in brief without explaining the detailed
meaning.
It would be good if Master Gotama taught me the Dhamma so
that I might understand the detailed meaning of his brief
statement."
"In that case, student, listen & pay close attention.
I will speak."
"As you say, Master Gotama," Subha the student
responded.
The Blessed One said: "There is the case, student, where a
woman or man is a killer of living beings, brutal, bloody-handed,
given to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to living
beings.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of
deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms,
hell.
If, on the break-up of the body, after death — instead of
reappearing in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the
lower realms, hell — he/she comes to the human state,
then he/she is short-lived wherever reborn. This is the way
leading to a short life: to be a killer of living beings, brutal,
bloody-handed, given to killing & slaying, showing no mercy to
living beings.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man, having
abandoned the killing of living beings, abstains from killing
living beings, and dwells with the rod laid down,
the knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful, & sympathetic
for the welfare of all living beings.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good
destination, in the heavenly world.
If, on the break-up of the body, after death — instead of
reappearing in a good destination, in the heavenly world — he/she
comes to the human state, then he/she is long-lived wherever
reborn.
This is the way leading to a long life: to have abandoned the
killing of living beings, to abstain from killing living beings, to
dwell with one's rod laid down,
one's knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful, &
sympathetic for the welfare of all living beings.
"There is the case where a woman or man is one who harms
beings with his/her fists, with clods, with sticks, or with
knives.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of
deprivation...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is
sickly wherever reborn. This is the way leading to sickliness: to
be one who harms beings with one's fists, with clods, with sticks,
or with knives.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is not
one who harms beings with his/her fists, with clods, with sticks,
or with knives.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good
destination...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is
healthy wherever reborn. This is the way leading to health: not to
be one who harms beings with one's fists, with clods, with sticks,
or with knives.
"There is the case, where a woman or man is ill-tempered
& easily upset; even when lightly criticized, he/she grows
offended,
provoked, malicious, & resentful; shows annoyance,
aversion, & bitterness.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of
deprivation...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is
ugly wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to ugliness: to be ill-tempered &
easily upset; even when lightly criticized, to grow offended,
provoked, malicious, & resentful; to show annoyance, aversion,
& bitterness.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is not
ill-tempered or easily upset; even when heavily criticized, he/she
doesn't grow offended,
provoked, malicious, or resentful; doesn't show annoyance,
aversion, or bitterness.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good
destination...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is
beautiful wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to beauty: not to be ill-tempered or
easily upset; even when heavily criticized, not to be offended,
provoked, malicious, or resentful; nor to show annoyance, aversion,
& bitterness.
"There is the case where a woman or man is envious. He/she
envies, begrudges, & broods about others' gains, honor,
respect, reverence, salutations, & veneration.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of
deprivation...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she gains
no prominence wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to no prominence: to be envious, to
envy, begrudge, & brood about others' gains, honor, respect,
reverence, salutations, & veneration.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is not
envious. He/she does not envy, begrudge, or brood about others'
gains, honor, respect, reverence, salutations, or
veneration.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good
destination...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, he/she is
prominent wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to prominence: not to be envious; not
to envy, begrudge, or brood about others' gains, honor, respect,
reverence, salutations, or veneration.
"There is the case where a woman or man is not a giver of
food, drink, cloth, sandals, garlands, scents, ointments, beds,
dwellings, or lighting to priests or contemplatives.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death he/she reappears in the plane of
deprivation...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, he/she is poor
wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to poverty: not to be a giver of
food, drink, cloth, sandals, garlands, scents, ointments, beds,
dwellings, or lighting to priests or contemplatives.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is a
giver of food, drink, cloth, sandals, scents, ointments, beds,
dwellings, & lighting to priests &
contemplatives.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good
destination...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is
wealthy wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to great wealth: to be a giver of
food, drink, cloth, sandals, garlands, scents, ointments, beds,
dwellings, & lighting to priests &
contemplatives.
"There is the case where a woman or man is obstinate &
arrogant. He/she does not pay homage to those who deserve homage,
rise up for those for whom one should rise up,
give a seat to those to whom one should give a seat, make way
for those for whom one should make way, worship those who should be
worshipped,
respect those who should be respected, revere those who
should be revered, or honor those who should be
honored.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of
deprivation...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is
low-born wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to a low birth: to be obstinate &
arrogant, not to pay homage to those who deserve homage, nor rise
up for... nor give a seat to... nor make way for...
nor worship... nor respect... nor revere... nor honor those
who should be honored.
"But then there is the case where a woman or man is not
obstinate or arrogant; he/she pays homage to those who deserve
homage, rises up... gives a seat... makes way...
worships... respects... reveres... honors those who should be
honored.
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good
destination...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is
highborn wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to a high birth: not to obstinate or
arrogant; to pay homage to those who deserve homage, to rise up...
give a seat... make way...
worship... respect... revere... honor those who should be
honored.
"There is the case where a woman or man when visiting a
priest or contemplative, does not ask: 'What is skillful, venerable
sir? What is unskillful?
What is blameworthy? What is blameless? What should be
cultivated? What should not be cultivated? What, having been done
by me, will be for my long-term harm & suffering?
Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term
welfare & happiness?'
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in the plane of
deprivation...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she will
be stupid wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to stupidity: when visiting a priest
or contemplative, not to ask: 'What is skillful?... Or what, having
been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare &
happiness?'
"But then there is the case where a woman or man when
visiting a priest or contemplative, asks: 'What is skillful,
venerable sir? What is unskillful?
What is blameworthy? What is blameless? What should be
cultivated? What should not be cultivated? What, having been done
by me, will be for my long-term harm & suffering?
Or what, having been done by me, will be for my long-term
welfare & happiness?'
Through having adopted & carried out such actions, on the
break-up of the body, after death, he/she reappears in a good
destination...
If instead he/she comes to the human state, then he/she is
discerning wherever reborn.
This is the way leading to discernment: when visiting a
priest or contemplative, to ask: 'What is skillful?... Or what,
having been done by me, will be for my long-term welfare &
happiness?'
"So, student, the way leading to short life makes people
short-lived, the way leading to long life makes people
long-lived;
the way leading to sickliness makes people sickly, the way
leading to health makes people healthy; the way leading to ugliness
makes people ugly, the way leading to beauty makes people
beautiful;
the way leading to lack of influence makes people
uninfluential, the way leading to influence makes people
influential;
the way leading to poverty makes people poor, the way leading
to wealth makes people wealthy; the way leading to low birth makes
people low-born, the way leading to high birth makes people
highborn;
the way leading to stupidity makes people stupid, the way
leading to discernment makes people discerning.
"Beings are owners of their actions, heirs of
their actions, born of their actions, related through their
actions, and have their actions as their
arbitrator.
Action is what differentiates beings in terms of
baseness & excellence."
When this was said, Subha the student, Todeyya's son, said
to the Blessed One: "Magnificent, Master Gotama!
Magnificent!
Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to
reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was
lost,
or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes
could see forms, in the same way has Master Gotama — through many
lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear.
I go to Master Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, and to the
Sangha. May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has
gone to him for refuge, from this day forward, for
life."
