Kamma is a Pali word meaning action. It is called Karma m
Sanskrit. In its general sense Kamma means all good and bad
actions. It covers all kinds of intentional actions whether mental,
verbal or physical thoughts, words and deeds. In its ultimate sense
Kamma means all moral and immoral volitions.
The Buddha says:
"Mental volition, O Bhikkhus, is what I call action (Kamma).
Having volition, one acts by body, speech and thought."
Anguttara Nikáya
Kamma is neither fatalism nor a doctrine of predetermination. The
past influences the present but does not dominate it, for Kamma is
past as well as present. The past and present influence the future.
The past is a background against which life goes on from moment to
moment. The future is yet to be. Only present moment exists and the
responsibility of using the present moment for good or for ill lies
with each individual.
Every action produces an effect and it is a cause first and
effect afterwards. We therefore speak of Kamma as the law of cause
and effect. Throwing a stone, for example, is an action. The stone
strikes a glass window and breaks it. The breakage is the effect of
the action of throwing, but it is not the end. The broken window is
now the cause of further trouble. Some of one’s money will have to
go to replace it, and one is thus unable to save the money or to
buy with it what one wants for some other purpose, and the effect
upon one is a feeling of disappointment.
This may make one irritable and if one is not careful, one may
allow the irritability to become the cause of doing something else
which is wrong and so on. There is no end to the result of action,
no end to Kamma, so we should be very careful about our actions, so
that their effect will be good. It is, therefore, necessary for us
to do a good, helpful action, which will return to us in good Kamma
and make us strong enough to start a better Kamma.
Throw a stone into a pond and watch the effect. There is a
splash and a number of little rings appear round the place where
the stone strikes. See how the rings grow wider and wider
till they become too wide and too tiny for our eyes to follow. The
little stone disturbs the water in the pond, but its work is not
finished yet. When the tiny waves reach the edges of the pond, the
water moves back till it pushes the stone that has disturbed
it.
The effects of our actions come back to us just as the waves do
to the stone, and as long as we do our action with evil intention
the new waves of effect come back to beat upon us and disturb us.
If we are kind and keep ourselves peaceful, the returning waves of
trouble will grow weaker and weaker till they die down and our good
Kamma will come back to us in blessings. If we sow a mango seed,
for instance, a mango tree will come up and bear mangoes, and if we
sow a chili seed, a chili plant will grow and produce
chilies.
The Buddha says:
"According to the seed that’s sown,
So is the fruit ye reap there from,
Doer of good evil gather good,
Doer of evil, evil reaps.
Sown is the seed, and thou shalt taste the fruit
thereof."
Samyutta Nikáya
Everything that comes to us is right. When anything pleasant comes
to us and makes us happy, we may be sure that our Kamma has come to
show us what we have done is right. When anything unpleasant comes
to us, hurts us, or makes us unhappy, our Kamma has come to show us
our mistake. We must never forget that Kamma is always just. It
neither loves nor hates, neither rewards nor punishes. It is never
angry, never pleased. It is simply the law of cause and effect.
Kamma knows nothing about us. Does fire know us when it burns
us? No, it is the nature of fire to burn, to give out heat. If we
use it properly it gives us light, cooks our food for us or burns
anything we wish to get rid of, but if we use it wrongly it burns
us and our property. Its work is to burn and our job is to use it
in the right way. We are foolish if we grow angry and blame
it when it burns us because we have made a mistake.
There are inequalities and manifold destinies for people in the
world. One is, for example, inferior and another superior. One
perishes in infancy and another at the age of eighty or a hundred.
One is sick and infirm, and another strong and healthy. One is
brought up in luxury and another in misery. One is born a
millionaire, another a pauper. One is a genius and another an
idiot.
What is the cause of the inequalities that exist in the world?
Buddhists cannot believe that this variation is the result of blind
chance. Science itself is indeed all against the theory of Chance.
In the world of the scientist all works in accordance with the laws
of cause and effect. Neither can Buddhists believe that these
inequalities of the world are due to a God-Creator.
One of the three divergent views that prevailed at the time of
the Buddha was:
"Whatsoever happiness or pain or neutral feeling the person
experiences all that is due to the creation of a Supreme
Deity."
Anguttara Nikáya
Commenting on this fatalistic view the Buddha said:
"So, then, owing to the creation of a Supreme Deity men, will
become murderers, thieves, unchaste, liars, slanderers, abusive,
babblers, covetous, malicious, and perverse in view. Thus for those
who fall back on the creation of a God as the essential reason,
there is neither the desire to do, nor necessity to do this deed or
abstain from that deed."
Ibid
Referring to the naked ascetics who practiced self-mortification,
the Buddha said:
"If, O Bhikkhus, beings experience pain and happiness as the
result of God’s creation, then certainly these naked ascetics must
have been created by a wicked God, since they are at present
experiencing such terrible pain."
Devadaha Sutta, No 101
Majjhima Nikáya, Vol. II, Pg 222
According to Buddhism the inequalities that exist in the world is
due, to some extent, to heredity and environment and to a greater
extent, to a cause or causes (Kamma), which are not only present
but proximate or remote past. Man himself is responsible for his
own happiness and misery. He creates his own heaven and hell.
He is master of his own destiny, child of his past and parent of
his future. <b>
Although Buddhism teaches that Kamma is the chief cause of the
inequalities in the world yet it does not teach fatalism or the
doctrine of predestination, for it does not hold the view that
everything is due to past actions. The law of cause and effect
(Kamma) is only one of the twenty-four causes described in Buddhist
philosophy, (See Compendium of Philosophy, P.191), or one of the
five orders (Niyamas) which are laws in themselves and operate in
the universe. They are:
1. Utu Niyama, physical inorganic order, e.g.,
seasonal phenomena of winds and rains. The unerring order of
seasons, characteristic seasonal changes and events, causes of
winds and rains, nature of heat, etc., belong to this group.
2. Bija Niyama, order or germs and seeds
(physical organic order) e.g., rice produced from rice seed, sugary
taste from sugar cane or honey, peculiar characteristics of certain
fruits, etc. The scientific theory of cells and genes and physical
similarity of twins may be ascribed to this order.
3. Kamma Niyama, order of act and result, e.g.,
desirable and undesirable acts produce corresponding good and bad
results. As surely as water seeks its own level so does Kamma,
given opportunity, produces its inevitable result, not in the form
of a reward or punishment but as an innate sequence. This sequence
of deed and effect is as natural and necessary as the way of the
moon and stars.
4. Dhamma Niyama, order of the norm, e.g., the
natural phenomena occurring at the advent of a Bodhisattva in his
last birth. Gravitation and other similar laws of nature, the
reason for being good and so forth may be included in this
group.
5. Citta Niyama, order of mind or psychic law,
e.g., processes of consciousness, arising and perishing of
consciousness, constituents of consciousness, power of mind,
telepathy, telesthesia, retro-cognition, premonition, clairvoyance,
clairaudience, thought-reading, all psychic phenomena which are
inexplicable to modern science are included in this lass.
Abhidhammavatara
These five orders embrace everything in the world and every mental
or physical phenomenon could be explained by them. They being laws
in themselves, require no lawgiver and Kamma as such is only one of
them.
Kamma is classified into four kinds according to the time at
which results are produced. There is Kamma that ripens in the
same lifetime, Kamma that ripens in the next life, and Kamma that
ripens in successive births. These three types of Kamma are bound
to produce results, as a seed is to sprout. But for a seed to
sprout, certain auxiliary causes such as soil, rain etc. are
required. In the same way, for a Kamma to produce an effect,
several auxiliary causes such as circumstances, surroundings, etc.,
are required. It sometimes happens that for want of such auxiliary
causes Kamma does not produce any result. Such Kamma is called
Ahosi-Kamma or "Kamma that is ineffective".
Kamma is also classified into another four kinds according to
its particular function. There is Regenerative (Janaka) Kamma which
conditions the future birth; Supportive (Upatthambhaka). Kamma
which assists or maintains the result of already-existing Kamma,
Counteractive (Upapilaka) Kamma which suppresses or modifies the
result of the reproductive Kamma, and Destructive (Upaghataka)
Kamma which destroys the force of existing Kamma and substitutes
its own resultants.
There is another classification according to the priority of
results. There is Serious or Weighty (Garuka) Kamma, which produces
its resultants in the present life or in the next. On the moral
side of this Kamma the highly refined mental states called Jhanas
or Absorptions are weighty because they produce resultants more
speedily than the ordinary unrefined mental states. On the opposite
side, the five kinds of immediately effective serious crimes are
weighty. These crimes are: matricide, patricide, the murder of an
Arahanta (Holy One or perfect saint), the wounding of a Buddha and
the creation of a schism in the Sangha.
Death-proximate (Asanna) Kamma is the action which one does at
the moment before death either physically or mentally - mentally by
thinking of one’s own previous good or bad actions or having good
or bad thoughts. It is this Kamma, which, if there is no weighty
Kamma, determines the conditions of the next birth.
Habitual (Acinna) Kamma is the action which one constantly does.
This Kamma, in the absence of death-proximate Kamma, produces and
determines the next birth. Reserved (Katatta) Kamma is the last in
the priority of results. This is the unexpended Kamma of a
particular being and it conditions the next binh if there is no
habitual Kamma to operate.
A further classification of Kamma is according to the place, in
which the results are produced, namely:
1. Immoral Kamma, which produces its effect in the plane of
misery.
2. Moral Kamma, which produces its effect in the plane of the
world of desires.
3. Moral Kamma, which produces its effect in the plane of
form.
4. Moral Kamma, which produces its effect in the plane of the
formless.
1. Immoral Kamma is rooted in greed (Lobha) anger (Dosa) and
delusion (Moha).
There are ten immoral actions (Kamma) - namely killing,
stealing, un-chastity (these three are caused by deed); lying,
slandering, harsh speech, frivolous talk (these four are caused by
speech); covetousness, ill-will and false view (these three are
caused by mind).
Of these ten, killing means the destruction of any living being
including animals of all kinds. To complete this offence of
killing, five conditions are necessary, viz: a being, knowing that
it is a being, intention of killing, effort, and consequent
death.
The evil effects of killing are: short life, illness, constant
grief caused by separation from the loved, and constant fear.
To complete the offence of stealing, five conditions are
necessary, viz: the object concerned is the property of another,
knowing that it is so, intention of stealing, effort, and
consequent removal. The effects of stealing are: poverty,
wretchedness, unfulfilled desires, and dependent livelihood.
To complete the offence of un-chastity (sexual misconduct), four
conditions are necessary, viz: the mind to enjoy the forbidden
object, the attempt to enjoy, devices to obtain, and possession.
The effects of un-chastity are: having many enemies, getting
undesirable wives, birth as a woman or as an eunuch.
To complete the offence of lying, four conditions are necessary,
viz: untruth, intention to deceive, effort, and communication of
the matter to others. The effects of lying are: being tormented by
abusive speech, being subject to vilification, losing one’s
credibility, and stinking mouth.
To complete the offence of slandering, four conditions are
necessary, viz: division of persons, intention to separate them,
effort, and communication. The effect of slandering is the
dissolution of friendship without any sufficient cause.
To complete the offence of harsh speech, three conditions are
necessary, viz: someone to be abused, angry thought, and using
abusive speech. The effects of harsh speech are: being
detested by others although blameless, and harsh voice.
To complete the offence of frivolous talk, two conditions are
necessary, viz: the inclination towards frivolous talks, and its
narration. The effects of frivolous talk are: disorderliness of the
bodily organs and unacceptable speech.
To complete the offence of covetousness (Abhijjha), two
conditions are necessary, viz: another’s property and strong desire
for it, saying:
"Would this property be mine." The effect of covetousness is
un-fulfillment of one’s wishes. To complete the offence of ill-will
(Vyapada) two conditions are necessary, viz: another being and the
intention of doing harm. The effects of ill-will are: ugliness,
various diseases and detestable nature.
False view (Micchadittbi) means seeing things wrongly without
understanding what they truly are. To complete this false view, two
conditions are necessary, viz: perverted manner in which an object
is viewed, and the misunderstanding of it according to that view.
The effects of false views are: base attachment, lack of wisdom,
dull wit, chronic diseases and blameworthy ideas.
Expositor
2. Good Kamma, which produces its effect in the plane of
desires:
There are ten moral actions - namely generosity (Dana), morality
(Síla), meditation (Bhávaná), reverence (Apacayana), service
(Veyyavacca), transference of merit (Pattidana), rejoicing in
others’ merit (Pattanumodana), hearing the doctrine (Dhammasavana),
expounding the doctrine (Dhammadesana), and forming correct views
(Ditthijukamma).
Generosity yields wealth. Morality causes one to be born in
noble families in states of happiness. Meditation gives birth
in form and formless planes and helps to gain Higher Knowledge and
Emancipation.
Reverence is the cause of noble parentage. Service is the
cause of large retinue. Transference of merit causes one to be able
to give in abundance in future birth. Rejoicing in others’ merit is
productive of joy wherever one is born. Both hearing and expounding
the Doctrine are conducive to wisdom.
3. Good Kamma, which produces its effect in the planes of
form. It is of five types which are purely mental, and done in the
process of meditation, viz:
i. The first stage of Jhana or absorption, which has five
constituents: initial application, sustained application, rapture,
happiness and one-pointed-ness of mind.
ii. The second stage of Jhana, which occurs together with
sustained application, rapture, happiness and one-pointed-ness of
mind.
iii. The third stage of Jhana, which occurs together with
rapture, happiness and one-pointed-ness of mind.
iv. The fourth stage of Jhana, which occurs together with
happiness and one-pointed-ness of mind.
v. The fifth stage of Jhana, which occurs together with
equanimity and one-pointed-ness of mind.
4. Good Kamma, which produces its effect in the formless
planes. It is of four types, which are also purely mental and done
in the process of meditation, viz:
i. Moral consciousness dwelling in the infinity of space.
ii. Moral consciousness dwelling in the infinity of
consciousness.
iii. Moral consciousness dwelling on nothingness.
iv. Moral consciousness wherein perception is so extremely
subtle that it cannot be said whether it is or is not.
Kamma, as has been stated above, is not fate, is not irrevocable
destiny. Nor is one bound to reap all that one has sown in just
proportion. The actions (Kamma) of men are generally not absolutely
irrevocable; and only a few of them are so. If, for example, one
fires off a bullet out of a rifle, one cannot call it back or turn
it aside from its mark. But, if instead of a lead or iron ball
through the air, it is an ivory ball on a smooth green board that
one sets moving with a billiard cue, one can send after it and at
it, another ball in the same way, and change its course.
Not only that, if one is quick enough, and one has not given it
too great an impetus, one might even get round to the other side of
the billiard table, and send against it a ball which would meet it
straight in the line of its course and bring it to a stop on the
spot. With one’s later action with the cue, one modifies, or even
in favorable circumstances, entirely neutralizes one’s earlier
action.
It is much the same way that Kamma operates in the broad stream
of general life. There too one’s action (Kamma) of a later day may
modify the effects of one’s action (Kamma) of a former day. If this
were not so, what possibility would there ever be of a man’s
getting free from all Kamma for ever. It would be perpetually
self-continuing energy that could never come to an end.
Man has, therefore, a certain amount of free will and there is
almost every possibility to mould his life or to modify his
actions. Even a most vicious person can by his own free will and
effort become the most virtuous person. One may at any moment
change for the better or for the worse. But everything in the
world including man himself is dependent on conditions and without
conditions nothing whatsoever can arise or enter into
existence.
Man therefore has only a certain amount of free will and not
absolute free will. According to Buddhist philosophy, everything,
mental or physical, arises in accordance with the laws and
conditions. If it were not so, there would reign chaos and blind
chance. Such a thing, however, is impossible, and if it would be
otherwise, al1 laws of nature which modern science has discovered
would be powerless.
The real, essential nature of action (Kamma) of man is mental.
When a given thought has arisen in one’s mind a number of times,
there is a definite tendency to recurrence of that thought. When a
given act has been performed a number of times, there is a definite
tendency to the repetition of the act. Thus, each act, mental or
physical, tends to constantly produce its like, and be in turn
produced. If a man thinks a good thought, speaks a good word, does
a good deed, the effect upon him is to increase the tendencies to
goodness present in him, is to make him a better man.
If, on the contrary, he does a bad deed in thought, in speech or
in action, he has strengthened in himself his bad tendencies; he
has made himself a worse man. Having become a worse man, he will
gravitate to the company of worse men in the future, and incur all
the unhappiness of varying kinds that attends life in such company.
On the other hand, the man of a character that is continually
growing better, will naturally tend to the companionship of the
good, and enjoy all the pleasantness and comforts and freedom from
the ruder shocks of human life which such society connotes.
In the case of a cultured man, even the effect of a greater evil
may be minimized while the lesser evil of an uncultured man may
produce its effect to the maximum according to the favorable and
unfavorable conditions. The Buddha says:
"Here, O Bhikkhus, a certain person is not disciplined in body,
is not disciplined in morality, is not disciplined in mind, is not
disciplined in wisdom, is with little good and less virtue, and
lives painfully in consequence of trifles. Even a trivial evil act
committed by such a person will lead him to a state of misery."
"Here, O Bhikkhus, a certain person is disciplined in body, is
disciplined in morality, is disciplined in mind, is disciplined in
wisdom, is which much good, is a great being, and lives without
limitation. A similar evil act committed by such a person
expiates in this life itself and not even a small effect manifests
itself (after death) to say nothing of a great one."
"It is as if, O Bhikkhus, a man were to put a lump of salt into
a small cup of water. What do you think, O Bhikkhus? Would now the
small amount of water in this cup become saltish and undrinkable?"
"Yes, Lord"; "And why?" "Because, Lord, there was very little water
in the cup, and so it becomes saltish and undrinkable by this lump
of salt."
"Suppose, O Bhikkhus, a man were to put a lump of salt into the
river Ganges. What think you, O Bhikkhus? Would now the river
Ganges become saltish and undrinkable by the lump of salt?"
"Nay, indeed, Lord," "And why not?" "Because, Lord, the mass of
water in the river Ganges is great, and so it would not become
saltish and undrinkable."
"In exactly the same way, O Bhikkhus, we may have the case of a
person who does some slight evil deed which brings him to a state
of misery; or again, O Bhikkhus, we may have the case of another
person who does the same trivial misdeed, and expiates it in the
present life. Not even a small effect manifests itself (after
death), to say nothing of a great one.
"We may have, O Bhikkhus, the case of a person who is cast into
a prison for a half penny, for a penny, or for a hundred pence; or
again, O Bhikkhus, we may have the case of a person who is not cast
into prison for a half penny, for a penny or for a hundred
pence."
"Who, O Bhikkhus, is cast into prison for half penny, for a
penny, or for a hundred pence? Whenever, O Bhikkhus, anyone is
poor, needy and indigent, he, O Bhikkhus, is cast into prison for a
half penny, for a penny, or for a hundred pence."
"Who, O Bhikkhus, is not cast into prison for a half penny, for
a penny or for a hundred pence? Whenever, O Bhikkhus, anyone is
rich, wealthy and affluent, he, O Bhikkhus, is not cast into prison
for a half penny, for a penny, or for a hundred pence."
"In exactly the same way, O Bhikkhus, we may have the case of a
person who does some slight evil deed which brings him into a state
of misery; or again, O Bhikkhus, we may have the case of another
person who does the same trivial deed, and expiates it in the
present life. Not even a small effect manifests itself (after
death) so to say nothing of a great one."
Anguttara Nikáya
The more we understand the law of Kamma the more we see how
careful we must be of our acts, words and thoughts, and how
responsible we are to our fellow beings. Living in the light of
this knowledge, we learn certain lessons from the doctrine of
Kamma.
1. Patience
Knowing that the Law is our great helper if we live by it, and that
no harm can come to us if we work with it, knowing also it blesses
us just at the right time, we learn the grand lesson of patience,
not to get excited, and that impatience is a check to progress. In
suffering, we know that we are paying a debt, and we learn if we
are wise, not to create more suffering for the future. In
rejoicing, we are thankful for its sweetness, and learn, if we are
wise, to be still better. Patience brings forth peace, success,
happiness and security. Confidence
2.
The law being just, perfect, it is not possible for an
understanding person to be uneasy about it. If we are uneasy and
have no confidence, it shows clearly that we have not grasped the
reality of the law. We are really quite safe beneath its wings, and
there is nothing to fear in all the wide universe except out own
misdeeds. The Law makes man stand on his own feet and rouses his
self-confidence.
Confidence strengthens, or rather, deepens our peace and
happiness and make us comfortable, courageous; wherever we go the
Law is our protector.
3. Self-Reliance
As we in the past have caused ourselves to be what we now are, so
by what we do now will our future be determined. A knowledge of
this fact and that the glory of the future is limitless, gives us
great self-reliance, and takes away that tendency to appeal for
external help, which is really no help at all. ‘Purity and impurity
belong to oneself, no one can purify another" says the
Buddha.
4. Restraint
Naturally, if we realize that the evil we do will return to strike
us, we shall be very careful lest we do or say or think something
that is not good, pure and true. Knowledge of Kamma will restrain
us from wrongdoing for others’ sakes as well as for our
own.
5. Power
The more we make the doctrine of Kamma a part of our lives, the
more power we gain, not only to direct our future, but to help our
fellow beings more effectively. The practice of good Kamma, when
fully developed, will enable us to overcome evil and limitations,
and destroy all fetters that keep us from our goal, Nibbána.
Sayadaw U Thittila born in 1896 is a renowned scholar monk
of Myanmar. He was a missionary who traveled widely spreading
Buddhism to England, America, Europe, Asia and many other
countries. The Sayadaw is greatly revered by his native Myanmars
and all those who have benefited from his teaching.