Which Intentional Actions (Kamma) influence Social
Prominence?
A student once asked the
Buddha:
Master Gotama, what is the cause and condition why some human
beings
are influential & prominent, while others are neglected &
disrespected?
The Blessed Buddha then explained:
Here, friend, some man or woman is envious, one who is jealous,
resents, and begrudges the gains, honour, respect, fame, name,
reverence, salutation, and veneration rightly received by
others....
Because of intending and performing such action, at the breakup of
the body,
right after death, such one is reborn in a state of difficulty, in
a wretched
destination, in the painful purgatory, or even in the
hells...
But if such one at the breakup of the body, right after death, is
not reborn
in an state of deprivation, a painful destination, the purgatory,
or in the hells,
but instead comes back to the human state, then wherever such one
is reborn, such one is not influential, unimportant, neglected
& disrespected #!
These are the actions, friend, leading to future disrespect: Being
envious, beingone who is jealous, resents, & begrudges the
gains, honour, respect, reverence, salutations, fame, name and
veneration rightly received by others....
However, friend, any man or woman, who is neither envious, jealous,
resenting, nor begrudging the gains, honour, respect, reverence,
salutations, fame, name & veneration rightly received by
others, because of intending & undertaking such good mental
action, at breakup of the body, after death, such one reappears in
a pleasurable and happy destination, even in one of the many divine
dimensions!
But if at the breakup of the body, right after death, such one is
not reborn in
a happy destination, in the heavenly worlds, but instead comes back
to a human state, then wherever such one reappears, such one is
influential, & respected %! This is the way, friend, leading to
prominence & influence, namely neither beingenvious, jealous,
resenting, nor begrudging the gains, honour, respect, reverence,
fame, name, salutation, reputation & veneration rightly
received by others...
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