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Majjhima Nikaya 136
THE GREAT EXPOSITION OF KAMMA
(//Mahakammavibhanga Sutta//)
Introduction
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This celebrated sutta shows some of the complexities of kamma and
its results. Beginning with a strange view expressed by a confused
wanderer and a confused answer given by a bhikkhu, the Buddha then
gives his Great Exposition of Kamma which is based upon four "types"
of people:
the evil-doer who goes to hell (or some other low state of
birth),
the evil-doer who goes to heaven,
the good man who goes to heaven, and
the good man who goes to hell (or other low birth).
The Buddha then shows how wrong views can arise from only partial
understanding of truth. One can see the stages of this: (1) a mystic
"sees" in vision an evil-doer suffering in hell, (2) this confirms
what he had heard about moral causality, (3) so he says, "evil-doers
always go to hell," and (4) dogma hardens and becomes rigid when he
says (with the dogmatists of all ages and places), "Only this is
true; anything else is wrong." The stages of this process are
repeated for each of the four "persons," after which the Buddha
proceeds to analyze these views grounded in partial experience and
points out which portions are true (because verifiable by trial and
experience) and which are dogmatic superstructure which is
unjustified. Finally, the Buddha explains his Great Exposition of
Kamma in which he shows that notions of invariability like "the
evildoer goes to hell" are much too simple. The minds of people are
complex and they make many different kinds of kamma even in one
lifetime, some of which may influence the last moment when kamma is
made before death, which in turn is the basis for the next life.
* * *
The Great Exposition of Kamma
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at
Rajagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Place. Now on
that occasion the venerable Samiddhi was living in a forest hut.
Then the wanderer Potaliputta, walking and wandering for exercise,
came to the venerable Samiddhi and exchanged greetings with him, and
when the courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one
side. When he had done so, he said to the venerable Samiddhi:
2. "I heard and learned this, friend Samiddhi, from the monk
Gotama's lips: 'Bodily kammas are vain, verbal kammas are vain, only
mental kammas are true.' But there is actually that attainment
having entered upon which nothing (of result of kammas) is felt at
all."
"Not so, friend Potaliputta, do not say thus, do not misrepresent
the Blessed One; it is not good to misrepresent the Blessed One; the
Blessed One would not say so: 'Bodily kammas are vain, verbal kammas
are vain, only mental kammas are true.' And there is actually that
attainment having entered upon which nothing (of result of kammas)
is felt at all."
"How long is it since you went forth, friend Samiddhi?"
"Not long, friend, three years."
"There now, what shall we say to the elder bhikkhus, when the
young bhikkhu fancies the Master is to be defended thus? After doing
intentional kamma, friend Samiddhi, by way of body, speech or mind,
what does one feel (of its result)?"
"After doing an intentional kamma, friend Potaliputta, by way of
body, speech or mind, one feels suffering (as its result)."
Then neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the words of the
venerable Samiddhi, the wanderer Potaliputta got up from his seat
and went away.
3. Soon after the wanderer Potaliputta had gone, the venerable
Samiddhi went to the venerable Ananda and exchanged greetings with
him, and when the courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat
down at one side. When he had done so, he told the venerable Ananda
all his conversation with the wanderer Potaliputta.
When this was said, the venerable Ananda told him: "Friend
Samiddhi, this conversation should be told to the Blessed One. Come,
let us go to the Blessed One, and having done so, let us tell him
about this. As he answers, so we shall bear it in mind."
"Even so, friend," the venerable Samiddhi replied.
Then they went together to the Blessed One, and after paying
homage to him, they sat down at one side. When they had done so, the
venerable Ananda told the Blessed One all the venerable Samiddhi's
conversation with the wanderer Potaliputta.
4. When this was said, the Blessed One told the venerable Ananda:
"I do not even know the wanderer by sight, Ananda. How could there
have been such a conversation? The wanderer Potaliputta's question
ought to have been answered after analyzing it, but this misguided
man Samiddhi answered it without qualification. [1]
When this was said, the venerable Udayin said to the Blessed One:
"'But, venerable sir, supposing when the venerable Samiddhi spoke,
he was referring to this, namely, 'Whatever is felt is suffering.'"
[2]
5. Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ananda: "See,
Ananda, how this misguided man Udayin interferes. I knew, Ananda,
that this misguided man Udayin would unreasonably interfere now. To
begin with it was the three kinds of feeling that were asked about
by the wanderer Potaliputta. If, when this misguided man Samiddhi
was asked, he had answered the wanderer Potaliputta thus: 'After
doing an intentional kamma by way of body, speech and mind (whose
result is) to be felt as pleasure, he feels pleasure; after doing an
intentional kamma by way of body, speech and mind (whose result is)
to be felt as pain, he feels pain; after doing an intentional kamma
by way of body, speech and mind (whose result is) to be felt as
neither-pain-nor-pleasure, he feels neither-pain-nor-pleasure' -- by
answering him thus, Ananda, the misguided man Samiddhi would have
given the wanderer Potaliputta the right answer. Besides, Ananda,
who are the foolish thoughtless wanderers of other sects that they
will understand the Tathagata's Great Exposition of Kamma? (But) if
you, Ananda, would listen to the Tathagata expounding the Great
Exposition of Kamma (you might understand it).[3]
"This is the time, Blessed One, this is the time, Sublime One, for
the Blessed One to expound the Great Exposition of Kamma. Having
heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will bear it in mind."
"Then listen, Ananda, and heed well what I shall say."
"Even so, venerable sir," the venerable Ananda replied. The
Blessed One said this:
6. "Ananda, there are four kinds of persons existing in the world.
What four?
(i) "Here some person kills living beings, takes what is not
given, misconducts himself in sexual desires, speaks falsehood,
speaks maliciously, speaks harshly, gossips, is covetous, is
ill-willed, and has wrong view.[4]On the dissolution of the body,
after death, he reappears in the states of deprivation, in an
unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.
(ii) "But here some person kills living beings ... and has wrong
view. On the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a
happy destination, in the heavenly world.
(iii) "Here some person abstains from killing living beings, from
taking what is not given, from misconduct in sexual desires, from
false speech, from malicious speech, from harsh speech, from gossip,
he is not covetous, is not ill-willed, and has right view.[5] On the
dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy
destination, in the heavenly world.
(iv) "But here some person abstains from killing living beings ...
and has right view. On the dissolution of the body, after death, he
reappears in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination,
in perdition, in hell.
7. (i) "Here, Ananda, in consequence of ardor, endeavor, devotion,
diligence, and right attention, some monk or brahmin attains such
concentration of mind that, when his mind is concentrated, he sees
with the heavenly eyesight, which is purified and surpasses the
human, that some person kills living beings here, takes what is not
given, misconducts himself in sexual desires, speaks falsehood,
speaks maliciously, speaks harshly, gossips, is covetous, is
ill-willed, has wrong view. He sees that on the dissolution of the
body, after death, he has reappeared in the states of deprivation,
in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell. He says: 'It seems
that there are evil kammas and that there is the result of
misconduct; for I have seen that a person killed living beings here
... had wrong view. I have seen that on the dissolution of the body,
after death, he had reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an
unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.' He says: 'It seems that
one who kills living beings ... has wrong view, will always, on the
dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in the states of
deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell. Those
who know thus know rightly; those who know otherwise are mistaken in
their knowledge.' So he obstinately misapprehends what he himself
has known, seen and felt; insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only
this is true, anything else is wrong.'
8. (ii) "But here in consequence of ardor, endeavor, devotion,
diligence and right attention, some monk or brahmin attains such
concentration of mind that, when his mind is concentrated, he sees
with the heavenly eyesight, which is purified and surpasses the
human, that some person kills living beings here ... has wrong view.
He sees that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he has
reappeared in a happy destination, in the heavenly world. He says:
'It seems there are no evil kammas, there is no result of
misconduct. For I have seen that a person killed living beings here
... had wrong view. I have seen that on the dissolution of the body,
after death, he has reappeared in a happy destination, in the
heavenly world.' He says: 'It seems there are no evil kammas, there
is no result of misconduct. For I have seen that a person killed
living beings here ... had wrong view. I have seen that on the
dissolution of the body, after death, he had reappeared in a happy
destination, in the heavenly world.' He says: "It seems that one who
kills living beings ... has wrong view will always, on the
dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy
destination, in the heavenly world. Those who know thus know
rightly; those who know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge.'
So he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen and
felt; insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true, anything
else is wrong.'
9. (iii) "Here in consequence of ardor, endeavor, devotion,
diligence and right attention, some monk or brahmin attains such
concentration of mind that, when his mind is concentrated, he sees
with the heavenly eyesight, which is purified and surpasses the
human, that some person abstains from killing living beings here ...
has right view. He sees that, on the dissolution of the body, after
death, he has reappeared in a happy destination, in the heavenly
world. He says: 'It seems that there are good kammas, there is
result of good conduct. For I have seen that a person abstained from
killing living beings here ... had right view. I saw that on the
dissolution of the body, after death, he had reappeared in a happy
destination, in the heavenly world.' He says: 'It seems that one who
abstains from killing living beings ... has right view will always,
on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy
destination, in the heavenly world. Those who know thus know
rightly; those who know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge.'
So he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen and
felt; insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true; anything
else is wrong.'
10. (iv) "But here in consequence of ardor, endeavor, devotion,
diligence and right attention, some monk or brahmin attains such
concentration of mind that, when his mind is concentrated, he sees
with the heavenly eyesight, which is purified and surpasses the
human, that some person abstains from killing living beings here ...
has right view. He sees that on the dissolution of the body, after
death, he has reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy
destination, in perdition, in hell. He says: 'It seems that there
are no good kammas, there is no result of good conduct. For I have
seen that a person abstained from killing here ... had right view. I
saw that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he had
reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination,
in perdition, in hell.' He says: 'It seems that one who abstains
from killing living beings ... has right view, will always, on the
dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in the states of
deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell. Those
who know thus know rightly; those who know otherwise are mistaken in
their knowledge.' So he obstinately misapprehends what he himself
has known, seen and felt; insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only
this is true; anything else is wrong.'
11. (i) "Now, Ananda, when a monk or brahmin says thus: 'It seems
that there are evil kammas, there is the result of misconduct,' I
concede that to him.
"When he says thus: 'For I have seen that some person killed
living beings ... had wrong view. I saw that on the dissolution of
the body, after death, he had reappeared in states of deprivation,
in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell,' I concede that to
him.
"When he says thus: 'It seems that one who kills living beings ...
has wrong view, will always, on the dissolution of the body, after
death, reappear in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy
destination, in perdition, in hell,' I do not concede that to him.
"When he says thus: 'Those who know thus know rightly; those who
know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge,' I do not concede
that to him.
"When he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen
and felt; and insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true;
anything else is wrong,' I do not concede that to him.
"Why is that? The Tathagata's knowledge of the Great Exposition of
Kamma is different.
12. (ii) "Now when a monk or brahmin says thus: 'It seems that
there are no evil kammas, there is no result of misconduct,' I do
not concede that to him.
"When he says thus: 'For I have seen that a person killed living
beings ... had wrong view. I saw that on the dissolution of the
body, after death, he had reappeared in a happy destination, in the
heavenly world,' I concede that to him.
"When he says thus: 'It seems that one who kills living beings ...
has wrong view, will always, on the dissolution of the body, after
death, reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world,' I do
not concede that to him.
"When he says thus: 'Those who know thus know rightly; those who
know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge,' I do not concede
that to him.
"When he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen
and felt; and insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true;
anything else is wrong,' I do not concede that to him.
"Why is that? The Tathagata's knowledge of the Great Exposition of
Kamma is different.
13. (iii) "Now when a monk or brahmin says thus: 'It seems that
there are good kammas, there is a result of good conduct,' I concede
that to him.
"When he says thus: 'For I have seen that a person abstained from
killing living beings here ... had right view. I saw that on the
dissolution of the body after death, he had reappeared in a happy
destination, in the heavenly world,' I concede that to him.
"When he says: 'It seems that one who abstains from killing living
beings ... has right view will always, on the dissolution of the
body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly
world,'[6] I do not concede that to him.
"When he says: 'Those who know thus know rightly; those who know
otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge,' I do not concede that to
him.
"When he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known,
seen, and felt; and insisting on that alone he says: 'Only this is
true: anything else is wrong,' I do not concede that to him.
"Why is that? The Tathagata's knowledge of the Great Exposition of
Kamma is different.
14. (iv) "Now when a monk or brahmin says thus: 'It seems that
there are no good kammas, there is no result of good conduct,' I do
not concede that to him.
"When he says thus: "For I have seen that a person abstained from
killing living beings here ... had right view. I saw that on the
dissolution of the body, after death, he had reappeared in the
states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in
hell," I concede that to him.
"When he says thus: 'One who abstains from killing living beings
... has right view will always, on the dissolution of the body,
after death, reappear in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy
destination, in perdition, in hell,' I do not concede that to him.
"When he says thus: 'Those who know thus know rightly; those who
know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge,' I do not concede
that to him.
"When he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen
and felt; and insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true;
anything else is wrong,' I do not concede that to him.
"Why is that? The Tathagata's knowledge of the Great Exposition of
Kamma is different.
(//The Great Exposition of Kamma//)
15. (i) "Now, Ananda, there is the person who has killed living
beings here ... has had wrong view. And on the dissolution of the
body, after death, he reappears in the states of deprivation, in an
unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.[7] But (perhaps) the
evil kamma producing his suffering was done by him earlier, or the
evil kamma producing his suffering was done by him later, or wrong
view was undertaken and completed by him at the time of his
death.[8] And that was why, on the dissolution of the body, after
death, he reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy
destination, in perdition, in hell. But since he has killed living
beings here ... has had wrong view, he will feel the result of that
here and now, or in his next rebirth, or in some subsequent
existence.
16. (ii) "Now there is the person who has killed living beings
here ... has had wrong view. And on the dissolution of the body,
after death, he reappears in a happy destination, in the heavenly
world.[9] But (perhaps) the good kamma producing his happiness was
done by him earlier, or the good kamma producing his happiness was
done by him later, or right view was undertaken and completed by him
at the time of his death. And that was why, on the dissolution of
the body, after death, he reappeared in a happy destination, in the
heavenly world. But since he has killed living beings here ... has
had wrong view, he will feel the result of that here and now, or in
his next rebirth, or in some subsequent existence.[10]
17. (iii) "Now there is the person who has abstained from killing
living beings here ... has had right view. And on the dissolution of
the body, after death, he reappears in a happy destination, in the
heavenly world.[11] But (perhaps) the good kamma producing his
happiness was done by him earlier, or the good kamma producing his
happiness was done by him later, or right view was undertaken and
completed by him at the time of his death. And that was why, on the
dissolution of the body, after death, he reappeared in a happy
destination, in the heavenly world. But since he has abstained from
killing living beings here ... has had right view, he will feel the
result of that here and now, or in his next rebirth, or in some
subsequent existence.
18. (iv) "Now there is the person who has abstained from killing
living beings here ... has had right view. And on the dissolution of
the body, after death, he reappears in the states of deprivation, in
an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.[12] But (perhaps) the
evil kamma producing his suffering was done by him earlier, or the
evil kamma producing his suffering was done by him later, or wrong
view was undertaken and completed by him at the time of his death.
And that was why, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he
reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination,
in perdition, in hell. But since he has abstained from killing
living beings here ... has had right view, he will feel the result
of that here and now, or in his next rebirth, or in some subsequent
existence.[13]
19. "So, Ananda, there is kamma that is incapable (of good result)
and appears incapable (of good result); there is kamma that is
incapable (of good result) and appears capable (of good result);
there is kamma that is capable (of good result) and appears capable
(of good result); there is kamma that is capable (of good result)
and appears incapable (of good result)."[14]
This is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ananda was
satisfied and he rejoiced in the Blessed One's words.
* * *
Notes
~~~~~
1. These are two of the four ways of answering a question, the other
two being: replying with a counter-question, and "setting aside"
the question, i.e. replying with silence.
2. This is a quotation from the Buddha's words: see Samyutta Nikaya,
Vedana Samyutta, Rahogata-vagga Sutta 1.
3. This is an addition necessary for understanding this sentence.
4. These are the ten unwholesome courses of kamma.
5. These are the ten wholesome courses of kamma.
6. This amounts to the belief in theistic religions where virtue and
faith (=whatever is held to be right view) are supposed to
guarantee salvation.
7. Devadatta, for instance, who persuaded prince Ajatasattu to
murder his father (who was a stream-winner), three times attempted
to murder the Buddha and once succeeded in wounding him, and
caused a schism in the Sangha; the last two actions are certain to
lead to birth in hell.
8. This series of three phrases appears to mean: //earlier//, either
earlier in life before he undertook either the wholesome or
unwholesome courses of kamma, or in some previous life; //later//,
later in that very life, for even if a person does much evil
kamma, usually he will also make some good kamma occasionally;
//wrong view ... time of his death//, this kind of wrong view will
be of the type, "there is no kamma, no results of kamma, no evil,
no results of evil," and so on. The next birth actually depends on
the object of the last moments of a dying person's consciousness.
At that time one should recollect all one's good kamma:
generosity, loving-kindness, compassion, pure precepts and so on.
Evil should not be thought of then though heavy evil kamma done
previously may force itself into the mind and make recollection of
one's generosity and virtue in keeping the precepts difficult or
impossible.
9. A good example of this is the story of "Coppertooth," the public
executioner who, after a career of murder as a bandit, then as the
killer of his own bandit comrades and subsequently executioner of
all criminals for fifty years, was taught by venerable Sariputta
Thera and his mind eased of the heavy weight of evil kamma so that
he attained heavenly rebirth. See Dhammapada Commentary, ii,
203-209.
10. Though such a person attained a heavenly rebirth the evil kamma
made will still mature sooner or later; he has not escaped its
results.
11. King Pasenadi of Kosala, for instance.
12. This was what happened to Queen Mallika, wife of King Pasenadi,
who had led a good life, generous, keeping the Five Precepts, and
the Eight Precepts on Uposatha days and so on, but once she did
evil, having sexual relations with a dog. This unconfessed evil
weighed heavily on her mind and she remembered it when dying. As a
result she spent seven days in hell. Her power of goodness from
the doing of many good kammas then gave her rebirth in a heavenly
world. See Dhammapada Commentary, iii, 119-123.
13. Though this virtuous and good person has obtained a low rebirth
through the power of previously done evil kamma, still the good
kamma made by him will mature sooner or later, when it gets a
chance.
14. This final terse paragraph may have been clear to the venerable
Ananda Thera, or he may have asked for an explanation, as we
require and find in the Commentary, which says:
(1) A strong unwholesome kamma (incapable of good result), the
result of which will come before the results of weaker
unwholesome kammas.
(2) Wholesome kamma (which appears capable of good result) is
followed by unwholesome death-proximate kamma which makes the
former incapable of good result immediately.
(3) A strong wholesome kamma will mature even before much
accumulated unwholesome kamma.
(4) Unwholesome kamma (which appears incapable of good result) is
followed by wholesome death-proximate kamma which will mature
first and is capable of good results.
* * * * * * * *