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- Majjhima Nikaya 135
- Cula-Kammavibhanga Sutta
- The Shorter Exposition of Kamma
- Translated from the Pali by Nanamoli Thera
For free distribution only,
by arrangement with the Buddhist Publication Society
From The Buddha's Words on
Kamma: Four Discourses from the Middle Length Collection (WH 248), edited by
Khantipalo Bhikkhu, (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1993).
Introduction (by Bhikkhu Khantipalo)
You want: long life, health, beauty, power, riches, high birth, wisdom? Or even some of
these things? They do not appear by chance. It is not someone's luck that they are
healthy, or another's lack of it that he is stupid. Though it may not be clear to us now,
all such inequalities among human beings (and all sorts of beings) come about because of
the kamma they have made individually. Each person reaps his own fruits. So if one is
touched by short life, sickliness, ugliness, insignificance, poverty, low birth or
stupidity and one does not like these things, no need to just accept that that is the way
it is. The future need not be like that provided that one makes the right kind of kamma
now. Knowing what kamma to make and what not to make is the mark of a wise man. It is also
the mark of one who is no longer drifting aimlessly but has some direction in life and
some control over the sort of events that will occur.
1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Savatthi
in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park.
Then Subha the student (brahmin), Todeyya's
son, went to the Blessed One 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, Subha the student
said to the Blessed One:
2. "Master Gotama, what is the reason, what is the condition, why
inferiority and superiority are met with among human beings, among mankind? For one meets
with short-lived and long-lived people, sick and healthy people, ugly and beautiful
people, insignificant and influential people, poor and rich people, low-born and high-born
people, stupid and wise people. What is the reason, what is the condition, why superiority
and inferiority are met with among human beings, among mankind?"
3. "Student, beings are owners of kammas, heirs of kammas, they
have kammas as their progenitor, kammas as their kin, kammas as their homing-place. It is
kammas that differentiate beings according to inferiority and superiority."
4. "I do not understand the detailed meaning of Master Gotama's
utterance spoken in brief without expounding the detailed meaning. It would be good if
Master Gotama taught me the Dhamma so that I might understand the detailed meaning of
Master Gotama's utterance spoken in brief without expounding the detailed meaning."
"Then listen, student, and heed well what I shall say."
"Even so, Master Gotama," Subha the student replied. The Blessed One said
this:
5. "Here, student, some woman or man is a killer of living beings,
murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to living beings. Due to
having performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death,
he reappears in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.
If, on the dissolution of the body, after death, instead of his reappearing in a state of
deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell, he comes to the human
state, he is short-lived wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to short life,
that is to say, to be a killer of living beings, murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows
and violence, merciless to living beings.
6. "But here some woman or man, having abandoned the killing of
living beings, abstains from killing living beings, lays aside the rod and lays aside the
knife, is considerate and merciful and dwells compassionate for the welfare of all living
beings. Due to having performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body,
after death, he reappears in a happy destination, in the heavenly world. If, on the
dissolution of the body, after death, instead of his reappearing in a happy destination,
in the heavenly world, he comes to the human state, he is long-lived wherever he is
reborn. This is the way that leads to long life, that is to say, to have abandoned the
killing of living beings, to abstain from killing living beings, to lay aside the rod and
lay aside the knife, to be considerate and merciful, and to dwell compassionate for the
welfare of all living beings.
7. "Here, student, some woman or man is one who harms beings with
his hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives. Due to having performed and
completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a
state of deprivation...If instead he comes to the human state, he is sickly wherever he is
reborn. This is the way that leads to sickness, that is to say, to be one who harms beings
with one's hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives.
8. "But here some woman or man is not one who harms beings with
his hands, or with clods, or with sticks, or with knives. Due to having performed and
completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a
happy destination...If instead he comes to the human state, he is healthy wherever he is
reborn. This is the way that leads to health, that is to say, not to be one who harms
beings with his hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives.
9. "Here, student, some woman or man is angry, much given to rage;
even when little is said, he is furious, angry, ill-disposed, resentful, he shows
ill-temper, hate and surliness. Due to having performed and completed such kammas, on the
dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation...If instead
he comes to the human state, he is ugly wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads
to ugliness, that is to say, to be furious, angry, ill-disposed, resentful, and to show
ill-temper, hate and surliness.
10. "But here some woman or man is not angry or much given to
rage; even when much is said, he is not furious, angry, ill-disposed, resentful, nor does
he show ill-temper, hate or surliness. Due to having performed and completed such kammas,
on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy destination...If
instead he comes to the human state, he is beautiful wherever he is reborn. This is the
way that leads to beauty, that is to say, not to be angry or given to much rage; even when
much is said, not to be furious, angry, ill-disposed or resentful, or to show ill-temper,
hate or surliness.
11. "Here, student, some woman or man is envious; he envies,
begrudges and harbors envy about others' gains, honor, veneration, respect, salutations
and offerings. Due to having performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of
the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation...If instead he comes to the
human state, he is insignificant wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to
insignificance, that is to say, to be envious, to envy, begrudge, and harbor envy about
others' gain, honor, veneration, respect, salutations and offerings.
12. "But here some woman or man is not envious, he does not envy,
begrudge or harbor envy about others' gain, honor, veneration, respect, salutations and
offerings. Due to having performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the
body, after death, he reappears in a happy destination...If instead he comes to the human
state, he is influential wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to influence,
that is to say, not to be envious, not to envy, begrudge or harbor envy about others'
gain, honor, veneration, respect, salutations and offerings.
13. "Here, student, some woman or man is not a giver of food,
drink, cloth, sandals, garlands, perfumes, unguents, bed, roof and lighting to monks or
brahmins. Due to having performed and completed such kamma, on the dissolution of the
body, after death he reappears in a state of deprivation...If instead he comes to the
human state, he is poor wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to poverty, that
is to say, not to be a giver of food, drink, cloth, sandals, garlands, perfumes, unguents,
bed, roof and lighting to monks and brahmins.
14. "But here some woman or man is a giver of food, drink, cloth,
sandals, perfumes, unguents, bed, roof and lighting to monks and brahmins. Due to having
performed and completed such kamma, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he
reappears in a happy destination...If instead he comes to the human state, he is rich
wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to riches, that is to say, to be a giver
of food, drink, cloth, sandals, garlands, perfumes, unguents, bed, roof and lighting to
monks and brahmins.
15. "Here, student, some woman or man is obdurate and haughty; he
does not pay homage to whom he should pay homage, or rise up for whom he should rise up,
or give a seat to whom he should give a seat, or make way for whom he should make way, or
worship him who should be worshipped, or respect him who should be respected, or revere
him who should be revered, or honor him who should be honored. Due to having performed and
completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a
state of deprivation...If instead he comes to the human state, he is low-born wherever he
is reborn. This is the way that leads to low birth, that is to say, to be obdurate and
haughty, not to pay homage to whom he should pay homage, nor rise up for..., nor give a
seat to..., nor make way for..., nor worship..., nor respect..., nor revere..., nor honor
him who should be honored.
16. "But here some woman or man is not obdurate or haughty; he
pays homage to whom he should pay homage, rises up for whom he should rise up, gives a
seat to whom he should give a seat, makes way for whom he should make way, worships him
who should be worshipped, respects him who should be respected, reveres him who should be
revered, honors him who should be honored. Due to having performed and completed such
kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy
destination...If instead he comes to the human state, he is high-born wherever he is
reborn. This is the way that leads to high birth, that is to say, not to be obdurate or
haughty, to pay homage to whom he should pay homage, to rise up for..., to give a seat
to..., to make way for..., to worship...respect...revere...honor him who should be
honored.
17. "Here, student, some woman or man when visiting a monk or
brahmin, does not ask: 'What is wholesome, venerable sir? What is unwholesome? What is
blamable? What is blameless? What should be cultivated? What should not be cultivated?
What, by my doing it, will be long for my harm and suffering? Or what, by my doing it,
will be long for my welfare and happiness?' Due to having performed and completed such
kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of
deprivation...If instead he comes to the human state, he will be stupid wherever he is
reborn. This is the way that leads to stupidity, that is to say, when visiting a monk or
brahmin, not to ask: 'What is wholesome?...Or what, by my doing it, will be long for my
welfare and happiness?'
18. "But here some woman or man when visiting a monk or brahmin,
asks: 'What is wholesome, venerable sir?...Or what, by my doing it, will be long for my
welfare and happiness?' Due to having performed and completed such kammas, on the
dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy destination...If instead he
comes to the human state, he is wise wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to
wisdom, that is to say, when visiting a monk or brahmin, to ask: 'What is wholesome,
venerable sir?...Or what, by my doing it, will be long for my welfare and happiness?'
19. "So, student, the way that leads to short life makes people
short-lived, the way that leads to long life makes people long-lived; the way that leads
to sickness makes people sick, the way that leads to health makes people healthy; the way
that leads to ugliness makes people ugly, the way that leads to beauty makes people
beautiful; the way that leads to insignificance makes people insignificant, the way that
leads to influence makes people influential; the way that leads to poverty makes people
poor, the way that leads to riches makes people rich; the way that leads to low birth
makes people low-born, the way that leads to high birth makes people high-born; the way
that leads to stupidity makes people stupid, the way that leads to wisdom makes people
wise.
20. "Beings are owners of kammas, student, heirs of kammas, they
have kammas as their progenitor, kammas as their kin, kammas as their homing-place. It is
kammas that differentiate beings according to inferiority and superiority."
21. When this was said, Subha the student, Todeyya's son, said to the
Blessed One: "Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master
Gotama! The Dhamma has been made clear in many ways by Master Gotama, as though he were
turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing the hidden, showing the way to one who
is lost, holding up a lamp in the darkness for those with eyes to see forms.
22. "I go to Master Gotama for refuge, and to the Dhamma and to
the Sangha of bhikkhus. From today let Master Gotama accept me as a lay follower who has
gone to him for refuge for life."