Exhaustive Notes on Karma and Its Classifications in Depth of the Law of Action in Buddhism

The Inquiry of Subha Manavaka and the Inequality of Beings

While the Buddha was residing at the Jetavana Monastery in Savatthi, a young man named Subha Manavaka approached him. After exchanging pleasantries and taking a seat to one side, Subha questioned the Buddha regarding the diverse inequalities observed among humans in the world. He noted that people are not equal: some have short lifespans while others live long; some are frequently ill while others are healthy; some are unattractive while others are beautiful. Furthermore, he observed differences in social status, wealth, and intelligence, ranging from those of low influence ($alpeshakkhya$) to those of great power ($maheshakkhya$), and from the poor to the rich. Subha sought to understand the underlying cause of these human variations.

In response, the Buddha explained that the primary factor responsible for the high or low status of beings is Karma. Karma literally means action, specifically referring to intentional or volitional action. The Buddha famously stated, "Monks, I say that intention ($cetana$) is Karma." This means that an action performed without conscious intent is not the primary determinant of a being's status. Human beings are the owners of their Karma, the heirs of their Karma, born of their Karma, related to their Karma, and live supported by their Karma. It is according to these intentional actions that individuals attain superior or inferior states in life.

The Three Doors of Action

According to Buddhism, intentional actions manifest through three distinct channels or "doors." The first is the body ($Kaya$), involving physical movements of the hands, feet, and limbs. The second is speech ($Vaci$), involving communication and verbal usage. The third is the mind ($Manas$), which encompasses intention and thought. Consequently, Karma is classified into three forms:

1. Kaya Kamma: Intentional actions performed through the body.
2. Vaci Kamma: Intentional actions performed through speech.
3. Mano Kamma: Intentional actions performed through the mind.

Actions performed through these three doors are further divided into two categories: Unwholesome Karma ($Akusala Kamma$) and Wholesome Karma ($Kusala Kamma$).

The Ten Unwholesome Deeds (Dasa Akusala Kamma)

Unwholesome actions are those that cause suffering in the cycle of rebirth ($Samsara$) and are harmful in nature. These ten deeds manifest through the three doors as follows:

Through the Body (Kaya Kamma):

1. Panaghata: Killing or harming living beings.
2. Adinnadana: Stealing or taking what is not given.
3. Kamesumicchacara: Sexual misconduct or adultery.

Through Speech (Vaci Kamma):

4. Musavada: Lying or deceiving others.
5. Pisunavaca: Slander or speech intended to create divisions.
6. Parusavaca: Harsh or rude speech.
7. Sampapphalapa: Idle chatter or frivolous, useless talk.

Through the Mind (Mano Kamma):

8. Abhijjha: Extreme greed or covetousness.
9. Vyapada: Ill-will, anger, or hatred towards others.
10. Micchaditthi: Wrong views or false understandings of reality.

Wholesome Karma ($Kusala Kamma$) consists of actions that produce happiness in $Samsara$. This is primarily taught as the practice of abstaining from the ten unwholesome deeds mentioned above.

The Roots of Karma

Buddhism identifies specific mental roots that drive individuals to perform wholesome or unwholesome deeds. There are three unwholesome roots ($Akusala Mula$) and three wholesome roots ($Kusala Mula$).

The Unwholesome Roots are:

1. Lobha: Greed or the attachment to resources and possessions.
2. Dvesha: Hatred or hostility toward others.
3. Moha: Delusion, such as the belief that merit and demerit do not exist.

The Wholesome Roots are:

1. Alobha: Non-greed, generosity, and selflessness.
2. Advesha: Non-hatred, characterized by loving-kindness ($metta$) and compassion ($karuna$).
3. Amoha: Non-delusion, wisdom, and the acceptance of the law of cause and effect (merit and demerit).

Classification of Karma by Time of Ripening

Karma is classified into four types based on when the results ($Vipaka$) are experienced:

1. Ditthadhamma Vedaniya Kamma: Karma that yields results in the current lifetime. This type of Karma provides results during the course of existence ($Pravrutti Vipaka$) but does not result in a new birth ($Pratisandhi Vipaka$). $Pravrutti Vipaka$ refers to the karmic consequences experienced from birth until death, whereas $Pratisandhi Vipaka$ refers to the karmic influence that causes rebirth after death.

2. Upappajja Vedaniya Kamma: Karma that yields results in the immediately following life. This is capable of providing both results during that life and the initial result of rebirth itself. Examples include the five heinous crimes ($Pajchananthariya Kamma$) such as killing one's mother or father, which lead to immediate bad results in the next life, or attaining meditative absorptions ($Jhana$), which lead to favorable rebirth.

3. Aparapariya Vedaniya Kamma: Karma that yields results in any subsequent lifetime from the third life onward until the individual attains Nibbana. This Karma remains potent until the cycle of suffering ends.

4. Ahosi Kamma: Karma that becomes ineffective or void without producing a result. This occurs when the necessary conditions for the Karma to ripen are not met, or when an individual attains Arhatship and enters Parinibbana, leaving no opportunity for past Karma to manifest.

Classification of Karma by Weight and Priority

Karma is also categorized into four types based on its strength and the priority in which it ripens:

1. Garuka Kamma: These are powerful or "weighty" actions that cannot be superseded by other Karma. On the unwholesome side, these include the five heinous crimes ($Pajchananthariya Kamma$) and certain fixed wrong views ($Niyata Micchaditti$), which inevitably lead to rebirth in hell. On the wholesome side, this includes attaining the eight meditative absorptions ($Smapatti$) or the Four Paths and Fruits ($Magga Phala$) like Sotapanna. If an individual maintains a higher state of meditation like $Jhana$ until death, they will be reborn in the Brahma worlds.

2. Asanna Kamma: Karma performed or remembered at the moment of death. In the absence of a Weighty Karma, this determines the next birth. For example, the youth Mattakundali was reborn in heaven because of the serene thoughts he had toward the Buddha as he died. Conversely, Queen Mallika, the consort of King Kosala, experienced a temporary lower rebirth due to an unwholesome thought that arose at her final moment.

3. Acinna Kamma: Habitual Karma consisting of actions performed repeatedly or thoughts frequently dwelled upon throughout life. Examples include daily acts of charity ($Dana$), observing precepts ($Sila$), or regular meditation. These habitual patterns determine rebirth if neither Weighty nor Death-proximate Karma is dominant.

4. Katatta Kamma: Residual or "stored" Karma that involves actions performed without strong intention or incomplete deeds. This type does not typically determine rebirth but can provide results during the course of a lifetime ($Pravrutti Vipaka$). It ripens only when the other three types of Karma are not present to determine the next birth.

Classification of Karma by Function

There are four types of Karma defined by the specific function they serve in a being's life:

1. Janaka Kamma: The "generative" Karma that functions to provide rebirth ($Pratisandhi$) in a new existence. Unwholesome Janaka Karma leads to birth in the four lower realms (hell, animal realm, hungry ghost realm, and asura realm), while Wholesome Janaka Karma provides birth in the human realm or the six divine heavens.

2. Upatthambhaka Kamma: The "supportive" Karma that helps maintain or strengthen the results of Janaka Karma. It can support a miserable life to make it even more difficult or support a fortunate life to make it more pleasant.

3. Upapidaka (Upapilaka) Kamma: The "counteractive" or "obstructive" Karma that weakens or interferes with the results of Janaka Karma. Unwholesome Upapidaka Karma can hinder the happiness of a good birth, while Wholesome Upapidaka Karma can mitigate the suffering of a bad birth.

4. Upaghataka Kamma: The "destructive" Karma that completely nullifies the result of Janaka Karma and imposes its own result. It effectively terminates the existing karmic force and replaces it with another.

Factors Influencing the Ripening of Karma (Sampatti and Vipatti)

While the power of Karma is significant, present actions and environmental factors can modify, assist, or even prevent the ripening of past Karma. There are four favorable conditions ($Sampatti$) that can hinder the ripening of bad Karma or help good Karma flourish:

1. Gati Sampatti: Being born in a favorable or prosperous place. This environment may prevent the ripening of past unwholesome Karma because the surroundings are not conducive to suffering.

2. Upadhi Sampatti: Possessing a superior physical appearance or beauty. Even if born into a poor family, remarkable beauty can lead to a fortunate life, such as common women becoming queens or consorts to elites.

3. Kala Sampatti: Being born during a favorable or prosperous era, such as a time when a righteous ruler governs. During such times, even those with past bad Karma may enjoy benefits and security provided by the state.

4. Prayoga Sampatti: Applying wisdom, effort, and situational intelligence. By taking proactive steps and using determination, one can overcome or avoid the ripening of past unwholesome Karma instead of simply resigning to fate.

Conversely, the opposites of these factors are known as the four failures ($Vipatti$), which include Gati Vipatti (unfavorable birth place), Upadhi Vipatti (unattractive appearance), Kala Vipatti (unfavorable era), and Prayoga Vipatti (lack of effort or wisdom). These failures provide the necessary conditions for past unwholesome Karma to yield painful results.