Download Obstructive or counteractive karma (upapiḍaka

''Mano pubbangama dhamma''......... Mind is forerunner ......
''The Mind And Karmic Actions''
by Bhante K.Wanarathana
Washington Buddhist Vihara
16th street NW
Washington DC.
02-22-2014 & 03- 14- 2014
Experience thought precedes, thought is predominant, mind made are they,
there for if with pure thought one speaks or acts due to it happiness that
person follows, not deserting as the shadow. (DH.P che.1-2)
How we experience our circumstances depends on the way we interpret them. If we interpret them in the
wrong way, we experience suffering. If we interpret in the right way, we experience happiness. In other words
our happiness or unhappiness depends on way we think.
Thought also creates circumstances in a futuristic sense. If we harbor ill will ,people will begin to hate us. We
will be punished by society and the law. After death we will also be reborn in a realm of suffering. here
thought refers to kamma action, and experience refers vipaka, consequence.
The massage finally conveyed by this fair of verses is Think wrong and suffer, Think right and be happy.
This fair of verses spoken by the Buddha, to show the inevitable consequence vipaka of good and evil
thought. kamma.
man reaps what he has sown. both in the past and present .What he saw now. he reaps in the present and in the
future. He himself responsible his own happiness. He create his own heaven and hell. He is the architect of his
own fate. what he makes he can unmake. Buddhism teaches way to the escape from suffering. By
understanding and using the law of cause and effect. Buddhism is very realistic and optimistic. Instead of
blindly depending on unknown supernatural powers, hoping for happiness, Buddhism finds the true way to
happiness .Buddhism find the true way to happiness realistically
Thought-Process
The subject, the consciousness, receives objects from within and without. When a person is in a state of
profound sleep his mind is said to be vacant, or, in other words, in a state of bhavanga. We always experience
such a passive state when our minds do not respond to external objects. This flow ofbhavanga is interrupted
when objects enter the mind. Then the bhavanga consciousness vibrates for one thought-moment and passes
away. Thereupon the sense-door consciousness (pañca-dvārāvajjana) arises and ceases. At this stage the
natural flow is checked and is turned towards the object. Immediately after there arises and ceases the eye
consciousness* (cakkhu viññāna), but yet knows no more about it. This sense operation is followed by a
moment of reception of the object so seen (sampaticchana). Next comes the investigating
faculty (santīrana) or a momentary examination of the object so received.
After
this
comes
that
stage
of
representative
cognition
termed
the
determining
consciousness (votthapana).Discrimination is exercised at this stage. Freewill plays its part here. Immediately
after their arises the psychologically most important stage - Impulsion or javana. It is at this stage that an
action is judged whether moral or immoral. Kamma is performed at this stage; if viewed rightly (yoniso
manasikāra), thejavana becomes moral; if viewed wrongly (ayoniso manasikāra), it becomes immoral. In the
case of an Arahat this javana is neither moral nor immoral, but merely functional (kiriya). This javana stage
usually lasts for seven thought moments, or, at times of death, five. The whole process which happens in an
infinitesimal part of time ends with the registering consciousness (tadālambana), lasting for two thoughtmoments - thus completing one thought-process at the expiration of seventeen thought-moments.
*[i.e., if the object is a form (rūpa). This consciousness depends on the five objects of sense.]
The three kinds of bhavanga consciousness are vipāka. They are either one of the two santīrana
cittas,accompanied by indifference, mentioned above, or one of the eight sobhana vipāka cittas, described in
section 6. Pañca-dvārāvajjana is a kriyā citta. Pañca viññāna is one of the ten moral and immoral vipāka
cittas.Sampaticchana and santīrana are
also vipāka
cittas. The mano-dvārāvajjana (mind-door
consciousness), a kriyā citta, functions as the votthapana consciousness. One can use one's freewill at this
stage. The seven javana thought-moments constitute kamma. The tadālambana is a vipāka cittawhich is one
of the three santīrana cittas or one of the eight sobhana vipāka cittas.
Thus in a particular thought-process there arise various thought-moments which may be kamma,
vipāka,or kriyā
Mental being or Thought process
According to the Abhidhamma (Buddhist metaphysic) when an object is presented to the mind through
one of the five doors a thought -process runs as follows.
1. past bhawanga .... ......... ateeta bhawanga
2. vibrating bhawanga .........bh. chalana
3. Arrest bhawanga ............ bh. upaccheda
4. sense -door consciousness...pachadwarawajjana
5. sense consciousness..............chakku vinnana vinnana
6. Receiving consciousness........sampaticchana
7. Investigating consciousness.......santirana
8. Determining consciousness......vottapana
9,10.11.12.13.14.15. Impulsions .........jawana
16,17. Determining consciousness.......tadalambana
Intention and the moral quality of actions[
"It is intention that I call karma" (cetanahan bukkhave kammam vadami)
The fourth is the Aggregate of Mental Formations (Samkhārakkhandha). In this group are included all
volitional activities both good and bad. What is generally known as karma (or kamma) comes under this
group. The Buddha's own definition of karma should be remembered here: 'O bhikkhus, it is volition
(cetanā) that I call karma. Having willed, one acts through body, speech and mind. Volition is 'mental
construction, mental activity. Its function is to direct the mind in the sphere of good, bad or neutral
activities.' Just like sensations and perceptions, volition is of six kinds, connected with the six internal
faculties and the corresponding six objects (both physical and mental) in the external world. Sensations
and perceptions are not volitional actions. They do not produce karmic effects. It is only volitional
actions- such as attention (manasikāra), will (chanda), determination (adhimokkha), confidence (saddhā),
concentrate (samādhi), wisdom (paňňā), energy (viriya), desire (rāga), repugnance or hate
(patigha, Ignorance (avijjā), conceit (māna), idea of self (sakkāya-ditthi) etc. – that can produce karmic
effects. There are 52 such mental activities which constitute the Aggregate of Mental
Formations"Intention (cetana) is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, &
intellect."
Intention vs. outward appearance
According to Buddhist theory, every time a person acts there is some quality of intention at the base of
the mind and it is that quality rather than the outward appearance of the action that determines the effect.
If one appears to be benevolent but acts with greed, anger or hatred, then the fruit of those actions will
bear testimony to the fundamental intention that lay behind them and will be a cause for future
unhappiness.
Wholesome vs. unwholesome actions
The Buddha spoke of wholesome[n] actions (P. kusala-kamma, S. kuśala-karma) that result in
happiness, and unwholesome actions (P. akusala-kamma, S. akuśala-karma) that result in unhappiness.
In MN 3.66, the Buddha explained that it was impossible for virtuous action to produce unfavorable
results, and for no virtuous action to produce favorable results.[33] For example, a good deed may
produce merit which ripens into wealth; however, if that deed was done too casually or the intention
behind it was not quite pure, that wealth so obtained sometimes cannot be enjoyed (AN.4.392-393).
Fixed results vs. non-fixed results
There are two classes of determined deeds which always produce good or bad results (fixed results,
P. niyato-rasi) respectively, and a class of deeds which may produce either good or bad results
(non-fixed results, P. aniyato-rasi) presumably depending on the context, although the Buddha does not
elaborate (DN 3.217). Good karma is described as generating merit (P. puñña, S.puñya), whereas bad
karma is described as demerit (apuñña/apuñya or pāpa).[34]
The Theravāda Abhidhamma METAPHYSICE also categories karma in other ways
With regard to function

Reproductive karma (janaka-kamma) - karma which produces the mental and material
aggregates at the moment of conception, conditioning the rebirth-consciousness (patisandhi vinnana).

Supportive karma (upatthambhaka kamma) - karma ripening in one's lifetime which is of the
same favorable or unfavorable quality as the reproductive karma which impelled the rebirth in question.
That is to say, in the case of an animal with an unpleasant life, the karma creating unpleasant conditions
would be considered supportive of the reproductive karma which impelled what is considered an
unfavorable rebirth
Obstructive or counteractive karma (upapiḍaka kamma) - the reverse of the former. In the
example of the animal, an animal with a pleasant life would be said to have obstructive rather than
supportive karma in relation to his reproductive karma.

Destructive karma (upaghātaka kamma) - karma powerful enough to counteract the
reproductive karma entirely, by ending the life in question
With regard to potency

Weighty kamma (garuka kamma) — that which produces its results in this life or in the next for
certain, namely, the five heinous crimes (ānantarika-kamma)

Proximate kamma (āsanna kamma) — that which one does or remembers immediately before
the dying moment

Habitual kamma (āciṇṇa kamma) — that which one habitually performs and recollects and for
which one has a great liking

Reserve kamma (kaṭattā kamma) — refers to all actions that are done once and soon forgotten
With regard to temporal precedence


Immediately effective kamma (diţţhadhammavedaniya kamma) - in the present lifetime
Subsequently effective kamma (upapajjavedaniya kamma) - in the immediately following
lifetime

Indefinitely effective kamma (aṗarāpariyavedaniya kamma) - in lifetimes two or more in the
future

Defunct kamma (ahosi kamma) - kamma whose effects have ripened already
With regard to the realm-setting of the effect




Unwholesome (akusala) kamma pertaining to the desire realm (kamavacara)
Wholesome (kusala) kamma pertaining to the desire realm (kamavacara)
Wholesome kamma pertaining to the form realm (rupavacara)
Wholesome kamma pertaining to the formless realm (arupavacara)
Culla kamma vibhanga sutta M.N. 3. 4. 5 The shorter exposition of kamma
For short-lived & long-lived people are to be seen, sickly & healthy, ugly & beautiful, uninfluential &
influential, poor & rich, low-born & high-born, stupid & discerning people are to be seen.
So what is the reason, what is the cause, why baseness & excellence are seen among human beings,
among the human race?"
"Student, beings are owners of their actions, heirs of their actions, born of their actions, related through
their actions, and have their actions as their arbitrator.
Action is what differentiates beings in terms of baseness & excellence."
"So, student, the way leading to short life makes people short-lived, the way leading to long life makes
people long-lived;
the way leading to sickliness makes people sickly, the way leading to health makes people healthy; the
way leading to ugliness makes people ugly, the way leading to beauty makes people beautiful;
the way leading to lack of influence makes people uninfluential, the way leading to influence makes
people influential;
the way leading to poverty makes people poor, the way leading to wealth makes people wealthy; the way
leading to low birth makes people low-born, the way leading to high birth makes people highborn;
the way leading to stupidity makes people stupid, the way leading to discernment makes people
discerning.
"Beings are owners of their actions, heirs of their actions, born of their actions, related through
their actions, and have their actions as their arbitrator.
Action is what differentiates beings in terms of baseness & excellence."
Maha kamma vibhanga sutta M. N. 3. 4. 6. The great exposition of kamma
his 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.
Karmic results
As karma is not the only causal agent, the Theravādin commentarial tradition classified causal
mechanisms taught in the early texts in five categories, known as Niyama Dhammas: this 4 laws effect us
every given moment. everywhere, everyone,




Utu Niyama — Seasonal changes and climate
Biija Niyama — Laws of heredity ,physical in organic order
Citta Niyama — Will of mind, mental state,
Dhamma Niyama — Nature's tendency to produce a perfect type, Buddha exist or not dharma is
permanently impermanent. nobody cannot change impermanent
steps.....
1.The verse , and story, important
2. Mental being intention will
3. Wholesome and unwholesome
4. categories of Kamma time , consequence, potency, function,