lobha (q.v.).
”power”, ”magical power”. The magical powers constitute one of the 6 kinds of higher spiritual powers (abhin~n~a^, q.v.). One distinguishes many kinds of magical powers: the power of determination (adhittha^n” iddhi), i.e. the power of becoming oneself manifold; the power of transformation (vikubbana iddhi), i.e. the power of adopting another form; the power of spiritual creation (manomaya iddhi), i.e. the power of letting issue from this body another mentally produced body; the power of penetrating knowledge (n~a^na-vipphara iddhi), i.e. the power of inherent insight to remain unhurt in danger; the power of penetrating concentration (sama^dhivipphara^ iddhi) producing the same result. The magical powers are treated in detail in Vis.M. XII; Pts.M., Vibh. - (App.). They are not a necessary condition for final deliverance.
”Noble power” (ariya^-iddhi) is the power of controlling one”s ideas in such a way that one may consider something not repulsive as repulsive and something repulsive as not repulsive, and remain all the time imperturbable and full of equanimity. This training of mind is frequently mentioned in the Suttas (e.g. M. 152, A.V. 144), but only once the name of ariya^-iddhi is applied to it (D. 28). See further Pts.M., Iddhi-katha^, Vis.M. XII.
Most, or perhaps all, of the 10 terms listed at Vis.M. XII, as adhittha^na, etc., are absent in the older sutta texts. In Pts.M. (II, 205-214), however, they are enumerated in due order and minutely explained. The magical powers indicated by these terms are, nevertheless, for the most part explicitly described already in the oldest sutta texts. Cf. D. 34; M. 3; A. III, 99, etc.
mental: s. nimitta, sama^dhi, kasina.
”envy”, is a karmically unwholesome (akusala) mental factor, which is occasionally associated with hate-rooted consciousness (s. Tab. I. 30, 31,). Explained in Pug. 55.
”birth”, comprises the entire embryonic process beginning with conception and ending with parturition.
"The birth of beings belonging to this or that order of beings, their being born, their conception (okkanti) and springing into existence, the manifestation of the groups (corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness; s. khandha), the acquiring of their sensitive organs: this is called birth" (D. 22). For its conditioning by the prenatal karma-process (kamma-bhava; s. bhava), s. paticcasamuppa^da (9, 10), patisandhi.
”old age, decay”, is one of the 3 divine messengers (s. deva-dúta, q.v.). For its conditioning by birth, s. paticcasamuppa^da (11).
life, vital principle, individual soul.”Soul (life) and body are identical” and ”Soul and body are different”, these two frequently quoted wrong views fall under the 2 kinds of personality-belief (sakka^ya-ditthi; s. ditthi), i.e. the first one under the annihilation-belief (uccheda-ditthi) and the second under the eternity-belief (sassata-ditthi).
"Verily, if one holds the view that the soul (life) is identical with the body, in that case a holy life is not possible; or if one holds the view that the soul (life) is something quite different, also in that case a holy life is impossible. Both these extremes the Perfect One has avoided and shown the Middle Doctrine, which says: ”On ignorance depend the karma-formations, on the karma-formations depends consciousness”, etc." (S. XII. 35).
may denote: 1. subjective sensuality, ”sense-desire”; 2. objective sensuality, the five sense-objects.
1. Subjective sensuality, or sense-desire, is directed to all five sense-objects, and is synonymous with ka^ma-cchanda, ”sensuous desire”, one of the 5 hindrances (ni^varana, q.v.); ka^ma-ra^ga, sensuous lust”, one of the ten fetters (samyojana, q.v.); ka^ma-tanha^, ”sensuous craving”, one of the 3 cravings (tanha^, q.v.); ka^ma-vitakka, ”sensuous thought”, one of the 3 wrong thoughts (miccha^-sankappa; s. vitakka). - Sense-desire is also one of the cankers (a^sava, q.v.) and clingings (upa^da^na, q.v.).
2. Objective sensuality is, in the canonical texts, mostly called ka^ma-guna, ”cords (or strands) of sensuality”.
"There are 5 cords of sensuality: the visible objects, cognizable by eye-consciousness, that are desirable, cherished, pleasant, lovely, sensuous and alluring; the sounds ... smells ... tastes ... bodily impressions cognizable by body-consciousness, that are desirable ...." (D. 33; M. 13, 26, 59, 66).
These two kinds of ka^ma are called 1. kilesa-ka^ma, i.e. ka^ma as a mental defilement, 2. vatthu-ka^ma, i.e. ka^ma as the object-base of sensuality; first in MNid.. I, p. 1, and frequently in the commentaries.
Sense-desire is finally eliminated at the stage of the Non-Returner (Ana^ga^mi; s. ariya-puggala, samyojana).
The peril and misery of sense-desire is often described in the texts, e.g. in stirring similes at M. 22, 54, and in the ”gradual instruction” (s. a^nupubbi^-katha^). See further M. 13, 45, 75; Sn. v. 766ff.; Dhp. 186, 215.
The texts often stress the fact that what fetters man to the world of the senses are not the sense-organs nor the sense-objects but lustful desire (chandara^ga). On this see A. VI, 63; S. XXXV, 122, 191. - (App.).
Vatthu-k. and kilesa-k. are probably found for the first time in MNid. 1. They correspond to the pan~ca ka^maguna^ (cakkhu-vin~n~eyya^ rúpa^, etc.) and ka^ma-ra^ga in the older sutta texts (e.g A. VI, 68).
(Skr) = kappa (q.v.).
(wholesome or unwholesome) action; s. karma.
ahosi-, janaka-, garuka-, bahula-, upatthambhaka-, upagha^taka-, upapi^laka-, marana^sanna-, upacchedaka-k. None of these terms is found in the Sutta or Abh. Canon. They have been introduced by the commentators (e.g. in Abh. S. and Vis.M.) for the purpose of a systematical grouping of the various aspects and functions of karma. The term katatta^, however, occurs repeatedly in the Abh. Canon in such expressions as: ”Yasmim samaye ... kusalassa kammassa katatta^ ... cakkhuvin~n~a^nam hoti....” (Dhs. § 431); or: ”Yam atthi rúpam kammassa katatta^ ....” (Dhs. § 653); or ”katatta^ ca rúpa^nam” (Patth.), etc.
Karma == 业
Sanskrit word meaning action, deed, moral duty, effect. Karma is moral action which causes future retribution, and either good or evil transmigration. It is also moral kernal in each being which survive death for further rebirth.
(Sanskrit), Pa^li: kamma: ”action”, correctly speaking denotes the wholesome and unwholesome volitions (kusala- and akusala-cetana^) and their concomitant mental factors, causing rebirth and shaping the destiny of beings. These karmical volitions (kamma cetana^) become manifest as wholesome or unwholesome actions by body (ka^ya-kamma), speech (vaci^-kamma) and mind (mano-kamma). Thus the Buddhist term ”karma” by no means signifies the result of actions, and quite certainly not the fate of man, or perhaps even of whole nations (the so-called wholesale or mass-karma), misconceptions which, through the influence of theosophy, have become widely spread in the West.
"Volition (cetana^), o monks, is what I call action (cetana^ham bhikkhave kammam vada^mi), for through volition one performs the action by body, speech or mind.. There is karma (action), o monks, that ripens in hell.... Karma that ripens in the animal world.. Karma that ripens in the world of men.... Karma that ripens in the heavenly world.... Threefold, however, is the fruit of karma: ripening during the life-time (dittha-dhamma-vedani^ya-kamma), ripening in the next birth (upapajja-vedani^ya-kamma), ripening in later births (apara^pariya-vedani^ya kamma) ...." (A.VI, 63).
The 3 conditions or roots (múla, q.v.) of unwholesome karma (actions) are greed, hatred, delusion (lobha, dosa, moha); those of wholesome karma are: unselfishness (alobha), hatelessness (adosa = metta^, good-will), undeludedness (amoha = pan~n~a^, knowledge) .
"Greed, o monks, is a condition for the arising of karma; hatred is a condition for the arising of karma; delusion is a condition for the arising of karma ...." (A. III, 109).
"The unwholesome actions are of 3 kinds, conditioned by greed, or hate, or delusion.
"Killing ... stealing ... unlawful sexual intercourse ... lying ... slandering ... rude speech ... foolish babble, if practised, carried on, and frequently cultivated, leads to rebirth in hell, or amongst the animals, or amongst the ghosts" (A. III, 40)."He who kills and is cruel goes either to hell or, if reborn as man, will be short-lived. He who torments others will be afflicted with disease. The angry one will look ugly, the envious one will be without influence, the stingy one will be poor, the stubborn one will be of low descent, the indolent one will be without knowledge. In the contrary case, man will be reborn in heaven or reborn as man, he will be long-lived, possessed of beauty, influence, noble descent and knowledge" (cf. M. 135).
For the above 10-fold wholesome and unwholesome course of action, see kamma-patha. For the 5 heinous crimes with immediate result, s. a^nantarika-kamma.
"Owners of their karma are the beings, heirs of their karma, their karma is their womb from which they are born, their karma is their friend, their refuge. Whatever karma they perform, good or bad, thereof they will be the heirs" (M. 135).
With regard to the time of the taking place of the karma-result (vipa^ka), one distinguishes, as mentioned above, 3 kinds of karma:
1. karma ripening during the life-time (dittha-dhamma-vedani^ya kamma);
2. karma ripening in the next birth (upapajja-vedani^ya-kamma);
3. karma ripening in later births (apara^pariya-vedani^ya-kamma).
The first two kinds of karma may be without karma-result (vipa^ka), if the circumstances required for the taking place of the karma-result are missing, or if, through the preponderance of counteractive karma and their being too weak, they are unable to produce any result. In this case they are called ahosi-kamma, lit.”karma that has been”, in other words, ineffectual karma.
The third type of karma, however, which bears fruit in later lives, will, whenever and wherever there is an opportunity, be productive of karma-result. Before its result has ripened, it will never become ineffective as long as the life-process is kept going by craving and ignorance.
According to the Com., e.g. Vis.M. XIX, the 1st of the 7 karmical impulsive-moments (kamma javana; s. javana) is considered as ”karma ripening during the life-time”, the 7th moment as ”karma ripening in the next birth”, the remaining 5 moments as ”karma ripening in later births”.
With regard to their functions one distinguishes:
1. regenerative (or productive) karma (janaka-kamma),
2. supportive (or consolidating) karma (upatthambhaka-kamma),
3. counteractive (suppressive or frustrating) karma (upapi^laka-kamma),
4. destructive (or supplanting) karma (upagha^taka- or upacchedaka-kamma).
(1) produces the 5 groups of existence (corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness) at rebirth as well as during life-continuity.
(2) does not produce karma-results but is only able to maintain the already produced karma-results.
(3) counteracts or suppresses the karma-results.
(4) destroys the influence of a weaker karma and effects only its own result.
With regard to the priority of their result one distinguishes:
1. weighty karma (garuka-kamma),
2. habitual karma (a^cinnaka- or bahula-kamma),
3. death-proximate karma (marana^sanna-kamma),
4. stored-up karma (katatta^-kamma).
(1, 2) The weighty (garuka) and the habitual (bahula) wholesome or unwholesome karma are ripening earlier than the light and rarely performed karma. (3) The death-proximate (marana^sanna) karma - i.e. the wholesome or unwholesome volition present immediately before death, which often may be the reflex of some previously performed good or evil action (kamma), or of a sign of it (kamma-nimitta), or of a sign of the future existence (gati-nimitta) - produces rebirth. (4) In the absence of any of these three actions at the moment before death, the stored-up (katatta^) karma will produce rebirth.
A real, and in the ultimate sense true, understanding of Buddhist karma doctrine is possible only through a deep insight into the impersonality (s. anatta^) and conditionality (s. paticcasamuppa^da, paccaya) of all phenomena of existence."Everywhere, in all the forms of existence ... such a one is beholding merely mental and physical phenomena kept going by their being bound up through causes and effects.
"No doer does he see behind the deeds, no recipient apart from the karma-fruit. And with full insight he clearly understands that the wise ones are using merely conventional terms when, with regard to the taking place of any action, they speak of a doer, or when they speak of a receiver of the karma-results at their arising. Therefore the ancient masters have said:
”No doer of the deeds is found,
No one who ever reaps their fruits;
Empty phenomena roll on:
This view alone is right and true.
”And whilst the deeds and their results
Roll on, based on conditions all,
There no beginning can be seen,
Just as it is with seed and tree.”" (Vis.M. XIX)
Karma (kamma-paccaya) is one of the 24 conditions (paccaya, q.v.) (App.: Kamma).
Literature: Karma and Rebirth, by Nyanatiloka (WHEEL 9); Survival and Karma in Buddhist Perspective, by K.N. Jayatilleke (WHEEL 141/143); Kamma and its Fruit (WHEEL 221/224).
”function”. Regarding the 14 functions of consciousness, s. vin~n~a^na-kicca.
citta = kiriya (q.v.).
dhamma ”liable to perturbation”, is one who has not yet attained full mastery over the absorptions. In Pug. 3 it is said: "What person is liable to perturbation? Such a person gains the attainments of the fine-material and immaterial sphere (s. avacara). But he does not gain them at his wish, nor without toil and exertion; and not at his wish as regards place, object and duration, does he enter them or arise from them. Thus it is well possible that in case of such a person, through negligence, the attainments will become perturbed. This person is liable to perturbation."