..续本文上一页 kamma is not a necessity of causality where every action must produce its effect. Laws are like grammatical rules for a language, which have always some exceptions and might become modified in time through the progressive use of that language. Similarly an effect of a certain action cannot be predicted, because there are so many factors present which through their influence might support, impede, modify or even destroy the effect alto­gether. Not causality, but conditionality!

　　Though we speak of causality as the foundation of Buddhism, we should not take it in too strict a sense. As in science so in daily life everything is based on cause and effect—what would be the chaos in the kitchen, if one day the salt were no longer salt! Yet modern physics sees the need of a certain free play for chance or fate, so that natural laws are not determinate and uniform for each indi­vidual case, but for the average. In the same way we cannot always speak of causation, but rather of condition, which has not such a rigid meaning and corresponds more faith­fully to the Paali: paccayaa, as it is used in the last book of the Abhidhamma, the Pa.t.thaana, the Book of Origination.

　　If we pay attention to the operative force (kicca), kamma is fourfold.

　　Reproductive or generative kamma (janaka kamma) is that action which acts again in the combination of mind and matter (naama ruupa) or in other words the plant that gives fruits, the cause that produces effects (vipaaka). Once having reproduced itself, this kind of kamma is lost in its effect and cannot generate, germinate again. It is, so to say, a transformation, if that term be understood properly i.e. not in the sense of an entity, but of a process of growth. Like the seed from which a plant has grown cannot ger­minate again, because it has no more existence, but lives in the plant, so this reproductive kamma is exhausted in the act of generating. Yet the effect produced may make itself known during very long periods and many lives. It will always be, however, of the same kind as the generating kamma force.

　　During this course of process new actions, called supporting kamma (upatthambhaka kamma), may maintain the effects of previous actions or even intensify them, thus leading from good to better, or from bad to worse. On the other hand, counteractive action (upapii.laka kamma) may interfere with the working out of the effects of re­productive (janaka) action, weakening, modifying, impeding its potential energy, thus making good effects less good and evil effects less evil. If this kind of counter-action is so strong as to completely annihilate the effects of previous kamma, it is called destructive kamma (upaghaataka kamma). This fourfold pision according to the operating forces or function is the most important for the proper under­standing of kamma. For, if all action would be reproductive, an escape from the effects would not be possible and the faring on through this round of repeated rebirths (sa.msaara) would be endless. Only because action can counter­balance action, and thus nullify the otherwise unavoidable result, deliverance is a possibility.

　　The possibilities of supporting, counteracting or anni­hilating the good or evil effects of action that would have been normally reproductive, depend entirely on the poten­tial efficacy of the interfering activity. Thus there are four possibilities of producing effects (paakadaana).

　　Weighty kamma (garuka kamma) is that kind of action, the effects of which cannot be counterbalanced. They are fixed as to their consequences for good or for bad. Fixed in good results (sammatta niyataa) are e.g. the four paths (ariya magga) in the quest of Nibbaana inevitably establish­ing the state of exemption from a miser…

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