Q14. What Role Does Kamma Play in Buddhism?

~ By Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu ~

Many Westerners have written books on Buddhism, and they seem to be most proud of the chapters dealing with kamma (Sanskrit, karma) and rebirth. However, their explanations are wrong, quite wrong every time. Those Westerners set out to explain kamma (action), but all they really say is that good kamma is good and evil kamma is evil. ‘Do good, receive good; do evil, receive evil,’ without further development, is exactly the same doctrine as is found in every religion. Such a simple formulation is not the Buddhist teaching on kamma.

A similar over-simplification happens with ‘rebirth.’ People speak as if they had seen with their own eyes the very same individuals being reborn. This misrepresents the Buddha’s main message: the non-existence of ‘the person,’ ‘the individual,’ or ‘the self.’ Even though ‘I’ am sitting here now, no individual can be found. When there’s no individual, what is there to die? What is there to be reborn? The Buddha consistently taught that a truly existing individual or person can’t be found. Thus, birth and death are matters of conventional, relative truth. The writers of books entitled ‘Buddhism’ generally explain kamma and rebirth quite wrongly.

Do pay close attention to this matter of kamma. To be the Buddhist account, it must deal with the end of kamma, not just with kamma itself and its effects – as found in all religions. To be the Buddha’s teaching, it must speak about the end of kamma.

A sabbakammakkhayaṃ-patto is one who has realized the end of all kamma (action). The Buddha taught that kamma ends with the end of lust, hatred, and delusion (rāga, dosa, and moha). This is easy to remember. Kamma ceases when lust, hatred, and delusion cease, that is, when the defilements end. If lust, hatred, and delusion do not end, kamma does not end. When lust, hatred, and delusion do end, old kamma ends, present kamma is not created, and new future kamma is not produced – thus kamma past, present, and future ends. The ending of lust, hatred, and delusion is how we must explain the end of kamma. Only such an account of kamma can be called the Buddhist account.

So we find there is a third kind of kamma (action). Most people know of only the first and second kinds of kamma, good and evil kamma. They don’t know yet what the third kind of kamma is. The Buddha called the first kind of kamma heavy or evil kamma, and the second kind light or good kamma. The kind of kamma that can be called neither-heavy-nor-light is that which puts an end to both evil kamma and good kamma. This third kind of kamma is a tool for putting a complete stop to both heavy and light kamma. The Buddha used these terms ‘heavy kamma,’ ‘light kamma,’ and ‘kamma neither-heavynor-light.’ This third type of kamma is kamma in the Buddhist sense, kamma according to Buddhist principles. As has been said, to put an end to lust, hatred, and delusion is to put an end to kamma. Thus, the third kind of kamma is the ending of lust, hatred, and delusion; in other words, it is noble eightfold path. Whenever we behave and practice in accordance with noble eightfold path, that is the third type of kamma. It is neither evil nor good; rather it brings to an end heavy kamma and light kamma. It is world-transcending (lokuttara), above good and above evil.

This third type of kamma is never discussed by Westerners in their chapters on ‘Karma and Rebirth.’ They get it all wrong; what they expound isn’t Buddhism at all. To be Buddhist, they should deal with the third type of kamma, the kamma that is capable of ending lust, hatred, and delusion. Then the whole lot of old kamma – evil kamma and good kamma – ends as well.

Something more about this third kind of kamma is that the Buddha said, ‘I came to a clear realization of this through my own sublime wisdom.’* This teaching of the distinctly different, third type of kamma wasn’t acquired by the Awakened One from any existing creed or religion. It is something he came to know with his own insight and then taught to all. So let’s be mindful that the teaching of this third type of kamma is the real Buddhist teaching on kamma. Any manual on kamma in Buddhism, any book entitled ‘Kamma and Rebirth,’ ought to be written on these lines. Do study closely and take an interest in the Buddhist explanation of kamma. The usual account of good and bad kamma is found in all religions. Buddhism has it too. It tells us that doing good is good and doing evil is evil. They all teach the same thing. However, the Buddha said that merely producing good kamma doesn’t quench suffering completely and absolutely, because one goes right on being infatuated by and clinging to good kamma. In other words, good kamma still causes one to go round in the cycles of birth and death, albeit in good states of existence. That isn’t complete quenching, coolness, Nibbāna.

So there is a kamma (action) taught exclusively by the Buddha, a third type that does away with all kamma and makes an end of lust, hatred, and delusion. Nibbāna is realized through this third type of kamma.
(*) Mayāsaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā.

(From “Buddha-Dhamma for Inquiring Minds”)

- - ❖ - -

Buddha-Dhamma for Students (title of original translation) was composed of two talks given by Ajahn Buddhadāsa in January 1966 to students at Thammasat University, Bangkok. It was translated from the Thai by Rod Bucknell, and revised in 2018 by Santikaro Upasaka. To read/download as free ebook (pdf).

- - ❖ - -

For all English retreat talks, visit Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu.

For more information and free ebooks, visit Suan Mokkh – The Garden of Liberation.

Photo: Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives E-35