Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

Tenāhu porāṇā¹ –

Kammassa kārako natthi, vipākassa ca vedako;
Suddhadhammā² pavattanti, evetaṃ sammadassanaṃ.
Evaṃ kamme vipāke ca, vattamāne sahetuke;
Bījarukkhādikānaṃva,³ pubbā koṭi na nāyati;
Anāgatepi saṃsāre, appavattaṃ⁴ na dissati.
…
Evametaṃ abhiññāya, bhikkhu buddhassa sāvako;⁵
Gambhīraṃ nipuṇaṃ suññaṃ, paccayaṃ paṭivijjhati.
Kammaṃ natthi vipākamhi, pāko kamme na vijjati;
Aññamaññaṃ ubho suññā, na ca kammaṃ vinā phalaṃ.
Yathā na sūriye aggi, na maṇimhi na gomaye;⁶
Na tesaṃ bahi so atthi, sambhārehi ca jāyati.
Tathā na anto kammassa, vipāko upalabbhati;⁷
Bahiddhāpi na kammassa, na kammaṃ tattha vijjati.
Phalena suññaṃ taṃ kammaṃ, phalaṃ kamme na vijjati;
Kammañca kho upādāya, tato nibbattate⁸ phalaṃ.
Na hettha devo brahmā vā, saṃsārassatthikārako;⁹
Suddhadhammā pavattanti, hetusambhārapaccayā¹⁰’ti.

This is what the Ancients say:

There is no doer of a deed; or one who harvests the deeds result,
Merely phenomena alone rotate – seeing this is the right way to understand.
In this way kamma and its result, are causally rotating on
As seed and tree proceed in turn, no starting point can be identified,
Also in the future round of births alike; does their non-rotating not get manifest.
 …
A Bhikkhu, a disciple of the Buddha, by comprehending this with direct knowledge,
Can penetrate this subtle conditionality, deep and void
No kamma can be found in its result, nor does result exist in kamma,
Though they are void of one another, no fruit exists without the kamma.
Just as fire does not exist inside the sun or in a gem or cow dung,
Nor does it exist outside of them but gets created by means of its constituent parts.
So neither can result be found, not within the kamma,
Not without, nor does in its result the kamma still endure.
The kamma is devoid of fruit, nor does the fruit exist in kamma,
But still the fruit is born from it, fully depending on the kamma.
There is no god, no Brahma, no creator of this round of births,
Merely phenomena alone rotate – having cause and constituents as their condition.

Leading a life that manages to face the challenges of moral conduct, in line with the Buddha’s advice to avoid any harm caused towards any other being, an ardent practitioner of the Buddha’s teaching automatically produces wholesome kamma, without any need to worry about it. One instinctively secures a positive future by taking care of the present moment – there remains nothing more to be done! But of course, an inquisitive person who experiences various positive or likewise negative effects of one’s intention and actions may become curious to ask about the manifold knotted implications of kamma as further portrayed in this selection.¹¹

At one time the Buddha explained the results of kamma to Queen Mallikā, the wife of King Pasenadi of Kosala,¹² who had been worried about her beauty. At a certain occasion she visited the Buddha and addressed him with the following words:

Ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena midhekacco¹³ mātugāmo dubbaṇṇā ca hoti durūpā supāpikā dassanāya; daliddā¹⁴ ca hoti appassakā¹⁵ appabhogā appesakkhā ca?¹⁶

Bhante, could you tell the reason, why here a certain woman is ugly, of unshapely appearance and unattractive, poor, of little means, impoverished and of low rank?

Ko pana, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena midhekacco mātugāmo dubbaṇṇā ca hoti durūpā supāpikā dassanāya; aḍḍhā¹⁷ ca hoti mahaddhanā mahābhogā mahesakkhā ca?

And why, Bhante, another woman is likewise ugly, of unshapely appearance and unattractive but rich, with a lot of possessions, wealthy and influential?

Ko nu kho, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena midhekacco mātugāmo abhirūpā ca hoti dassanīyā pāsādikā paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgatā;¹⁸ daliddā ca hoti appassakā appabhogā appesakkhā ca?

And further, Bhante, could you tell the reason, why another woman is charming, beautiful, attractive and extremely good-looking but poor, of little means, impoverished and of low rank?

Ko pana, bhante, hetu ko paccayo, yena midhekacco mātugāmo abhirūpā ca hoti dassanīyā pāsādikā paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgatā, aḍḍhā ca hoti mahaddhanā mahābhogā mahesakkhā cā’ti? –

And, why, Bhante, a certain woman is charming, beautiful, attractive and extremely good-looking and rich, with a lot of possessions, wealthy and influential?

The Buddha then replied by linking each of the respective characteristics that Queen Mallika mentioned to the corresponding causes and counterparts:¹⁹

The observations she made but combined in her question are:

a. dubbaṇṇā ca hoti durūpā supāpikā dassanāya - ugly, of unshapely appearance and unattractive

b. abhirūpā ca hoti dassanīyā pāsādikā paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgatā – charming, beautiful, attractive and extremely good-looking

c. daliddā ca hoti appassakā appabhogā appesakkhā - poor, of little means, impoverished and of low rank

d. aḍḍhā ca hoti mahaddhanā mahābhogā mahesakkhā - rich, with a lot of possessions, wealthy and influential

The Buddha highlights the respective combination of kammic origination:²⁰

•  ekacco mātugāmo kodhanā hoti upāyāsabahulā²¹ - a certain woman is often prone to anger and annoyance – as reply to observation a.

•  appampi vuttā samānā abhisajjati kuppati byāpajjati patitthīyati, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti - if corrected even a little only she gets equally angry, agitated, and obstinate and she rolls in anger, hatred and bitterness – as reply to observation a.

•  ekacco mātugāmo akkodhanā hoti anupāyāsabahulā – a certain woman is not often prone to anger and annoyance – as reply to observation b.

•  bahumpi vuttā samānā nābhisajjati na kuppati na byāpajjati na patitthīyati, na kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti - if corrected a lot she does not get equally angry, agitated, and obstinate and she does not roll in anger, hatred and bitterness – as reply to observation b.

•  sā na dātā hoti samaṇassa vā brāhmaṇassa vā annaṃ pānaṃ vatthaṃ yānaṃ mālāgandhavilepanaṃ seyyāvasathapadīpeyyaṃ - she does not give anything to ascetics or Brahmins, not food nor drink, clothing or vehicles, garlands, scents or perfumes, no bedding, dwelling or light – as reply to observation c.

•  sā dātā hoti samaṇassa vā brāhmaṇassa vā annaṃ pānaṃ vatthaṃ yānaṃ mālāgandhavilepanaṃ seyyāvasathapadīpeyyaṃ - she gives to ascetics or Brahmins food and drink, clothing or vehicles, garlands, scents or perfumes, bedding, dwelling and light – as reply to observation d.

•  issāmanikā kho pana hoti; paralābhasakkāragarukāramānanavandanapūjanāsu issati upadussati issaṃ bandhati - she is one who is envious, she envies and is jealous of the gain, honour, respect, esteem, reverence or veneration received by others, all that she covets – as reply to observation c.

•  anissāmanikā kho pana hoti; paralābhasakkāragarukāramānanavandanapūjanāsu na issati na upadussati na issaṃ bandhati - she is not one who is envious, she does not envy and is not jealous of the gain, honour, respect, esteem, reverence or veneration received by others, all that she does not covet – as reply to observation d.

After this exposition of the Buddha, Queen Mallika happily comprehends her own situation in the following way:

Yā nūnāhaṃ bhante, aññaṃ jātiṃ kodhanā ahosiṃ upāyāsabahulā, appampi vuttā samānā abhisajjiṃ kuppiṃ byāpajjiṃ patitthīyiṃ kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātvākāsiṃ, sāhaṃ, bhante, etarahi dubbaṇṇā durūpā supāpikā dassanāya.

In some earlier life, Bhante, I must have been often prone to anger and annoyance a lot and if corrected even a little only I must have got equally angry, agitated, and obstinate was rolling in anger, hatred and bitterness. Therefore now I am ugly, of unshapely appearance and unattractive.

Yā nūnāhaṃ, bhante, aññaṃ jātiṃ dātā ahosiṃ samaṇassa vā brāhmaṇassa vā annaṃ pānaṃ vatthaṃ yānaṃ mālāgandhavilepanaṃ seyyāvasathapadīpeyyaṃ, sāhaṃ, bhante, etarahi aḍḍhā mahaddhanā mahābhogā.

 In some earlier life, Bhante, I must have given, food and drink, clothing or vehicles, garlands, scents or perfumes to ascetics or Brahmins, likewise bedding, dwelling or light, that is why I am rich, with a lot of possessions, wealthy and influential.

Yā nūnāhaṃ, bhante, aññaṃ jātiṃ anissāmanikā ahosiṃ, paralābhasakkāragarukāramānanavandanapūjanāsu na issiṃ na upadussiṃ na issaṃ bandhiṃ, sāhaṃ, bhante, etarahi mahesakkhā. Santi kho pana, bhante, imasmiṃ rājakule khattiyakaññāpi brāhmaṇakaññāpi gahapatikaññāpi, tāsāhaṃ issarādhipaccaṃ^[22] kāremi.

And in some earlier life, Bhante, I must not have been one who was envious, I was without envy and not jealous of the gain, honour, respect, esteem, reverence or veneration given to others and I wasn’t covetous. That is why today I am now influential with full authority over the girls in this court belonging to the royal clan, the Khattiyas and the householders as well.

After this realization Queen Mallika took the firm resolve and determination henceforth to avoid all anger, annoyance and obstinacy, to welcome criticism and to continue to be generous in all ways, especially towards all mendicants, and to forsake envy and greed:

Esāhaṃ, bhante, ajjatagge akkodhanā bhavissāmi anupāyāsabahulā, bahumpi vuttā samānā nābhisajjissāmi na kuppissāmi na byāpajjissāmi na patitthīyissāmi, kopañca dosañca appaccayañca na pātukarissāmi; dassāmi samaṇassa vā brāhmaṇassa vā annaṃ pānaṃ vatthaṃ yānaṃ mālāgandhavilepanaṃ seyyāvasathapadīpeyyaṃ. Anissāmanikā bhavissāmi, paralābhasakkāragarukāramānanavandanapūjanāsu na ississāmi na upadussissāmi na issaṃ bandhissāmi.

After the expression of this determination, Queen Mallika then requested the Buddha to accept her as lay follower:

Abhikkantaṃ, bhante …pe… upāsikaṃ maṃ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṃ saraṇaṃ gata’nti.²³

Queen Mallika is known as having remained a devout follower of the Buddha’s teaching, who developed profound wisdom and often was counselled for her advice.²⁴