karma [kamma] action. Karma includes all moral and immoral volitions and their concomitant mental factors. The Buddha says, "I declare, O Bhikkhu-s, that cetanā, that is, volition is karma. Having willed, an individual acts through mind, speech and body." Karma embraces past and present actions. The actions of the Buddha-s and Arhat-s are exceptions to the law of karma. They have uprooted ignorance and craving -- the roots of karma. Karma can be described in terms of the law of cause and effect. Discrepancy in birth of living beings and the worldly conditions such as gain and loss, fame and infamy, blame and praise, happiness and sorrow are due to good or evil karma. There exists an order in actions and their results which is known as karma-niyama. Good actions lead to good results and evil actions to evil results. A question was raised, "What is the reason, O Lord, behind the discrepancy amongst the mankind? Some have a short life-span, some others have a long life. Some are diseased, some others are healthy. Some are ugly and some others are beautiful. Some are powerful and some others are weak. Some are poor and some others are rich. Some are low born and some others belong to noble family. Some are ignorant and some others are wise." On this, the Buddha said, "All living beings are owners of their karma. They are heirs to their karma; it is verily the cause of their birth; it is their relative and refuge." Ignorance is the main cause of karma, volition is the doer and reaps its fruit. The ten kinds of wholesome and unwholesome actions are known as course of action (karma-patha). They comprise bodily, verbal and mental actions. Ten unwholesome actions represent three bodily, four verbal and three mental actions. They are killing, stealing, unlawful sexual contact; lying, slandering, impolite speech, frivolous talk; covetousness, ill-will and false views. The ten wholesome actions are refraining from killing, stealing, unlawful sexual contact; true utterance, agreeable, mild, and wise speech; harbouring and maintaining unselfishness, good-will, and right views. The roots of unwholesome actions are greed, hatred and delusion. Unselfishness, loving-kindness and goodwill are the roots of wholesome actions. With reference to its time of operation karma is classified into three kinds: that which becomes effective during the life-span [diṭṭhadhammavedanīyam], that which becomes effective in the subsequent birth [upapajjavedanīyam] and that which becomes effective in later births [aparāpariyavedanīyam]. That which does not have any potential force is known as ineffective karma [ahosi]. Another classification of karma is based on the priority in producing the result. This classification pertains to fourfold karma, namely, weighty karma [āciṇṇam], habitual karma [garukam], death proximate karma [āsannam], and cumulative karma [kaṭattā]. The wholesome weighty karma refers to the dhyāna-s and the unwholesome to the heinous sins. Habitual karma is that which an individual performs, recollects and likes continuously. The death-proximate karma refers to the volition existing before the death of an individual. It is an action which one does or recollects immediately before death. In the absence of the above-mentioned karma of three kinds, the cumulative karma produces rebirth. One more classification of karma is made according to the plane in which it ripens. This classification pertains to(1) the evil actions which may ripen in the sense-sphere [akusalam],
(2) the wholesome actions which may ripen in the sense-sphere [kāmāvacarakusalam],
(3) wholesome actions which may ripen in the realms of form [rūpāvacarakusalam], and
(4) wholesome actions which may ripen in the formless realms [arūpāvacarakusalam]. The evil actions which may ripen in the sense-sphere are the ten unwholesome actions mentioned earlier. The wholesome actions which may ripen in the sense sphere are: generosity, morality, meditation, reverence, service, transference of merit, rejoicing in others’ good actions, hearing the doctrine, expounding the doctrine, and righteous views. The actions which may ripen in the realms of form are the five kinds of rūpa-dhyāna-s, the ecstasies, which are mental. Those which may ripen in the formless realms are the four ārūpya dhyāna-s.
Karma is also classified with relation to its functions. This classification deals with four kinds of karma, namely, reproductive karma [janakaṃ], supportive karma [upatthambakam], counter-active karma [upapīḷakam], and destructive karma [upaghātakam]. Reproductive karma is the predominating good or evil karma at the moment of death which conditions rebirth. It produces mind and matter, nāmarūpa for an individual. Supportive karma is the past karma which assists and maintains the fruition of the reproductive karma. Counteractive karma is the past karma that weakens and obstructs the fruition of the reproductive karma. Destructive karma is the past karma which obstructs and destroys the force of the reproductive karma. The result, that is, vipāka of good karma brings desired conditions and the result of evil karma brings evil states in life.
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