                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
                          Majjhima Nikaya 136
                                           
                     THE GREAT EXPOSITION OF KAMMA
                     (//Mahakammavibhanga Sutta//)
                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
                              Introduction
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                           
   This celebrated sutta shows some of the complexities of kamma and 
   its results. Beginning with a strange view expressed by a confused 
   wanderer and a confused answer given by a bhikkhu, the Buddha then 
   gives his Great Exposition of Kamma which is based upon four "types" 
   of people:
   
         the evil-doer who goes to hell (or some other low state of 
               birth),
         the evil-doer who goes to heaven,
         the good man who goes to heaven, and
         the good man who goes to hell (or other low birth).
   
     The Buddha then shows how wrong views can arise from only partial 
   understanding of truth. One can see the stages of this: (1) a mystic 
   "sees" in vision an evil-doer suffering in hell, (2) this confirms 
   what he had heard about moral causality, (3) so he says, "evil-doers 
   always go to hell," and (4) dogma hardens and becomes rigid when he 
   says (with the dogmatists of all ages and places), "Only this is 
   true; anything else is wrong." The stages of this process are 
   repeated for each of the four "persons," after which the Buddha 
   proceeds to analyze these views grounded in partial experience and 
   points out which portions are true (because verifiable by trial and 
   experience) and which are dogmatic superstructure which is 
   unjustified. Finally, the Buddha explains his Great Exposition of 
   Kamma in which he shows that notions of invariability like "the 
   evildoer goes to hell" are much too simple. The minds of people are 
   complex and they make many different kinds of kamma even in one 
   lifetime, some of which may influence the last moment when kamma is 
   made before death, which in turn is the basis for the next life.
   
                                           
                                 * * *
                                           
                                           
                                           
                     The Great Exposition of Kamma
                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   
   1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at 
   Rajagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrels' Feeding Place. Now on 
   that occasion the venerable Samiddhi was living in a forest hut.
     
     Then the wanderer Potaliputta, walking and wandering for exercise, 
   came to the venerable Samiddhi and exchanged greetings with him, and 
   when the courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one 
   side. When he had done so, he said to the venerable Samiddhi:
     
     
     2. "I heard and learned this, friend Samiddhi, from the monk 
   Gotama's lips: 'Bodily kammas are vain, verbal kammas are vain, only 
   mental kammas are true.' But there is actually that attainment 
   having entered upon which nothing (of result of kammas) is felt at 
   all."
     
     "Not so, friend Potaliputta, do not say thus, do not misrepresent 
   the Blessed One; it is not good to misrepresent the Blessed One; the 
   Blessed One would not say so: 'Bodily kammas are vain, verbal kammas 
   are vain, only mental kammas are true.' And there is actually that 
   attainment having entered upon which nothing (of result of kammas) 
   is felt at all."
     
     "How long is it since you went forth, friend Samiddhi?"
     
     "Not long, friend, three years."
     
     "There now, what shall we say to the elder bhikkhus, when the 
   young bhikkhu fancies the Master is to be defended thus? After doing 
   intentional kamma, friend Samiddhi, by way of body, speech or mind, 
   what does one feel (of its result)?"
     
     "After doing an intentional kamma, friend Potaliputta, by way of 
   body, speech or mind, one feels suffering (as its result)."
     
     Then neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the words of the 
   venerable Samiddhi, the wanderer Potaliputta got up from his seat 
   and went away.
     
     
     3. Soon after the wanderer Potaliputta had gone, the venerable 
   Samiddhi went to the venerable Ananda and exchanged greetings with 
   him, and when the courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat 
   down at one side. When he had done so, he told the venerable Ananda 
   all his conversation with the wanderer Potaliputta.
     
     When this was said, the venerable Ananda told him: "Friend 
   Samiddhi, this conversation should be told to the Blessed One. Come, 
   let us go to the Blessed One, and having done so, let us tell him 
   about this. As he answers, so we shall bear it in mind."
     
     "Even so, friend," the venerable Samiddhi replied.
     
     Then they went together to the Blessed One, and after paying 
   homage to him, they sat down at one side. When they had done so, the 
   venerable Ananda told the Blessed One all the venerable Samiddhi's 
   conversation with the wanderer Potaliputta.
     
     
     4. When this was said, the Blessed One told the venerable Ananda:
     
     "I do not even know the wanderer by sight, Ananda. How could there 
   have been such a conversation? The wanderer Potaliputta's question 
   ought to have been answered after analyzing it, but this misguided 
   man Samiddhi answered it without qualification. [1]
     
     When this was said, the venerable Udayin said to the Blessed One: 
   "'But, venerable sir, supposing when the venerable Samiddhi spoke, 
   he was referring to this, namely, 'Whatever is felt is suffering.'" 
   [2]
     
     5. Then the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ananda: "See, 
   Ananda, how this misguided man Udayin interferes. I knew, Ananda, 
   that this misguided man Udayin would unreasonably interfere now. To 
   begin with it was the three kinds of feeling that were asked about 
   by the wanderer Potaliputta. If, when this misguided man Samiddhi 
   was asked, he had answered the wanderer Potaliputta thus: 'After 
   doing an intentional kamma by way of body, speech and mind (whose 
   result is) to be felt as pleasure, he feels pleasure; after doing an 
   intentional kamma by way of body, speech and mind (whose result is) 
   to be felt as pain, he feels pain; after doing an intentional kamma 
   by way of body, speech and mind (whose result is) to be felt as 
   neither-pain-nor-pleasure, he feels neither-pain-nor-pleasure' -- by 
   answering him thus, Ananda, the misguided man Samiddhi would have 
   given the wanderer Potaliputta the right answer. Besides, Ananda, 
   who are the foolish thoughtless wanderers of other sects that they 
   will understand the Tathagata's Great Exposition of Kamma? (But) if 
   you, Ananda, would listen to the Tathagata expounding the Great 
   Exposition of Kamma (you might understand it).[3]
     
     "This is the time, Blessed One, this is the time, Sublime One, for 
   the Blessed One to expound the Great Exposition of Kamma. Having 
   heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will bear it in mind."
     
     "Then listen, Ananda, and heed well what I shall say."
     
     "Even so, venerable sir," the venerable Ananda replied. The 
   Blessed One said this:
     
     
     6. "Ananda, there are four kinds of persons existing in the world. 
   What four?
     
     (i) "Here some person kills living beings, takes what is not 
   given, misconducts himself in sexual desires, speaks falsehood, 
   speaks maliciously, speaks harshly, gossips, is covetous, is 
   ill-willed, and has wrong view.[4]On the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, he reappears in the states of deprivation, in an 
   unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.
     
     (ii) "But here some person kills living beings ... and has wrong 
   view. On the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a 
   happy destination, in the heavenly world.
     
     (iii) "Here some person abstains from killing living beings, from 
   taking what is not given, from misconduct in sexual desires, from 
   false speech, from malicious speech, from harsh speech, from gossip, 
   he is not covetous, is not ill-willed, and has right view.[5] On the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy 
   destination, in the heavenly world.
     
     (iv) "But here some person abstains from killing living beings ... 
   and has right view. On the dissolution of the body, after death, he 
   reappears in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, 
   in perdition, in hell.
     
     
     7. (i) "Here, Ananda, in consequence of ardor, endeavor, devotion, 
   diligence, and right attention, some monk or brahmin attains such 
   concentration of mind that, when his mind is concentrated, he sees 
   with the heavenly eyesight, which is purified and surpasses the 
   human, that some person kills living beings here, takes what is not 
   given, misconducts himself in sexual desires, speaks falsehood, 
   speaks maliciously, speaks harshly, gossips, is covetous, is 
   ill-willed, has wrong view. He sees that on the dissolution of the 
   body, after death, he has reappeared in the states of deprivation, 
   in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell. He says: 'It seems 
   that there are evil kammas and that there is the result of 
   misconduct; for I have seen that a person killed living beings here 
   ... had wrong view. I have seen that on the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, he had reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an 
   unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.' He says: 'It seems that 
   one who kills living beings ... has wrong view, will always, on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in the states of 
   deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell. Those 
   who know thus know rightly; those who know otherwise are mistaken in 
   their knowledge.' So he obstinately misapprehends what he himself 
   has known, seen and felt; insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only 
   this is true, anything else is wrong.'
     
     
     8.  (ii) "But here in consequence of ardor, endeavor, devotion, 
   diligence and right attention, some monk or brahmin attains such 
   concentration of mind that, when his mind is concentrated, he sees 
   with the heavenly eyesight, which is purified and surpasses the 
   human, that some person kills living beings here ... has wrong view. 
   He sees that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he has 
   reappeared in a happy destination, in the heavenly world. He says: 
   'It seems there are no evil kammas, there is no result of 
   misconduct. For I have seen that a person killed living beings here 
   ... had wrong view. I have seen that on the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, he has reappeared in a happy destination, in the 
   heavenly world.' He says: 'It seems there are no evil kammas, there 
   is no result of misconduct. For I have seen that a person killed 
   living beings here ... had wrong view. I have seen that on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he had reappeared in a happy 
   destination, in the heavenly world.' He says: "It seems that one who 
   kills living beings ... has wrong view will always, on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy 
   destination, in the heavenly world. Those who know thus know 
   rightly; those who know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge.' 
   So he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen and 
   felt; insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true, anything 
   else is wrong.'
     
     
     9. (iii) "Here in consequence of ardor, endeavor, devotion, 
   diligence and right attention, some monk or brahmin attains such 
   concentration of mind that, when his mind is concentrated, he sees 
   with the heavenly eyesight, which is purified and surpasses the 
   human, that some person abstains from killing living beings here ... 
   has right view. He sees that, on the dissolution of the body, after 
   death, he has reappeared in a happy destination, in the heavenly 
   world. He says: 'It seems that there are good kammas, there is 
   result of good conduct. For I have seen that a person abstained from 
   killing living beings here ... had right view. I saw that on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he had reappeared in a happy 
   destination, in the heavenly world.' He says: 'It seems that one who 
   abstains from killing living beings ... has right view will always, 
   on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy 
   destination, in the heavenly world. Those who know thus know 
   rightly; those who know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge.' 
   So he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen and 
   felt; insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true; anything 
   else is wrong.'
     
     
     10. (iv) "But here in consequence of ardor, endeavor, devotion, 
   diligence and right attention, some monk or brahmin attains such 
   concentration of mind that, when his mind is concentrated, he sees 
   with the heavenly eyesight, which is purified and surpasses the 
   human, that some person abstains from killing living beings here ... 
   has right view. He sees that on the dissolution of the body, after 
   death, he has reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy 
   destination, in perdition, in hell. He says: 'It seems that there 
   are no good kammas, there is no result of good conduct. For I have 
   seen that a person abstained from killing here ... had right view. I 
   saw that on the dissolution of the body, after death, he had 
   reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, 
   in perdition, in hell.' He says: 'It seems that one who abstains 
   from killing living beings ... has right view, will always, on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in the states of 
   deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell. Those 
   who know thus know rightly; those who know otherwise are mistaken in 
   their knowledge.' So he obstinately misapprehends what he himself 
   has known, seen and felt; insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only 
   this is true; anything else is wrong.'
     
     
     11. (i) "Now, Ananda, when a monk or brahmin says thus: 'It seems 
   that there are evil kammas, there is the result of misconduct,' I 
   concede that to him.
     
     "When he says thus: 'For I have seen that some person killed 
   living beings ... had wrong view. I saw that on the dissolution of 
   the body, after death, he had reappeared in states of deprivation, 
   in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell,' I concede that to 
   him.
     
     "When he says thus: 'It seems that one who kills living beings ... 
   has wrong view, will always, on the dissolution of the body, after 
   death, reappear in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy 
   destination, in perdition, in hell,' I do not concede that to him.
     
     "When he says thus: 'Those who know thus know rightly; those who 
   know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge,' I do not concede 
   that to him.
     
     "When he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen 
   and felt; and insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true; 
   anything else is wrong,' I do not concede that to him.
     
     "Why is that? The Tathagata's knowledge of the Great Exposition of 
   Kamma is different.
     
     
     12. (ii) "Now when a monk or brahmin says thus: 'It seems that 
   there are no evil kammas, there is no result of misconduct,' I do 
   not concede that to him. 
     
     "When he says thus: 'For I have seen that a person killed living 
   beings ... had wrong view. I saw that on the dissolution of the 
   body, after death, he had reappeared in a happy destination, in the 
   heavenly world,' I concede that to him.
     
     "When he says thus: 'It seems that one who kills living beings ... 
   has wrong view, will always, on the dissolution of the body, after 
   death, reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world,' I do 
   not concede that to him.
     
     "When he says thus: 'Those who know thus know rightly; those who 
   know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge,' I do not concede 
   that to him.
     
     "When he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen 
   and felt; and insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true; 
   anything else is wrong,' I do not concede that to him.
     
     "Why is that? The Tathagata's knowledge of the Great Exposition of 
   Kamma is different.
     
     
     13. (iii) "Now when a monk or brahmin says thus: 'It seems that 
   there are good kammas, there is a result of good conduct,' I concede 
   that to him.
     
     "When he says thus: 'For I have seen that a person abstained from 
   killing living beings here ... had right view. I saw that on the 
   dissolution of the body after death, he had reappeared in a happy 
   destination, in the heavenly world,' I concede that to him.
     
     "When he says: 'It seems that one who abstains from killing living 
   beings ... has right view will always, on the dissolution of the 
   body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly 
   world,'[6] I do not concede that to him.
     
     "When he says: 'Those who know thus know rightly; those who know 
   otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge,' I do not concede that to 
   him.
     
     "When he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, 
   seen, and felt; and insisting on that alone he says: 'Only this is 
   true: anything else is wrong,' I do not concede that to him.
     
     "Why is that? The Tathagata's knowledge of the Great Exposition of 
   Kamma is different.
     
     
     14. (iv) "Now when a monk or brahmin says thus: 'It seems that 
   there are no good kammas, there is no result of good conduct,' I do 
   not concede that to him.
     
     "When he says thus: "For I have seen that a person abstained from 
   killing living beings here ... had right view. I saw that on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he had reappeared in the 
   states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in 
   hell," I concede that to him.
     
     "When he says thus: 'One who abstains from killing living beings 
   ... has right view will always, on the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, reappear in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy 
   destination, in perdition, in hell,' I do not concede that to him.
     
     "When he says thus: 'Those who know thus know rightly; those who 
   know otherwise are mistaken in their knowledge,' I do not concede 
   that to him.
     
     "When he obstinately misapprehends what he himself has known, seen 
   and felt; and insisting on that alone, he says: 'Only this is true; 
   anything else is wrong,' I do not concede that to him.
     
     "Why is that? The Tathagata's knowledge of the Great Exposition of 
   Kamma is different.
   
   
   
   (//The Great Exposition of Kamma//)
   
   15. (i) "Now, Ananda, there is the person who has killed living 
   beings here ... has had wrong view. And on the dissolution of the 
   body, after death, he reappears in the states of deprivation, in an 
   unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.[7] But (perhaps) the 
   evil kamma producing his suffering was done by him earlier, or the 
   evil kamma producing his suffering was done by him later, or wrong 
   view was undertaken and completed by him at the time of his 
   death.[8] And that was why, on the dissolution of the body, after 
   death, he reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy 
   destination, in perdition, in hell. But since he has killed living 
   beings here ... has had wrong view, he will feel the result of that 
   here and now, or in his next rebirth, or in some subsequent 
   existence.
   
   
     16. (ii) "Now there is the person who has killed living beings 
   here ... has had wrong view. And on the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, he reappears in a happy destination, in the heavenly 
   world.[9] But (perhaps) the good kamma producing his happiness was 
   done by him earlier, or the good kamma producing his happiness was 
   done by him later, or right view was undertaken and completed by him 
   at the time of his death. And that was why, on the dissolution of 
   the body, after death, he reappeared in a happy destination, in the 
   heavenly world. But since he has killed living beings here ... has 
   had wrong view, he will feel the result of that here and now, or in 
   his next rebirth, or in some subsequent existence.[10]
     
     17. (iii) "Now there is the person who has abstained from killing 
   living beings here ... has had right view. And on the dissolution of 
   the body, after death, he reappears in a happy destination, in the 
   heavenly world.[11] But (perhaps) the good kamma producing his 
   happiness was done by him earlier, or the good kamma producing his 
   happiness was done by him later, or right view was undertaken and 
   completed by him at the time of his death. And that was why, on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he reappeared in a happy 
   destination, in the heavenly world. But since he has abstained from 
   killing living beings here ... has had right view, he will feel the 
   result of that here and now, or in his next rebirth, or in some 
   subsequent existence.
     
     
     18. (iv) "Now there is the person who has abstained from killing 
   living beings here ... has had right view. And on the dissolution of 
   the body, after death, he reappears in the states of deprivation, in 
   an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.[12] But (perhaps) the 
   evil kamma producing his suffering was done by him earlier, or the 
   evil kamma producing his suffering was done by him later, or wrong 
   view was undertaken and completed by him at the time of his death. 
   And that was why, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he 
   reappeared in the states of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, 
   in perdition, in hell. But since he has abstained from killing 
   living beings here ... has had right view, he will feel the result 
   of that here and now, or in his next rebirth, or in some subsequent 
   existence.[13]
     
     
     19. "So, Ananda, there is kamma that is incapable (of good result) 
   and appears incapable (of good result); there is kamma that is 
   incapable (of good result) and appears capable (of good result); 
   there is kamma that is capable (of good result) and appears capable 
   (of good result); there is kamma that is capable (of good result) 
   and appears incapable (of good result)."[14]
   
   
   
   This is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ananda was 
   satisfied and he rejoiced in the Blessed One's words.
   
   
                                 * * *
                                           
                                           
                                 Notes
                                 ~~~~~
                                           
   1. These are two of the four ways of answering a question, the other 
      two being: replying with a counter-question, and "setting aside" 
      the question, i.e. replying with silence.
   
   2. This is a quotation from the Buddha's words: see Samyutta Nikaya, 
      Vedana Samyutta, Rahogata-vagga Sutta 1.
   
   3. This is an addition necessary for understanding this sentence.
   
   4. These are the ten unwholesome courses of kamma.
   
   5. These are the ten wholesome courses of kamma.
   
   6. This amounts to the belief in theistic religions where virtue and 
      faith (=whatever is held to be right view) are supposed to 
      guarantee salvation.
   
   7. Devadatta, for instance, who persuaded prince Ajatasattu to 
      murder his father (who was a stream-winner), three times attempted 
      to murder the Buddha and once succeeded in wounding him, and 
      caused a schism in the Sangha; the last two actions are certain to 
      lead to birth in hell.
   
   8. This series of three phrases appears to mean: //earlier//, either 
      earlier in life before he undertook either the wholesome or 
      unwholesome courses of kamma, or in some previous life; //later//, 
      later in that very life,  for even if a person does  much evil 
      kamma, usually he will also make some good kamma occasionally; 
      //wrong view ... time of his death//, this kind of wrong view will 
      be of the type, "there is no kamma, no results of kamma, no evil, 
      no results of evil," and so on. The next birth actually depends on 
      the object of the last moments of a dying person's consciousness. 
      At that time one should recollect all one's good kamma: 
      generosity, loving-kindness, compassion, pure precepts and so on. 
      Evil should not be thought of then though heavy evil kamma done 
      previously may force itself into the mind and make recollection of 
      one's generosity and virtue in keeping the precepts difficult or 
      impossible.
   
   9. A good example of this is the story of "Coppertooth," the public 
      executioner who, after a career of murder as a bandit, then as the 
      killer of his own bandit comrades and subsequently executioner of 
      all criminals for fifty years, was taught by venerable Sariputta 
      Thera and his mind eased of the heavy weight of evil kamma so that 
      he attained heavenly rebirth. See Dhammapada Commentary, ii, 
      203-209.
   
   10. Though such a person attained a heavenly rebirth the evil kamma 
      made will still mature sooner or later; he has not escaped its 
      results.
   
   11. King Pasenadi of Kosala, for instance.
   
   12. This was what happened to Queen Mallika, wife of King Pasenadi, 
      who had led a good life, generous, keeping the Five Precepts, and 
      the Eight Precepts on Uposatha days and so on, but once she did 
      evil, having sexual relations with a dog. This unconfessed evil 
      weighed heavily on her mind and she remembered it when dying. As a 
      result she spent seven days in hell. Her power of goodness from 
      the doing of many good kammas then gave her rebirth in a heavenly 
      world. See Dhammapada Commentary, iii, 119-123.
   
   13. Though this virtuous and good person has obtained a low rebirth 
      through the power of previously done evil kamma, still the good 
      kamma made by him will mature sooner or later, when it gets a 
      chance.
   
   14. This final terse paragraph may have been clear to the venerable 
      Ananda Thera, or he may have asked for an explanation, as we 
      require and find in the Commentary, which says:
   
       (1) A strong unwholesome kamma (incapable of good result), the 
           result of which will come before the results of weaker 
           unwholesome kammas.
       
       (2) Wholesome kamma (which appears capable of good result) is 
           followed by unwholesome death-proximate kamma which makes the 
           former incapable of good result immediately.
       
       (3) A strong wholesome kamma will mature even before much 
           accumulated unwholesome kamma.
       
       (4) Unwholesome kamma (which appears incapable of good result) is 
           followed by wholesome death-proximate kamma which will mature 
           first and is capable of good results.
   
   
                            * * * * * * * *
