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                    THE SHORTER EXPOSITION OF KAMMA
                     (//Culakammavibhanga Sutta//)
                                           
                                           
                                           
                                           
                              Introduction
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                           
   You want: long life, health, beauty, power, riches, high birth, 
   wisdom? Or even some of these things? They do not appear by chance. 
   It is not someone's luck that they are healthy, or another's lack of 
   it that he is stupid. Though it may not be clear to us now, all such 
   inequalities among human beings (and all sorts of beings) come about 
   because of the kamma they have made individually. Each person reaps 
   his own fruits. So if one is touched by short life, sickliness, 
   ugliness, insignificance, poverty, low birth or stupidity and one 
   does not like these things, no need to just accept that that is the 
   way it is. The future need not be like that provided that one makes 
   the right kind of kamma now. Knowing what kamma to make and what not 
   to make is the mark of a wise man. It is also the mark of one who is 
   no longer drifting aimlessly but has some direction in life and some 
   control over the sort of events that will occur.
   
   
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                    The Shorter Exposition of Kamma
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   
   1. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at 
   Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park.
   
     Then Subha the student (brahmin), Todeyya's son, went to the 
   Blessed One 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, Subha the student said to the Blessed One:
     
     
     2. "Master Gotama, what is the reason, what is the condition, why 
   inferiority and superiority are met with among human beings, among 
   mankind? For one meets with short-lived and long-lived people, sick 
   and healthy people, ugly and handsome people, insignificant and 
   influential people, poor and rich people, low-born and high-born 
   people, stupid and wise people. What is the reason, what is the 
   condition, why superiority and inferiority are met with among human 
   beings, among mankind?"
     
     
     3. "Student, beings are owners of kammas, heirs of kammas, they 
   have kammas as their progenitor, kammas as their kin, kammas as 
   their homing-place. It is kammas that differentiate beings according 
   to inferiority and superiority."
     
     
     4. "I do not understand the detailed meaning of Master Gotama's 
   utterance spoken in brief without expounding the detailed meaning. 
   It would be good if Master Gotama taught me the Dhamma so that I 
   might understand the detailed meaning of Master Gotama's utterance 
   spoken in brief without expounding the detailed meaning."
     
     "Then listen, student, and heed well what I shall say."
     
     "Even so, Master Gotama," Subha the student replied. The Blessed 
   One said this:
     
     
     5. "Here, student, some woman or man is a killer of living beings, 
   murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to 
   all living beings. Due to having performed and completed such 
   kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in 
   a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in 
   hell. If, on the dissolution of the body, after death, instead of 
   his reappearing in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy 
   destination, in perdition, in hell, he comes to the human state, he 
   is short-lived wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to 
   short life, that is to say, to be a killer of living beings, 
   murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to 
   all living beings.
     
     
     6. "But here some woman or man, having abandoned the killing of 
   living beings, abstains from killing living beings, lays aside the 
   rod and lays aside the knife, is considerate and merciful and dwells 
   compassionate for the welfare of all living beings. Due to having 
   performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, he reappears in a happy destination, in the heavenly 
   world. If, on the dissolution of the body, after death, instead of 
   his reappearing in a happy destination, in the heavenly world, he 
   comes to the human state, he is long-lived wherever he is reborn. 
   This is the way that leads to long life, that is to say, to have 
   abandoned the killing of living beings, to abstain from killing 
   living beings, to lay aside the rod and lay aside the knife, to be 
   considerate and merciful, and to dwell compassionate for the welfare 
   of all living beings.
     
     
     7. "Here, student, some woman or man is one who harms beings with 
   his hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives. Due to having 
   performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation.... If instead 
   he comes to the human state, he is sickly wherever he is born. This 
   is the way that leads to sickness, that is to say, to be one who 
   harms beings with one's hands or with clods or with sticks or with 
   knives.
     
     
     8. "But here some woman or man is not one who harms beings with 
   his hands, or with clods, or with sticks, or with knives. Due to 
   having performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of 
   the body, after death, he reappears in a happy destination.... If 
   instead he comes to the human state, he is healthy wherever he is 
   reborn. This is the way that leads to health, that is to say, not to 
   be one who harms beings with his hands or with clods or with sticks 
   or with knives.
     
     
     9. "Here, student, some woman or man is angry, much given to rage; 
   even when little is said, he is furious, angry, ill-disposed, 
   resentful, he shows ill-temper, hate and surliness. Due to having 
   performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation.... If instead 
   he comes to the human state, he is ugly wherever he is reborn. This 
   is the way that leads to ugliness, that is to say, to be furious, 
   angry, ill-disposed, resentful, and to show ill-temper, hate and 
   surliness.
     
     
     10. "But here some woman or man is not angry or much given to 
   rage; even when much is said, he is not furious, angry, 
   ill-disposed, resentful, nor does he show ill-temper, hate or 
   surliness. Due to having performed and completed such kammas, on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy 
   destination.... If instead he comes to the human state, he is 
   beautiful wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to 
   beauty, that is to say, not to be angry or given to much rage; even 
   when much is said, not to be furious, angry, ill-disposed or 
   resentful, or to show ill-temper, hate or surliness.
     
     
     11. "Here, student, some woman or man is envious; he envies, 
   begrudges and harbors envy about others' gains, honor, veneration, 
   respect, salutations and offerings. Due to having performed and 
   completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, 
   he reappears in a state of deprivation.... If instead he comes to 
   the human state, he is insignificant wherever he is reborn. This is 
   the way that leads to insignificance, that is to say, to be envious, 
   to envy, begrudge, and harbor envy about others' gain, honor, 
   veneration, respect, salutations and offerings.
     
     
     12. "But here some woman or man is not envious, he does not envy, 
   begrudge or harbor envy about others' gain, honor, veneration, 
   respect, salutations and offerings. Due to having performed and 
   completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, 
   he reappears in a happy destination.... If instead he comes to the 
   human state, he is influential wherever he is reborn. This is the 
   way that leads to influence, that is to say, not to be envious, not 
   to envy, begrudge or harbor envy about others' gain, honor, 
   veneration, respect, salutations and offerings.
     
     
     13. "Here, student, some woman or man is not a giver of food, 
   drink, cloth, sandals, garlands, perfumes, unguents, bed, roof and 
   lighting to monks or brahmins. Due to having performed and completed 
   such kamma,[1] on the dissolution of the body, after death he 
   reappears in a state of deprivation.... If instead he comes to the 
   human state, he is poor wherever he is reborn. This is the way that 
   leads to poverty, that is to say, not to be a giver of food, drink, 
   cloth, sandals, garlands, perfumes, unguents, bed, roof and lighting 
   to monks and brahmins.
     
     
     14. "But here some woman or man is a giver of food, drink, cloth, 
   sandals, perfumes, unguents, bed, roof and lighting to monks and 
   brahmins. Due to having performed and completed such kamma, on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy 
   destination.... If instead he comes to the human state, he is rich 
   wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to riches, that is 
   to say, to be a giver of food, drink, cloth, sandals, garlands, 
   perfumes, unguents, bed, roof and lighting to monks and brahmins.
     
     
     15. "Here, student, some woman or man is obdurate and haughty; he 
   does not pay homage to whom he should pay homage, or rise up for 
   whom he should rise up, or give a seat to whom he should give a 
   seat, or make way for whom he should make way, or worship him who 
   should be worshipped, or respect him who should be respected, or 
   revere him who should be revered, or honor him who should be 
   honored. Due to having performed and completed such kammas, on the 
   dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of 
   deprivation.... If instead he comes to the human state, he is 
   low-born wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to low 
   birth, that is to say, to be obdurate and haughty, not to pay homage 
   to whom he should pay homage, nor rise up for ..., nor give a seat 
   to ..., nor make way for ..., nor worship ..., nor respect ..., nor 
   revere ..., nor honor him who should be honored.
     
     
     16. "But here some woman or man is not obdurate or haughty; he 
   pays homage to whom he should pay homage, rises up for whom he 
   should rise up, gives a seat to whom he should give a seat, makes 
   way for whom he should make way, worships him who should be 
   worshipped, respects him who should be respected, reveres him who 
   should be revered, honors him who should be honored. Due to having 
   performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, he reappears in a happy destination.... If instead he 
   comes to the human state, he is high-born wherever he is reborn. 
   This is the way that leads to high birth, that is to say, not to be 
   obdurate or haughty, to pay homage to whom he should pay homage, to 
   rise up for ..., to give a seat to ..., to make way for ..., to 
   worship ... respect ... revere ... honor him who should be honored.
     
     
     17. "Here, student, some woman or man when visiting a monk or 
   brahmin, does not ask: 'What is wholesome, venerable sir? What is 
   unwholesome? What is blamable? What is blameless? What should be 
   cultivated? What should not be cultivated? What, by my doing it, 
   will be long for my harm and suffering? Or what, by my doing it, 
   will be long for my welfare and happiness?' Due to having performed 
   and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after 
   death, he reappears in a state of deprivation.... If instead he 
   comes to the human state, he will be stupid wherever he is reborn. 
   This is the way that leads to stupidity, that is to say, when 
   visiting a monk or brahmin, not to ask: 'What is profitable? ... Or 
   what, by my doing it, will be long for my welfare and happiness?'
     
     
     18. "But here some woman or man when visiting a monk or brahmin, 
   asks: 'What is profitable, venerable sir? ... Or what, by my doing 
   it, will be long for my welfare and happiness?' Due to having 
   performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, 
   after death, he reappears in a happy destination.... If instead he 
   comes to the human state, he is wise wherever he is reborn. This is 
   the way that leads to wisdom, that is to say, when visiting a monk 
   or brahmin, to ask: 'What is profitable, venerable sir? ... Or what, 
   by my doing it, will be long for my welfare and happiness?'
     
     
     19. "So, student, the way that leads to short life makes people 
   short-lived, the way that leads to long life makes people 
   long-lived; the way that leads to sickness makes people sick, the 
   way that leads to health makes people healthy; the way that leads to 
   ugliness makes people ugly, the way that leads to beauty makes 
   people beautiful; the way that leads to insignificance makes people 
   insignificant, the way that leads to influence makes people 
   influential; the way that leads to poverty makes people poor, the 
   way that leads to riches makes people rich; the way that leads to 
   low birth makes people low-born, the way that leads to high birth 
   makes people high-born; the way that leads to stupidity makes people 
   stupid, the way that leads to wisdom makes people wise.
     
     
     20. "Beings are owners of kammas, student, heirs of kammas, they 
   have kammas as their progenitor, kammas as their kin, kammas as 
   their homing-place. It is kammas that differentiate beings according 
   to inferiority and superiority."
     
     
     21. When this was said, Subha the student, Todeyya's son, said to 
   the Blessed One: "Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master 
   Gotama! The Dhamma has been made clear in many ways by Master 
   Gotama, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, 
   revealing the hidden, showing the way to one who is lost, holding up 
   a lamp in the darkness for those with eyes to see forms.
     
     
     22. "I go to Master Gotama for refuge, and to the Dhamma and to 
   the Sangha of bhikkhus. From today let Master Gotama accept me as a 
   lay follower who has gone to him for refuge for life."
   
   
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                                  Note
                                  ~~~~
   
   1. The mental kamma of avaricious attachment, or meanness, 
   stinginess.
   
   
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