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A Manual of Buddhist Philosophy - William Montgomery Mcgovekn, 1923 - Complete Book

English

For the rest there is little system in the treatment of karma, though a casual survey of the Abhidharma Kosa (4th Kosasthana) gives us the following list of technical terms, some of which throw a good deal of light on the northern theory of the process of causal law in its application to the individual. The most important terms are : — (1) Drsta-dkarma-vedamya, or karma whose fruits will be experienced in the present life. COSMIC DYNAMICS 181 (2) Upapadya-vedamya, or karma the results of which will be experienced in the next existence or not at all. (3) Apara-parydya-vedamya, or karma the results of which may be experienced in any future life. (4) Niyata-vedamya, or karma the results of which will be experienced at some particular and determined time, as opposed to : — (5) Aniyata-vedamya, or karma the results of which may be experienced at any time when favourable conditions allow. (6) Karma-svaka, or autonomous karma or action, the result of which will be experienced purely by oneself, as opposed to : — (7) Karma-daddy a, or heteronornous karma or action, the result of which will be experienced by others, as well as oneself. (8) Karma-yoni, or karma the results of which are experienced by place of birth, such as in a wealthy family, a poor family, as a man, a deva, etc. (9) Karma-pratisaranam, or karma the results of which will be experienced through environment in the future life.1 Among the Neo-Sthaviravadins, i.e. Buddhaghosa and his successors, more attention was paid to such matters, and we find with them the following elaborate chart of Karmaic relationships.2 There is first of all a division of karma with respect to time, secondly a division of karma with respect of function, and thirdly a division of karma with respect to priority of effect. Each of these groups has a four-fold division, making a total of twelve units of classification in all. 1. With respect to the first, we have the following sub divisions :— (1 ) Immediately effective Karma : karma the fruit of which is to be experienced in this life. If its influence is counteracted, 1 Especially f. 13, 14, and 15 of Hsiian Tsang's trans. 2 Cf. C.P., p. 143 seq., and the pamphlet reprint of an article in Bud. Review by S. Pereira, " Elucidation of Kamma " (year not stated). 182 MANUAL OF BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY and it is unable to operate, it becomes non-effective. " A hunter shoots one arrow ; if it misses the deer remains unaffected." (2) Remotely effective Karma, or karma the fruit of which is to be experienced in the next life. Here, also, if through other causes this cause is unable to operate at that period, it becomes non-effective, i.e. is not carried over to another existence. (3) Indefinitely effective Karma, or karma which is to be experienced in some after life. The scope of this karma is not so limited, and is liable to become effective at any time unless, in the meantime, Nirvana be attained, whereupon, of course, it, too, becomes non-effective. (4) Non-effective Karma (lit. karma which has been). — This comprises all forms of karma of the first two classes which were too weak to operate, or were counteracted by some more powerful karma. 2. With respect to the second we have the following divisions : — (1) Reproductive Karma. — " This causes conception and then is latent. It may or may not help further, according to whether it receives support or is counteracted. By conception here is meant only a resetting of the current of being (bhavanga) the fruit of a past karma of the remotely effective class of the Time classification " (P. Eluc. of Kamma, p. 8). (2) Supportive Karma. — This renders assistance to repro ductive karma, and the phenomena thereby brought into existence are given a permanent basis. (3) Counteractive Karma. — This tends to render null and void the karma of the two preceding classes. It may thus counteract both good and bad karma. (4) Destructive Karma. — This class, stronger than the last, cuts at the root of active or potential karma, and causes it to become inoperative. 3. With respect to the third, we have the following sub divisions : — COSMIC DYNAMICS 183 (1) Weighty Karma. — This is so called because karma of this nature operates all others. It may either be meritorious or demeritorious. In either case it may be productive, supportive, counteractive, or destructive. Demeritorious weighty karma precludes the operation of meritorious weighty karma till its results have been fully effected. (2) Death-proximate Karma. — This is the Karma which determines the nature of the next birth. Should there be any weighty karma, meritorious or demeritorious, this, of course, would apply here. In its absence, however, whatever karma presents itself at the moment of death takes precedence over all else. (3) Habitual Karma. — " This is the karma generated by constant repetition of thought, word, or act. It comes next in power to Death-proximate Karma, and, in fact, becomes Death-proximate Karma if it be forceful enough to overcome other karma." (4) Cumulative Karma. — It comprises " all the accumulated karma, good, bad, and indifferent of the ages. It is, in fact, the whole of each being's illimitable past— the ' chasing dogs ' of Indefinitely effective karma ",1 If no new karma be powerful enough to act, then it is a karma of this class that will operate as Death-proximate karma. But cumulative karma is so great a store that there is absolutely no certainty (except to a perfectly enlightened one) as to how it will act. It is compared to a fool's stone-throw. It may strike when least expected. III. THE LAW OF CAUSALITY APPLIED TO THE ELEMENTS OF EXISTENCE We have examined the general scope of the Buddhist conception of the law of causation and its application to the human personality. We have now to undertake the somewhat more difficult task of considering some of the technical details involved in the theory, with especial reference to the cosmic 1 P.'s " Elucidation of Kamina ". 184 MANUAL OF BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY aspect. In the present instance, however, we are forced to distinguish between the development which the idea received in the Pali or Southern tradition on the one hand and in the Sanskrit- Chinese tradition on the other. (a) The Southern Tradition Definition of Prasthdna and Pratyaya. The Pali worthies divide causality into Prasthana (Pali, Patthana) and Pratyaya (Pali, Paccaya) relationships. Ledi Sadaw (Philosophy of Relations, J.P.T.S., 1915-16) has a very interesting definition of these two terms : " Patthana 1 means (cause proper or) principal or pre-eminent cause among causes." " Paccaya may be defined as that event by which a fruit or effect derived from itself occurs," or general causation relationship in any form, and not necessarily the relation of direct cause to direct effect. " Effects of (principal) causes are either direct or indirect. The one well defined sort of event which bears an indispensable relation to a given cause is said to be a direct effect. All other outcomes of this direct effect are indirect effects. Given the sole adequate cause, its direct effects invariably happen. But its indirect effects may, or may not, take place. There is no necessary connexion between a cause and these indirect effects. . . . For example, greed (lobha) relates itself to its concomitant mental and co-existent physical properties by way of special condition (hetu). Here these properties directly spring into being along with their patthanas, or cause. That is, whenever greed occurs, they invariably occur. . . . But the matter does not stop short there. Greed may give rise to a series of actions 1 Until the whole of the Patthana has been edited, it will be impossible for us to know the full implications of the various types of causes given by the Sthaviravadins, but I have thought it wise to give at least the names of the types of causes found in the Southern list in order that they might be compared with the Northern list, which I have attempted to explain some what more at length below. For further information see C.P., p. 191 seq., and J.P.T.S., 1915-16, p. 21 seq. Of less value is J. Wetta Simha's Singularity of Buddhism, p. 78 ff. COSMIC DYNAMICS 185 in deed, word, or thought, even after its stimulus is withdrawn. These sequences, then, are mere outcomes or results of direct effects " (pp. 26 and 27).