The text in this page is generated from pdf file of ‘The Workings of Karma Rev 2’ by Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw using OCR software. The text conversion accuracy is not 100%.  You can download the original pdf file from eBook section.  See TOC for table of content. You can leave a message in the ‘Comment’ field at the end of this page if you would like to help out in text correction manually.

v – CREATING A HUMAN BEING

INTRODUCTION

Now that we have discussed the workings of kamma in much detail, and have gained better understanding of the subject, let us now return to the suttas we were discussing before: the ‘Gaddula’Baddha’suttas, about the clog-bound dog. We said we would return to them, to finish discussing them.823

You will remember how, in both ‘Gaddula’Baddha’suttas, The Buddha discusses the round of rebirth(samsara), the running on of beings from rebirth to rebirth. Let us quote The Buddha’s words again:

Inconceivable is the beginning, bhikkhus, of the round of rebirth. A first point is not known of ignorance-hindered beings fettered by craving, rushing on and running about.

Now you may better understand what The Buddha means with these words.

As you will remember, in the first ‘Gaddula’Baddha’sutta, The Buddha then ex­plains that in the distant future the oceans of the world will dry up and evaporate, Sineru, the king of mountains, will burn up and be destroyed, and the great earth itself will burn up, and be destroyed. And The Buddha explains that even so the continuous rebirth of beings will not come to an end:

Not even then, bhikkhus, is the suffering of ignorance-hindered beings fettered by craving (who rush on and run about) brought to an end, I declare.

Then, in both ‘Gaddula’Baddha’suttas, The Buddha speaks of a dog that is clog-bound, tied to strong post or pillar:

Suppose, bhikkhus, a dog was dog-bound, and to a strong post or pillar was bound dose.

In the first ‘Gaddula’Baddha’sutta, The Buddha explains how the dog can only go round and circle round the post or pillar. And He explains how, in the same way, the uneducated ordinary person {assutava puthu.jjano) can only go round and circle round the five aggregates. The reason is that the uneducated ordinary per­son regards the five aggregates as self in twenty different ways: materiality as self, self as having materiality, materiality as in self, self as in materiality, and the same for feelings, perception, formations, and consciousness. These twenty ways of looking at the five aggregates are a manifestation of what The Buddha calls the identity view{sakkaya’ditthi).

We cling to the identity view because of ignorance(avijja) and craving(tanha).

Hence, we can only go round and circle round the five aggregates, which is merely to go round and circle round suffering(dukkha). This going round and circ­ling round is the round of rebirth(samsara).

In the second ‘Gaddula’Baddha’sutta, The Buddha again describes a clog-bound dog tied to a strong post or pillar. But you will remember that He there instead describes how the dog walks always close to that post or pillar, stands close to it, sits close to it, and lies down close to it. And again The Buddha compares the dog to the uneducated ordinary person. This time, The Buddha explains that the uneducated ordinary person regards the five aggregates as: ‘This is mine’ be­cause of craving; ‘This I am’ because of conceit; and ‘This is my self’ because of

823 S.III.I.x.7 ‘Gaddula~Baddha~Suttam'(‘The Clog-Bound Sutta’): see “I -‘The Clog-Bound Sutta”‘, p.lff. S.III.I.x.8’Dutiya~Gaddula~Baddha.Suttam'(‘The Second Clog-Bound Sutta’): see “II – ‘The Second Clog-Bound Sutta”‘, p.29ff. Discussion of the two suttas was inter­rupted p.35.

304

The Workings of Kamma

the identity view. Because of ignorance, craving, and the identity view, when the uneducated ordinary person walks, stands, sits, or lies down, he does so close to the five aggregates.

Then The Buddha refers to a fantastic picture that some wanderers travelled around with: it was therefore known as the ‘wandering picture’. The Buddha ex­plains that the picture is fantastic only because of the mind. And He explains that the mind is even more fantastic than the picture created by the mind. Then He refers to the fantastic variety of beings in the animal world. And He explains that their fantastic variety is also owing to the mind: the mind being even more fan­tastic. At each simile, The Buddha advises the bhikkhus repeatedly to reflect on the workings of the mind. Let us repeat His words:

Therefore, bhikkhll5, one should reflect repeatedly upon one’s own mind: ‘For a long time this mind has been defiled by lust, by hatred, and by delllSion.’

By mental defilement, bhikkhll5, beings are defiled; by mental purification, beings are purified.

SUPPOSE, BHIKKHUS, A PAINTER, OR A MAKER OF PICTURES

Having explained the fantastic nature of the mind with the simile of the fantas­tic painting, and the simile of the animal world, The Buddha goes on to describe how a painter may make a picture:

SUppose, bhikkhus, a painter, or a maker of pictures, with paint or with lac, with tur­meric or indigo or crimson,824 on a well-polished board, or a wall or cloth canvas, were to make a woman’s figure or a man’s fl!lure, full-featured and limbed.

Now, Buddha compares the painter with the uneducated ordinary person(a.s:5’utava

puthu-jjano).

So too, bhikkhll5, the uneducated ordinary person,

[1] producing [anything], he merely materiality produces, [2] producing [anything], he merely feeling produces,

[3] producing [anything], he merely perception produces, [4] producing [anything], he merely formations produces,

[5] producing [anything], he merely consciousness produces.

Now, an uneducated ordinary woman or man accomplishes bodily actions, ver­bal actions, or mental actions every moment of the day, every day. When such actions are intentional, they will be either unwholesome or wholesome volitional formations(salikhalll) that possess a kammic potency. They are rooted in the de­filements ignorance(al1ii8), craving(tanha), and clinging(upadana). And so long as the uneducated ordinary woman or man does not practise the way leading to the remainderless cessation of those defilements (does not undertake the threefold training: morality, concentration, and wisdom), so long will the kammic potency of those many different actions always continue to produce its results.^82s And what are the results of those actions? Merely the five clinging-aggregates(paii”c­·upadana·kkhandha):

1)materiality …………………….. (rOpa) 4) formations ……………… (satikMra)

2)feeling ……………………….. (vedana) 5) consciousness ………….. (vinniina)

3)perception …………………… (sanna)

824 LAC: red colouring secreted by certain insects; lURMERIC: yellowish-brown colouring from plant; INDIGO: blue colouring from plant; CRIMSON: red colouring from certain insects.

82S In this regard, see quotation endnote 312, p.355.

v – Creating a Human Being

305

These five clinging-aggregates are ultimate truth(paIllmattha·saaa). But according to conventional truth(sammuti·saaa), the five clinging-aggregates are a woman or man. And according to conventional truth, a woman or man can be beautiful or ugly: unwholesome kammas produce an ugly woman or man, wholesome kam­mas produce a beautiful woman or man.

Thus,826 when one accomplishes unwholesome or wholesome kammas, one is like an artist creating the figure of a man or a woman on a well-polished board or wall or canvas. The unskilled painter creates an imperfect, ugly figure of a woman or man, whereas the skilled painter creates a perfect, beautiful figure of a woman or man. In the same way, the foolish, uneducated ordinary person accomplishes unwholesome kammas, whereas the Noble Disciple(5lIta16 Ariya·savaka) accomplish­es wholesome kammas. Both of them create their figure on the canvas of sam­sara (the endless round of rebirth), but one paints on the rough canvas of diffi­cult rebirth in the human world, and unhappy rebirth in the animal world, the ghost world, and the hells etc., whereas the other paints on the smooth canvas of fortunate rebirth in the human world, and happy rebirth in the deva worlds.

Let us then look at some examples of the figure one may create.

THE JEALOUS VENERABLE JAMBUKA’S PICTURE

There is the picture painted by the bhikkhu, the Venerable Jambuka.⁸²⁷ Just like the Venerable Losaka Tissa, whom we discussed earlier,828 the Venerable Jambuka was a bhikkhu in Buddha Kassapa’s Dispensation. He also lived in a hermitage, where a local patron looked after him. And here too, an Arahant one day arrived. The patron liked the Arahant’s appearance very much, and paid him much atten­tion. He offered a delicious meal, and excellent robes. He sent a barber to shave him, and sent him a bed to sleep in. When the Venerable Jambuka saw the visi­tor receive all this attention, Jambuka became very jealous: he could not control his mind, and was overwhelmed by jealousy. He went to the Arahant’s dwelling and reviled him. He said:

· ‘It would be better for you to eat excrement, than to eat food in this layman’s house;

· it would be better for you to tear your hair out with a palmyra comb, than to let his barber cut it for you;

· it would be better for you to go naked, than to wear robes offered by him;

· it would be better for you to sleep on the ground, than to sleep in a bed off­ered by him.’

The Arahant, not wishing to be the cause of Jambuka’s misconduct, left the hermitage the next day.

Owing to jealousy, Jambuka accomplished billions of unwholesome kammas.

They would in due course mature, and produce their respective result: some would function as unwholesome productive kammas, some as unwholesome re­inforcing kammas, some as unwholesome frustrating kammas, and some as un­wholesome interceptive kammas. Unable to control his mind, Jambuka had

826 The following explanation is derived from the commentary and sUbcommentary to the ‘The Clogbound Sutta’.

827 DhPA.v.ll ‘Jambuka· Tthem· Vatthu'(‘The Jambuka-Elder Case’) 828 See ‘The Envious Venerable Tissa’, p.277.

306

The Workings of Kamma

painted the picture of an ugly man on the canvas of unhappy rebirth in the hells, and difficult rebirth in the human world.

At death, the meditation that Jambuka had practised for twenty thousand years was to no avail, for his jealousy kamma functioned as unwholesome productive kamma to produce rebirth in Avici Hell. There he underwent the horrific sufferings of beings in that hell. He remained there in the very, very long interval between Kassapa Buddha’s Dispensation and Gatama Buddha’s Dispensation. When he finally escaped from that hell, and was reborn as a human being, the jealousy kamma frustrated the wholesome kamma that produced his rebirth as a human being.

The wholesome kamma that he had accomplished in Buddha Kassapa’s Dispen­sation produced rebirth to rich parents in Rajagaha. But his jealousy kamma frus­trated it so that from infancy he would eat only excrement. He would never wear any clothes, but would go about as naked as a newborn child. He would not sleep on a bed, only on the ground. And when he grew older, his parents had him ord­ained under the naked ascetics: they pulled his hair out with a palmyra comb. But when they discovered that he ate excrement, they expelled him. So he lived as a naked ascetic, practising all types of austerities. He made people believe he exist­ed on air, and that the only offerings he accepted were butter and honey placed on the tip of his tongue with the tip of a blade of grass. In this way, he became very famous. But actually, at night, he secretly ate excrement from the public latrines.

Now you may compare his past kamma with the present results. Jambuka said all those bad things to the Arahant. But regardless of what he said, the Arahant did not eat excrement; the Arahant did not tear his hair out with a palmyra comb; the Arahant did not go about naked; and the Arahant did not sleep on the ground. As a direct result of having spoken like that to the Arahant, however, Jambuka now did all those disgusting things.

When Jambuka was fifty-five years old, The Buddha saw that Jambuka’s parami were ready to mature. And He went to spend the night in a cave near Jambuka’s abode. During the night, Jambuka saw mighty Brahmas and devas come to pay homage to The Buddha. He was so impressed that the next day he asked The Buddha for a teaching. The Buddha told him about the past evil deeds that now condemned Jambuka to practise austerities for so long, and advised him to give up his evil ways. As The Buddha was speaking, Jambuka grew ashamed of his nakedness, and The Buddha gave him a bathing-cloth to wear. At the end of the talk, Jambuka realized the Arahant Path&Fruition Knowledges. Then the inhabit­ants of Ariga and Magadha came to pay him homage and make offerings. He displayed a psychic power, and then paid homage to The Buddha, acknowledging his discipleship to The Buddha. Such are the workings of kamma.

Such workings of kamma are why The Buddha said in the 7<okalika’sutta:⁸²⁹ When a person has taken birth, an axe is born inside his mouth with which the fool cuts himself by uttering offensive speech.

Now, please listen to how the beautiful Ciiicamal)avika painted her picture.

829 See footnote 714, p.270.

v – Creating a Human Being CIIiiCA-MA!’:IAVIKA’S PICTURE

307

Ciiicamal)ilvika was a very beautiful and intelligent female wanderer(palibba­jika).830 As The Buddha’s Dispensation grew, day by day, The Buddha and His disciples received more and more honour and hospitality from the people. As a result, other teachers and their disciples received less and less, including Cinca­mal)ilvika’s order of ascetics. So they persuaded her to try to discredit The Buddha; to pretend to visit The Buddha at the Jetavana monastery.

First Ciiicamal)ilvika would let herself be seen going towards the monastery in the evening, and spend the night in the quarters of another order nearby. The next morning, she would then let herself be seen as if returning from the monas­tery. When people asked her where she had been, she would say she had spent the night with The Buddha. In this way, she began to paint the picture of an ugly woman, on the rough canvas of hell.

After some months, she tied a block of wood to her belly, pretending to be pregnant. Then, to complete her painting, she approached The Buddha as He was teaching a large crowd, and blamed Him for not looking after her properly in her pregnancy. The Buddha replied:

Sister, whether what you have said is the truth or is untl1lth, only I and you know. At this time, Sakka (king of the devas) discovered what was taking place. And he sent down four devas. Taking the form of four mice, they severed the cords that bound the block of wood to Ciiica’s belly. It fell down and cut off her toes. The people drove her out of the monastery, and when she stepped outside the gate, the earth opened up, and she was swallowed up by the fires of Avici Hell. Her picture was now complete: the five aggregates of a being in hell.

Wholesome kamma that Ciiica had accomplished in a past life functioned as productive kamma to produce a human rebirth in our Buddha’s Dispensation. But her stronger ‘defaming-a-Buddha kamma’ functioned now as interceptive kamma, to make its own result arise: rebirth in hell. Identical unwholesome kammas would then function as reinforcing kammas, to increase and prolong her sufferings in hell.⁸³¹ Thus are the workings of kamma.⁸³²

Such workings of kamma are why The Buddha said in the second ‘Gaddula­’Baddha’sutta:⁸³³

Therefore, bhikkhus, one should reflect repeatedly upon one’s own mind: ‘For a long time this mind has been defiled by lust, by hatred, and by delllSion.’

By mental defilement, bhikkhllS, beings are defiled; by mental purification, beings are purified.

The Texts explain that The Buddha was in this way accused of having broken His morality, because He had Himself in a past life slandered a Paccekabuddha.⁸³⁴

830 DhPA.xiii.9 ‘Cificamanavika· Vatthu’ (‘The Case of OncamalJavikii’) 831 See ‘The Principle of Identity’, p.201.

832 In Ap.XXXIX.x.70-72 ‘Pubba-Kamma·Pilotika·Buddha-Apadanam'(‘Tatters of Previous Kamma Buddha-Narrative’), The Buddha explains that He suffered this accusation because He as one Nanda (the disciple of a Paccekabuddha called Sabbabhibhu) levelled similar accusations at His teacher.

833 S.IILLx.8’Dutiya.Gaddula.Baddha.Suttam'(‘The Second Oog-Bound Sutta’), quoted p.30.

834 UA.iv.8 ‘SundaJi.Sutta· Vannana’ (‘Description of the Sundari Sutta’)

308

The Workings of Kamma

Now, please listen to how a bhikkhuni had in a former life painted a picture.

You can decide for yourselves whether it is a beautiful picture or not.

GRUDGING COI,ASUBHADDA’S PICTURE

Once, there was a bhikkhuni who acquired the Birth-Recollection Knowledge (Jiiti-SsaraiJiinaJ. knowledge of past births. And she saw that she had once been the wife of our Bodhisatta. Then she wanted to see if she had been a good wife to the Bodhisatta. But she saw that she had in fact caused his death. And she burst into tears in the midst of a crowd of people. Then The Buddha related what had happened.^83s

In that life, the Bodhisatta was an elephant called Chaddanta. He was the king of a herd of eight thousand elephants. And he had two chief queens: Mahasubh­adda and CD!asubhadda. All the elephants lived in the KaiicanagDha cave on the banks of Lake Chaddanta.⁸³⁶ That is in the Himalayas. At that time the Himalayas were covered in forests.

One day in the spring, when the elephants were in a sala forest enjoying them­selves, King Chaddanta gave one of the sala trees a heavy blow with his body. CD!asubhadda was standing upwind, and received a shower of dry twigs, leaves, and red ants, but Mahasubhadda was standing downwind, and received a shower of flowers. It was an accident, but even so, CD!asubhadda got upset, complained bitterly, and held a grudge against Chaddanta.

Another time, the elephants were playing in the lake. And one elephant offered Chaddanta a large lotus flower. He gave it to Mahasubhadda. This also upset CD!asubhadda, and she held a second grudge against Chaddanta. With those two grudges as cause, CD!asubhadda trained in morality. Always wanting to be the best in everything, she achieved very pure morality. Her ill-will towards Chaddanta manifested only as ill-will, not as the breaking of any precept.

Then one day King Chaddanta and all the elephants offered wild fruits and req­uisites to five hundred Paccekabuddhas. When CD!asubhadda offered her fruits, she made a certain aspiration; she painted a certain picture.

First of all, her offering had the four factors for a superior offering.

· She understood that the Paccekabuddhas were of the highest virtue, an un-

surpassed field of merit.

· She and all the other elephants were virtuous.

· She had obtained her offering righteously, in the forest.

· She had full faith in that the result of this kamma was great, and reflected on it before offering, while offering, and after offering.

She also understood that a virtuous one’s aspiration comes true because of its purity.837 Accordingly, she painted the perfect image of a woman, complete in all its features. She made five aspirations:

‘Venerable Sir, because of this merit, at death,

[1] May I be reborn into King Madda’s family as a princess! [2] May my name be Subhadda!

83S JA.Lxvi.4 (514) ’07addanta·Jiitaka·l-annanii'(‘Description of the Chaddanta Jataka’) 836 KancanagDha: a cave in the Himalaya mountains, mentioned several times in the Pali Texts; Chaddanta: a lake nearby (mentioned by The Buddha in, for example,

A.VILvii.2 ‘Satta·SOrijta·Suttam'(‘The Seven-Suns Sutta’): see note 23, p.5).

837 See quotation, p.265.

v – Creating a Human Being

309

[3] May I become the chief consort of the king of Baral)asi!

[4] May I be able to persuade the king of Baral)asi into fulfilling my every de­sire!

[5] May I be able to send a hunter to cut off Chaddanta’s tusks!’

Why did she want to be reborn into King Madda’s family as a princess? She un­derstood that physical beauty is necessary for high social status, and very impor­tant if she was to persuade a man to fulfil her every desire: rebirth into King Madda’s family would produce both. She wanted to become chief consort to the king of Baral)asi, because she knew he was the most powerful of kings. So it is that the painting of a woman, complete in all its features, may appear in the hu­man world according to the painter’s desire.

As a result of the merit she had made, she was indeed reborn in King Madda’s family as a princess, and got the name Subhadda. Later she became the king of Baral)asi’s chief consort. Having now become the most powerful king’s chief con­sort (the most superior woman), one would have thought she would have given up her grudge against an animal who was living in the forest. But, she was unable to forgive Chaddanta, unable to control her mind: she nursed her old grudge, and still wanted to have his tusks cut off.

Therefore, whenever you accomplish unwholesome kamma, please try always to recall this story. Why? Because when the kamma matures, it is not easily over­come.

Subbhada had all the hunters of the kingdom summoned. And one Sonuttara was chosen for the task: he was the future Devadatta.⁸³⁸ And, because she knew Chaddanta had great respect for the yellow-robed Paccekabuddhas, Subhadda told Sonuttara to put on a yellow robe: that way Chaddanta would not harm him.

After seven years, seven months, and seven days, Sonuttara reached Chad­danta’s dwelling place. He dug a pit, covered it, and waited inside. As the ele­phant passed over the pit, he shot him with a poisoned arrow. Then Chaddanta charged Sonuttara, but seeing the yellow robe, he restrained himself. When he heard Sonuttara’s story, he showed him how his tusks could be cut off. But Son­uttara was not strong enough to saw them through. So Chaddanta himself took the saw with his trunk. And even though he was wounded, and suffering terrible pain from the cuts already made into his jaws, he sawed through the tusks, gave them to the hunter, and died. Subhadda’s picture was now complete.

The magical power of Chaddanta’s tusks enabled Sonuttara to return to Bara­I)asi in seven days. When Subhadda heard that her scheme had resulted in the death of her former beloved and husband, she died of a broken heart.

From this story, we may understand that the desire for revenge brings only agi­tation, even self-destruction. We may understand that we should instead cultivate forgiveness, and let go of all resentment. To hold ill-will is to do oneself harm greater than the harm others can do. Such are the workings of kamma.

Such workings of kamma are why The Buddha repeated in the second ‘Gad­dula’Baddha’sutta:⁸³⁹

Therefore, bhikkhus, one should reflect repeatedly upon one’s own mind: ‘For a long time this mind has been defiled by lust, by hatred, and by delllSion.’

838 See ‘The Venerable Devadatta’, p.150.

839 S.IILLx.8’Dutiya.Gaddula.Baddha.Suttam'(‘The Second Oog-Bound Sutta’), quoted p.30.

310

The Workings of Kamma

By mental defilement, bhikkhll5, beings are defiled; by mental purification, beings are purified.

MAHAPADUMA PACCEKABUDDHA’S PICTURE

Then there is the picture painted by Mahapaduma, the Paccekabuddha-to-be.^84o In Buddha Kassapa’s Dispensation,841 he was a bhikkhu. At that time, he had already developed the parami for becoming a Paccekabuddha over two incalcu­lables and a hundred thousand aeons. And as a bhikkhu in Buddha Kassapa’s Dispensation, he further developed such parami over about twenty thousand years.

One of his wholesome kammas functioned as productive kamma, to produce rebirth as a son of a treasurer in Baral)asi. He became a treasurer too, and in that life he committed adultery. At death, an ‘adultery kamma’ functioned as productive kamma, to produce rebirth in hell. And when he eventually escaped from hell, an indefinitely-effective wholesome kamma functioned as productive kamma, to produce rebirth now as a treasurer’s daughter. While she was in her mother’s womb, an adultery kamma functioned as an unwholesome frustrating kamma, so that she and her mother suffered a lot of burning sensations. She always remembered this suffering. Furthermore, even though wholesome kamma produced a beautiful appearance, it was frustrated by adultery kamma so that she met much hatred, from even her parents. Later again, when she was given in marriage, the adultery kamma again functioned as frustrating kamma, so that although she was beautiful, intelligent and long-suffering, even her husband hated her, and did not care for her.

My dear audience, please always remember this story, for the sufferings she met reflected exactly the sufferings of those who are victims to adultery.

One day, owing to his hatred for her, her husband even went to the fair with another woman. In tears, she said to him: ‘Even if a woman were the daughter of a universal king, she would still live for her husband’s happiness. What you do breaks my heart. If you do not want to take care of me, please send me back to my parents. But if you love me, you should take care of me. You should not be­have like this.’ And she begged her husband to take her to the fair, and he told her to make preparations. This she did, but on the day of the festival, she heard that her husband had already gone to the fair. So she followed him with her ser­vants, bringing the food and drink that she had prepared. On the way, she met a Paccekabuddha who had emerged from the cessation attainment{niroo’ha·sama­patti)842

She descended from her carriage, took his bowl, filled it with food, and offered it to him. When her offering had been accepted, she took hold of a bundle of lot­uses, and painted a picture by making five aspirations:

‘Venerable Sir,

[1] in every future life, may I be reborn in a lotus!

[2] In every future life, may I be the colour of a lotus! [3] In every future life, may I become a man!

840 ApA.I.ii.95 ‘Pacceka·Buddha-Apadana· Vannana’ (‘Description of the Paccekabuddha Narrative’)

841 See ‘Appendix 2: The Uneage of Buddhas’, p.361. 842 cessation attainment: see footnote 434, p.156.

v – Creating a Human Being

311

[4] May everybody who sees me love me as they love this lotus flower! [5] May I know the Dhamma that you know!’

Why did she make these aspirations? She wanted to be reborn in a lotus, be­cause she had already undergone much suffering in her mother’s womb. She wanted to have the colour of a lotus, because she liked very much the colour of lotuses. Her life as a woman had caused her much misery, so she wanted to be­come a man. Nobody had loved her, not even her parents, so she wanted to be loved by everybody who saw her. Lastly, she had developed sufficient parami to become a Paccekabuddha, so there was a strong desire to become a Paccekabud­dha. In this way, she painted the picture of a perfect man complete in all his fea­tures on the canvas of samsara, the round of rebirth.

The wholesome kamma of her offering functioned as presently-effective kamma (difthadhamma vedaniya kamma) that intercepted the frustrating adultery-kamma, and produced its own results. Her husband, who suddenly remembered her, sent for her, and from then on not only he but also everybody else showed her much love.

The wholesome kamma of her offering functioned also as subsequently-effect­ive kamma to give her rebirth as a male deva in a lotus in the deva world. He was called Mahapaduma. He was reborn in the deva worlds over and over again, sometimes as a highborn deva, sometimes as a lowborn deva. In his last birth, at the suggestion of King Sakka, he was born in a lotus in a pond in the park of the king of Baral)asi. His queen was childless. She saw the lotus in the pond, picked it, and found the child inside as if in a casket. She adopted the child, and brought him up in great luxury. Everybody who saw him loved him very much. The king issued a proclamation saying that any harem which could feed the baby Prince Mahapaduma, would receive a thousand coins. For that reason, there was much entertainment in the palace on his account: twenty thousand women entertained him. Prince Mahapaduma’s rebirth into the royal family was again one of his ‘of­fering-to-a-Paccekabuddha kammas’ that functioned as productive kamma, and all these different types of happiness were identical kammas that functioned also as reinforcing kammas.

When the prince was about thirteen years old, he became disenchanted with all the entertainment, because his perfections(pall1l77lj, for the attainment of Pacceka­buddhahood were now mature, ready to produce their results.

One day, while playing outside the palace gate, he saw a Paccekabuddha. He warned him not to enter the palace as anyone who entered would be forced to eat and drink. The Paccekabuddha turned away. Afterwards, the boy was remorse­ful, in case the Paccekabuddha had been offended. So he went by elephant to the Paccekabuddha’s dwelling, to ask for forgiveness. Coming near, he descended from the elephant and went on foot. Closer to the Paccekabuddha’s dwelling, he dismissed his attendants and went on alone. He found the Paccekabuddha’s cell empty. Then he sat down, developed insight, and became a Paccekabuddha. All taints were destroyed. The permanent liberation of mind was achieved. Thus are the workings of kamma.

Such workings of kamma are why The Buddha repeated in the second ‘Gad­dula’Baddha’sutta:⁸⁴³

Therefore, bhikkhus, one should reflect repeatedly upon one’s own mind: ‘For a long time this mind has been defiled by lust, by hatred, and by delllSion.’

843 S.IILLx.8’Dutiya.Gaddula.Baddha.Suttam'(‘The Second Oog-Bound Sutta’), quoted p.30.

312

The Workings of Kamma

By mental defilement, bhikkhll5, beings are defiled; by mental purification, beings are purified.

PRINCESS SUMANA’S PICTURE

Then there is the picture painted by Princess Sumana (Jasmine).844 During The Buddha Vipassi’s Dispensation,84S she was once reborn into a very rich family. And, after her father had passed away, the people obtained the king’s permission to entertain The Buddha and his hundred thousand bhikkhus. The first one to do so was a general(s878paU), and for that reason Sumana’s mother was unhappy. So Sumana promised her that they would still be the first ones to entertain The Buddha and Sangha.

Sumana filled a golden bowl with delicious milk-rice, and covered it with another bowl. She then tied jasmine garlands round both bowls, and with some slaves went to the general’s house.

On the way, she was stopped by his men, but persuaded them to let her pass.

As The Buddha approached, she said she wished to offer him a jasmine garland, and put the two vessels into his alms bowl. The Buddha accepted, and gave her offering to a layman devotee to carry to the general’s house. Sumana then painted the image of a virtuous woman, complete in all its features on the canvas of the human and deva worlds. She made three aspirations:

1) ‘May my livelihood in every subsequent birth be without worry and longing!’

2) ‘May everyone love me as they love jasmine flowers!’ 3) ‘May my name be Sumana!’

When The Buddha arrived in the general’s house, He was first served soup. But He covered his bowl, and said he had already received milk-rice. Then the layman who carried Sumana’s golden bowls served the milk-rice to The Buddha and to the bhikkhus. The milk-rice was enough to serve The Buddha and a hundred thousand bhikkhus. This miracle happened owing to Sumana’s strong wholesome volition. After The Buddha and the Sangha had eaten the milk-rice, they then ate the main meal, offered by the general. At the end of the meal the general asked who had offered the milk-rice. Being told, he invited Sumana to his house, and made her his chief consort.

In every subsequent life, she was known as Sumana, and on the day of her birth, a shower of jasmine flowers fell knee-deep, all owing to her former whole­some kamma functioning as productive and reinforcing kamma to be experienced in subsequent lives.

In her last birth, in Buddha Gotama’s Dispensation, she was reborn as Princess Sumana, sister of King Pasenadi of Kosala. When Anathapil)Qika offered the Jeta­vana monastery to The Buddha and Sangha, Sumana was seven years old. She attended the ceremony together with five hundred companions: they all brought vases, flowers, and other offerings for The Buddha. After The Buddha’s Dhamma talk, Sumana became a Stream Enterer(Sa·Aj;lanna).

Once, together with five hundred royal maidens in their royal chariots, she went to see The Buddha, to ask him about the workings of offering(daila). We shall ex­plain His answers in brief.

844 AA.V.I.iv.l :Sumana·Sutta·Vannana'(‘Description of the Sumana Sutta’) 84S See ‘Appendix 2: The Uneage of Buddhas’, p.361.

v – Creating a Human Being

313

She asked The Buddha whether there is any difference between two disciples who both have faith, morality, and insight, but one makes offerings(ctana) and the other does not. The Buddha explained that when reborn in the deva-world or human world, the offerer is superior in life span, beauty, happiness, honour and power. And if they become bhikkhus, the offerer is invited to receive many requi­sites. But if they both attain Arahantship, there is no difference in their attain­ment of Arahantship.

Sumana wanted to become a bhikkhuni, but delayed it to look after her grand­mother.⁸⁴⁶ Then when Sumana was of mature age, her grandmother passed away. And Sumana went with King Pasenadi to the Jetavana monastery, to or­dain. She brought such things as rugs and carpets, which she presented to the Sangha. The Buddha taught her and King Pasenadi Dhamma, and she became a Non-Returner(An·Agamlj. Then she sought ordination. Seeing that her knowledge was mature, The Buddha uttered a verse of Dhamma. And at the end of the verse, Sumana attained Arahantship. And then she ordained as a bhikkhuni.

CONCLUSION

That was our last example of how accomplishment of kammas may be likened to an artist painting the figure of a man or a woman on a canvas. The unskilled painter creates an imperfect, ugly figure of a woman or man, whereas the skilled painter creates a perfect, beautiful figure of a woman or man. In the same way, the foolish uneducated ordinary person accomplishes unwholesome kammas, whereas the educated Noble Disciple(sutava Aliya·savaka) accomplishes wholesome kammas. Both of them create their figure on the canvas of samsara (the endless round of rebirth), but one paints on the rough canvas of difficult rebirth in the human world, and unhappy rebirth in the animal world, the ghost world, and the hells etc., whereas the other paints on the smooth canvas of fortunate rebirth in the human world, and happy rebirth in the deva worlds. That is according to conventional truth(5ClmmuU·5ClaD).

According to ultimate truth(palllmattf1a·saa:a), according to reality(yatM·bhOta), all that has been created is suffering(dukkha), the five clinging-aggregates(paiic-upa­ctana·kkhandha):847

1)materiality …………………….. (rOpa) 4) formations ……………… (5Clrikhiira)

2)feeling ………………………. (vedana) 5) consciousness (vinnana)

3) perception ……………….. (sanna)

That is what The Buddha explained in the second ‘Gaddula’Baddha’sutta:

So too, bhikkhllS, the uneducated ordinary person,

[1] produdng [anything], he merely materiality produces, [2] produdng [anything], he merely feeling produces,

[3] produdng [anything], he merely perception produces, [4] produdng [anything], he merely formations produces,

[5] produdng [anything], he merely consciollSness produces.

According to conventional truth, in the human realm, these five clinging-aggre­gates are a woman or man. And according to conventional truth, a woman or

846 TiGA.i.16 ‘Vu(i(iha·Pabbajita·Sumana· 7heti-Gatha· Vannana’

847 In His first teaching, (S.V.XII.ii.l Dhamma·Cakka·Ppavattana·Suttam'(‘The Dhamma­Wheel Setting-in-Motion’), The Buddha explains: ‘In short, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering(dukkha).’

314

The Workings of Kamma

man can be beautiful or ugly: unwholesome kammas produce an ugly woman or man, wholesome kammas produce a beautiful woman or man. But whether they are beautiful or ugly, whether they are inferior or superior, they are in all cases impermanent(ania<i), suffering(dukkha), and non-self(an·atta).

So long as one’s volition produces kamma, so long does one continue to run on in the round of rebirth: unwholesome kammas result in rebirth and the acquisi­tion of aggregates, that is, suffering; wholesome kammas also result in rebirth and the acquisition of aggregates, which is also suffering. But The Buddha is here talking about mundane kammas(/~a·kamma). It is different with supramun­dane kammas(bkuttalll·kamma). Why? Because supramundane kammas lead to the remainderless cessation of kamma: the unworking of kamma. That is what we shall now discuss. We shall return to the second ‘Gaddula·Baddha’sutta.⁸⁴⁸

848 S.IILLx.8 ‘Dutiya·Gaddula·Baddha·Suttam’ (‘The Second Clog-Bound Sutta’). Discussion of this ‘Gaddula·Baddha’sutta was interrupted p.305.