KAMMA AND REBIRTH

Lectured by Venerable Paññajota

There are many opinions and explanations about where we humans come from and
where we will be going in the samsara. Some people believe in god and they think we did not
exist before individuals are created. They then come into being through the will of a god.
They believe all things happen in their life occurred according to the wish of God. If they
have faith in god, they will be always in heaven and if they do not believe in god, they will
be in hell after death. On the other hand, some people that all individual comes into beings
due to natural causes and after death, nothing will happen.

According to the Buddhism, We do not accept either of these explanations because if

a god is really benevolent and create each of us, it is difficult to explain why so many people
are born with deformities, why he did not create only decent, righteous human beings, good
and pleasant things in the world and create harmful, wicked and stupid human beings, storms
and dreadful earthquakes. If we will be nothing after death as in the another explanation,
people will do more evil deeds and it will be meaningless of doing good things and bad
things.

In the Buddha's teaching the important factor, but not only the one, influencing where
we will be born and what sort of life we shall have is kamma. Kamma is Pali word and it
means intentional, volitional action or doing whether through mental, verbal or physical.
Every kamma is accompanied by its due effect. But we must know only intentional action can
be called kamma and produces its result, unintentional or unconscious actions do not
constitute kamma and have no effects. All moral actions give good resultants and immoral
actions give bad resultant.

Another important to know is kamma does not mean only past actions. Most of the
people misunderstand about it. It embraces both past and present actions. It is neither fate nor
predestination. But what we are is determined very much by how we have done and acted in
past life. Likewise how we think and act now will influence the situation of our future life.
The gentle, loving type of person tends to be reborn in a heaven realm or as a human being.
The anxious worried or extremely cruel type of person tends to be reborn in a hell realm or a
hungry spirit. Whatever mental habits are strongly developed and become into kamma in this
life will simply continue in the next life. There is no god or someone who control or instruct
us to be reborn. There are several realms in which one can be reborn. Some people are reborn
in hells, some are in heaven, some as hungry sprit and so on. Like all conditioned things,
these realms are impermanent. When one's life span there is finished or the kamma which
make being there run out, one could be again in another realms. In this way, all being are
reborn and die again and again. This is we called the cycle of birth.

Sometimes we are confused with the kamma because we heard or see that bad people
experience good things even though they are doing unwholesome deeds. On the other hand,
some people do wholesome deeds but they are always in bad fortunate and unlucky. This is
because kamma and time-factor are related. In the Buddhist's Abhidhamma, Kamma is
calssified into four kind according to the time at which results are produced. Some kamma
ripens in the very kamma, some ripens in next life, some in successive births until nirvana
and some are unripen. So kamma have to wait for suitable time to bear fruit. While good
kamma remain for maturity, other bad kamma bear the fruits at that time. kamma is unlike
eating chilly which burns one's tongue instantly, many kamma cannot bring immediate
effects. Therefore in the dhammapada, The Buddha said,

"Even an evil-doer sees delight as long as his evil deed has not ripened, but when his
evil deed had ripened, then does the evil-doer see evil."

"A many may find pain in doing good as long as his good deed has not ripened, but
when his good deed had ripened, then does the good-doer see good.”

In conclusion, the Buddhist teaching of kamma and rebirth is very scientific and
logically consistent. The kamma theory is very subtle and also recognizes the dignity of
living being. If we failed to attain Nirvana in this life, we will have the opportunity to try
again in next life. If we made mistakes in this life, we will be able to correct ourselves in the
net life. Things you were unable to do or achieve in this life may well become possible in the
next life. We are creator of ourselves and those who want to face good things in the samsara,
should cultivate the good kamma.

Ashin Dhammapiya

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