Nyanatiloka Buddhist Dictionary

taking place of the karma-result are missing, or if, through the preponderance of counteractive karma andtheir being too weak, they are unable to produce any result. In this case they are called ahosi-kamma, lit.'karma that has been', in other words, ineffectual karma.The third type of karma, however, which bears fruit in later lives, will, whenever and wherever there is anopportunity, be productive of karma-result. Before its result has ripened, it will never become ineffective aslong as the life-process is kept going by craving and ignorance.According to the Com., e.g. Vis.M. XIX, the 1st of the 7 karmical impulsive-moments (kamma javana; s.javana) is considered as 'karma ripening during the life-time', the 7th moment as 'karma ripening in the nextbirth', the remaining 5 moments as 'karma ripening in later births'.With regard to their functions one distinguishes:1. regenerative (or productive) karma (janaka-kamma),2. supportive (or consolidating) karma (upatthambhaka-kamma),3. counteractive (suppressive or frustrating) karma (upapílaka-kamma),4. destructive (or supplanting) karma (upaghátaka- or upacchedaka-kamma).(1) produces the 5 groups of existence (corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations,consciousness) at rebirth as well as during life-continuity.(2) does not produce karma-results but is only able to maintain the already producedkarma-results.(3) counteracts or suppresses the karma-results.(4) destroys the influence of a weaker karma and effects only its own result.With regard to the priority of their result one distinguishes:1. weighty karma (garuka-kamma),2. habitual karma (ácinnaka- or bahula-kamma),3. death-proximate karma (maranásanna-kamma),4. stored-up karma (katattá-kamma).(1, 2) The weighty (garuka) and the habitual (bahula) wholesome or unwholesome karma are ripening earlierthan the light and rarely performed karma. (3) The death-proximate (maranásanna) karma - i.e. thewholesome or unwholesome volition present immediately before death, which often may be the reflex ofsome previously performed good or evil action (kamma), or of a sign of it (kamma-nimitta), or of a sign ofthe future existence (gati-nimitta) - produces rebirth. (4) In the absence of any of these three actions at themoment before death, the stored-up (katattá) karma will produce rebirth.A real, and in the ultimate sense true, understanding of Buddhist karma doctrine is possible only through adeep insight into the impersonality (s. anattá) and conditionality (s. paticcasamuppáda, paccaya) of allphenomena of existence. "Everywhere, in all the forms of existence ... such a one is beholding merely mentaland physical phenomena kept going by their being bound up through causes and effects."No doer does he see behind the deeds, no recipient apart from the karma-fruit. And with full insight heclearly understands that the wise ones are using merely conventional terms when, with regard to the takingplace of any action, they speak of a doer, or when they speak of a receiver of the karma-results at their