Key Dhamma Concepts > Gati, Bhava, and Jāti > Pāpa Kamma Versus Akusala Kamma

November 14, 2018; revised November 16, 2018 (#3 and #6); August 29, 2022; November 25, 2022

Pāpa kammā are stronger versions of akusala kammā.

Difference Between Akusala and Pāpa Kamma

1. While akusala kammā are “immoral deeds,” pāpa kammā are “highly immoral deeds.” That is the main difference.

▪In some English translations, I have seen that both pāpa kamma and akusala kamma are translated as, “bad deeds.” However, there is a vast difference.

▪It is critical to understand that if one has not removed the ten types of micchā diṭṭhi, one would be more likely to commit pāpa kamma.

2. Moha is the stronger version of avijjā. If one has moha, then one also has lobha and dosa, which are stronger versions of rāga (kāma rāga, rūpa rāga, arūpa rāga) and paṭigha; see, “Lobha, Rāga and Kāmacchanda, Kāmarāga” and “Lobha, Dosa, Moha versus Rāga, Patigha, Avijjā.”

▪Thus, one does pāpa kammā with moha and akusala kamma with avijjā.

▪We know that akusal-mūla Paṭicca Samuppāda cycles start with “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra,” and NOT “moha paccayā saṅkhāra.”

▪Before one starts focusing on understanding Paṭicca Samuppāda cycles, one must have reduced moha to avijjā level.

3. Paṭicca Samuppāda (starting with avijjā) describes processes that lead to births in the sugati or “good realms” (human realm and above), as well as births in dugati or “bad realms” or apāyā (the four lowest realms).

▪One could apply Paṭicca Samuppāda to determine births done with pāpa kamma, but it is not even necessary: they INVARIABLY lead to births in the apāyā.

▪Put it another way, pāpa kammā done with highly potent apuñña abhisaṅkhāra ALWAYS leads to births in the apāyā.

▪The bottom line is that one is capable of doing pāpa kamma (which does not mean one will always do it) as long as one has one or more of the ten types of micchā diṭṭhi. When one gets rid of all those micchā diṭṭhi, one does not have moha anymore; it is reduced to avijjā.

Sutta Descriptions – What Are Pāpa Kamma?

4. Pāpa kammā are described in several suttā, but let us focus on the “WebLink: suttacentral: Pathama Pāpadhamma Sutta (AN 4.207).” I will provide the main idea for saving space.

“Bhikkhus, who is a highly immoral person (pāpo)? One who is engaged in the destruction of life or initiates, encourages, praises, helps destruction of life (in a habitual way) is a highly immoral person destined to be born in the apāyā….”

▪The rest of the sutta lists six MORE deeds in the same way: Taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, immoral speech, Intoxication (drinking, taking drugs, etc), and micchā diṭṭhi.

▪For example, the full description of the last one is: One who has micchā diṭṭhi or initiates, encourages, praises, and encourages others to have such views (in a habitual way).

▪It is important to note that just one action does not make one a “pāpo” or a “highly immoral person.” There is a second related sutta: “WebLink: suttacentral: Dutiya Pāpadhamma Sutta (AN 4.208).”

5. The “WebLink: suttacentral: Duccarita Vipāka Sutta (AN 8.40)” is another sutta that state eight immoral actions that could make one born in the apāyā. “Duccarita” means “highly immoral character” so a “duccarita puggala” means the same as “pāpo” or “a highly immoral person.”

Here is the translation of that sutta.

(i) “Bhikkhus, the destruction of life, repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated, is conducive to rebirths in hell, to the animal realm, and the sphere of hungry ghosts; when one is born as a human after paying off most of the vipāka, one will also have a short life span.

(ii) “Taking what is not given, repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated, is conducive to rebirths in hell, to the animal realm, and the sphere of hungry ghosts; when one is born as a human after paying off most of the vipāka, one is likely to face loss of wealth.

(iii) “Sexual misconduct, repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated, is conducive to rebirths in hell, to the animal realm, and the sphere of hungry ghosts; when one is born as a human after paying off most of the vipāka, one will also be exposed to enmity and rivalry.

(iv) “False speech (per Dhamma, not strictly lying), repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated, is conducive to rebirths in hell, to the animal realm, and the sphere of hungry ghosts; when one is born as a human after paying off most of the vipāka, one will also be exposed to false accusations.

(v) “Divisive speech, repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated, is conducive to rebirths in hell, to the animal realm, and the sphere of hungry ghosts; when one is born as a human after paying off most of the vipāka, one will also be exposed to being separated from one’s loved ones.

(vi) “Harsh speech, repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated, is conducive to rebirths in hell, to the animal realm, and the sphere of hungry ghosts; when one is born as a human after paying off most of the vipāka, one will also be exposed to disagreeable sounds.

(vii) “Idle chatter, repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated, is conducive to rebirths in hell, to the animal realm, and the sphere of hungry ghosts; when one is born as a human after paying off most of the vipāka, one will also be exposed to others distrusting one’s words.

(viii) “Intoxication (drinking, taking drugs, etc), repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated, is conducive to rebirths in hell, to the animal realm, and the sphere of hungry ghosts; when one is born as a human after paying off most of the vipāka, one will also be exposed mental problems.”

6. There is also a set of suttā (AN 10.211 through AN 10. 220) that state that dasa akusala (taking a life, stealing, abusing sensory pleasures, speaking untruth, slandering, harsh speech, gossiping, greed, ill-will, wrong views or micchā diṭṭhi) lead to rebirth in the apāyā.

▪Therefore, pāpa kamma are the same as dasa akusala done with micchā diṭṭhi. That means having micchā diṭṭhi makes one’s mind “covered,” i.e., one has moha.

▪It is important to note that some dasa akusala can be done without micchā diṭṭhi, and those are done with just avijjā.

Description of Pāpa Kamma

7. Those immoral actions in #4 through #6 above are all pāpa kamma. Also, those who engage in (i) through (viii) regularly are immoral persons with “bad gati (duccarita puggala).”

▪It is essential to note the emphasis on “repeatedly pursued, developed, and cultivated.”

▪For example, those who habitually go fishing and hunting would belong to this category. Also see #14 below.

▪Another way to say that is to say “cultivating (abhi)saṅkhāra.” One does such an action because it becomes one’s gati, i.e., a habit that contributes to one’s character.

▪These are essentially the same as the descriptions in #4 above.

Four Ways of Accumulating Kamma

8. I want to emphasize that all of the following four actions contribute to each of the above listed immoral actions in #4 through #6 above (If done regularly):

▪Doing it.

▪Assisting another person to do it.

▪Ordering (or instructing) another person to do it.

▪Praising someone who is doing it.

9. When one has moha, one can do pāpa kammā without remorse. That means one is not even close to being released from the apāyā.

▪This straightforward fact that can save many people a lot of wasted time. It is absolutely a waste of time even to try to understand Paṭicca Samuppāda if one still has any of the ten types of micchā diṭṭhi, some of which are commonly held; see “Micchā Diṭṭhi, Gandhabba, and Sotāpanna Stage.”

▪I know I will make many people unhappy by making these statements. But it is better to learn the truth as soon as possible. We all have been trapped in this suffering-filled rebirth process for an unimaginable time, simply because we had not understood this key point.

▪More information in “Kilesa – Relationship to Akusala, Kusala, and Puñña Kamma.”

Nature’s Laws, Not Buddha’s Rules

10. These are not rules made up by the Buddha; he just discovered the laws of nature. Reducing moha to avijjā level means one is not ignorant of the broader world of 31 realms. That REQUIRES an understanding of the laws of kamma, which in turn REQUIRES an understanding of the broader view of the Buddha (existence of 31 realms) AND a belief in the rebirth process.

▪That is because, without that broader “operational range,” the laws of kamma can’t be effective: If there is no rebirth process, many things cannot be explained; see “Complexity of Life and the Way to Seek “Good Rebirths”.”

▪Nothing happens without causes and conditions. Explanation of what happens around us REQUIRES a more comprehensive worldview. Only a Buddha with a perfectly purified mind can discover these hidden laws of Nature.

▪Many people, especially in the Western world, have difficulty believing the above. They think Buddha is just “a better philosopher” who came up with his own “worldview.” However, if one can spend time examining Buddha Dhamma, including Abhidhamma, it will become clear that Buddha is not just another philosopher.

11. Buddha Dhamma is self-consistent. The Buddha did not make up the ten types of micchā diṭṭhi. They go against the nature of this world: kamma (actions) have consequences (vipāka); there is a rebirth process; there is a para loka where gandhabbā live; there are instantaneous births in realms that we do not see, etc.

▪Just because those are not amenable to our crude senses does not mean they are not valid. As science progresses, more and more teachings of the Buddha are being confirmed; see, “Buddha Dhamma: Non-Perceivability and Self-Consistency.”

Sorting Out the Priorities

12. As I have discussed, making progress is a step-by-step process. Before starting on the Noble Eightfold Path, one must complete the mundane eightfold path where one gets rid of the ten types of micchā diṭṭhi; see, “Is It Necessary for a Buddhist to Eliminate Sensual Desires?.”

▪A critical aspect of attaining the Sotāpanna stage is the comprehension of Paṭicca Samuppāda, how root causes lead to their effects under suitable conditions (paccayā).

13. These days, many people start by trying to understand deep suttā that REQUIRE an understanding of Paṭicca Samuppāda and Tilakkhaṇa.

▪However, many of them (including many bhikkhus) do not believe in rebirth, or that the concepts of para loka and gandhabba are valid. They erroneously believe that gandhabba is a Mahayāna concept, but neither they nor Mahāyānists understand what is meant by antarabhava; see, “Mental Body – Gandhabba.”

▪Getting to the Sotāpanna stage CAN NOT be done by just reading a few posts. One has to make a real effort to understand the key concepts, and live a moral life.

14. Making progress on the Path requires working on two fronts:

▪One needs to understand the key fundamental concepts in Buddha Dhamma like dasa akusala and micchā diṭṭhi, before tackling Tilakkhaṇa and Paṭicca Samuppāda.

▪One needs to live a moral life, and “the level of morality” will automatically increase as one’s understanding gets deeper and deeper.

▪Therefore, those two aspects go hand-in-hand. One cannot just focus on one part. Both are necessary.

15. It is also a good idea to understand some key details of how the laws of kamma work.

▪Just because one kills some insects when doing yard work does not contribute significantly. Intention plays a key role as discussed in: “Details of Kamma - Intertion, Who Is Affected, Kamma Patha.”

▪Furthermore, killing a human is much more significant than killing many, animals. That is because it is not easy to get an unimaginable precious human life; see “How to Evaluate Weights of Different Kamma.”