Key Dhamma Concepts > Saŋ – A Critical Pāli Root > Saṅkhāra, Kamma, Kamma Bīja, Kamma Vipāka

Revised May 12, 2016; February 23, 2019; May 27, 2022; August 27, 2022; March 16, 2023; May 23, 2023 (#3)

There is much confusion about these words. These are key Dhamma concepts, and one needs to sort them out to understand other key concepts like rebirth and Paṭicca Samuppāda. Please read the post, “What is “Saŋ”? – Meaning of Sansāra (or Saṁsāra)” before reading this post.

Kamma Done via Abhisaṅkhāra

1. “Puññābhi saṅkhāra, apuññābhi saṅkhāra, āneñjābhi saṅkhāra ayaṁ vuccathi avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra.” This is how the short verse of “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” in Akusala-Mūla Paṭicca Samuppāda is explained in detail.

▪Thus only abhisaṅkhāra (“abhi” means higher or stronger), i.e., saṅkhāra with avijjā, leads to the rebirth process. For example, breathing or walking involves kāya saṅkhāra and speaking to someone involves vaci saṅkhāra. None of those are abhisaṅkhāra and do not lead to the kamma generation.

▪Note that puññābhi saṅkhāra is puñña+abhisaṅkhāra, and similarly, the other two are also abhisaṅkhāra. Also, “apuñña” means immoral,” puñña” means moral, and “āneñja” means “higher jhānic.” All three modes lead to rebirth in one of the 31 realms (lowest four realms with apuññābhi saṅkhāra, realms 5 through 27 with puññābhi saṅkhāra, and realms 28 through 31 with āneñjābhi saṅkhāra, respectively).

▪Thus any abhisaṅkhāra is done with ignorance (avijjā or not knowing the real characteristics of this world of 31 realms: anicca, dukkha, anatta).

▪However, we will see below that we do need to accumulate puññābhi saṅkhāra strategically, mainly to avoid rebirth in the apāyā (lowest four realms) until we attain Nibbāna.

2. As we saw above, “saŋ” is what one acquires when one does anything with sañcetanā (“saŋ”+ “cetanā”). Saṅkhāra (saŋ+kāra) is simply actions that lead to acquiring “saŋ.” However, it is only “abhisaṅkhāra” or saṅkhāra that arises through avijjā that can lead to rebirth. There is a difference between saṅkhāra and abhisaṅkhāra: [kāra, （m．）, deed； service； act of homage]

▪When deeds are done to live in this world, one has to do saṅkhāra. They become abhisaṅkhāra when they are done with greed, hate, and/or ignorance. Saṅkhāra becomes abhisaṅkhāra when one starts generating further thoughts (“wheeling process”) about the sense experiences (pictures, sounds, tastes, etc.) ; see #9 on “Nibbāna – Is It Difficult to Understand?.”

▪Thus an Arahant does saṅkhāra to live; even breathing is kāya saṅkhāra. But Arahant has stopped the “wheeling process” or formed an attachment to what is seen, heard, etc. It is that “wheeling process,” which is detailed in the Paṭicca Samuppāda section, that leads to abhisaṅkhāra.

▪When saṅkhāra involve rāga, dosa, or moha, they are called “abhisaṅkhāra” or “strong saṅkhāra” which can lead to rebirths.

3. Abhisaṅkhāra are three kinds, as mentioned above:

▪Some actions lead to bad consequences during life and also to bad rebirths in the four lowest realms (apāyā). These are “apuññābhi saṅkhāra” or immoral deeds: apuññā abhi saŋ khāra..

▪Actions that lead to good consequences in life and also to good rebirths are called “puññābhi saṅkhāra” or meritorious deeds; these lead to birth in good realms (human, deva, and the rūpa lokas), thus avoiding rebirth in bad realms where one could get trapped for many eons. Thus it is important to accumulate puññābhi saṅkhāra: puññā abhi saŋ khāra.

▪When one cultivates “lokiya jhānā” or mundane higher meditative states (arūpa jhāna leading to rebirth in the highest four arūpa loka realms), via breath meditation, for example, one can be reborn in the four higher Brahma worlds. These also prolong saṁsāra, and are called “āneñjābhi saṅkhāra”: āneñja abhi saŋ khāra.

▪It is interesting to note that “āneñja” means “no more rebirths” and thus “permanent”: the ancient yogis (including Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta) thought these realms have infinite lifetimes and equated the births there to the “ultimate release.” Of course, the Buddha discovered that those also have finite lifetimes, even though extremely long, lasting eons (billions of years). That is how the term came to be associated (incorrectly) with “āneñjābhi saṅkhāra.” But that is how it is used even in the Tipiṭaka. “WebLink: suttacentral: Paṭiccasamuppāda Vibhaṅga (Abhidhamma Vb 6)” explains the step “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” as, “Tattha katame avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā? Puññābhisaṅkhāro, apuññābhisaṅkhāro, āneñjābhisaṅkhāro.”

▪Here those yogis can temporarily suppress all desires for kāma loka or rūpa loka existences. However, since they had not comprehended the anicca nature, they still have “hidden avijjā” or “avijjā anusaya.”

4. Therefore, it is easy to remember abhisaṅkhāra as those actions that lead to prolonging saṁsāra (or saṁsāra), the cycle of rebirths. There is a “latent energy” produced by each such action (abhisaṅkhāra) that will give fruit later.

▪Such “actions” can be done via the mind, speech, or the body; these lead to mano saṅkhāra, vacī saṅkhāra, and kāya saṅkhāra, respectively. The “defiled actions” are abhisaṅkhāra.

5. Does this mean one should not do meritorious deeds (with puññābhisaṅkhāra) because those also prolong saṁsāra? No. The Buddha emphasized that one should not shy away from doing meritorious deeds.

▪There is a way to do meritorious deeds without prolonging saṁsāra, and that is detailed in the “Kusala-Mūla Paṭicca Samuppāda,” an essential part of the Buddha’s Paṭicca samuppāda doctrine that has been hidden for thousands of years. But one must avoid wishing for “things in return” for such meritorious deeds as much as possible because such thoughts are based on greed.

▪In the Abhidhamma language, one should generate “ñāṇa sampayutta, somanassa sahagata citta” (thoughts generated with wisdom and joy), which is the highest moral (sobhana) citta. Here wisdom means comprehension of the true nature; it starts with getting rid of 10 micchā diṭṭhi and then grows as one understands anicca, dukkha, and anatta to higher levels. Wisdom culminates at the Arahant stage.

▪Any good deed will have good consequences whether one wishes it or not. By wishing for “material things” or “jhānic pleasures,” one turns a meritorious action into either a less potent “ñāṇa vippayutta” (devoid of wisdom) moral citta or even an apuññābhi saṅkhāra. We will discuss that below.

Kamma (Actions to Prolong Saṁsāra)

Kammic energy is generated when one turns saṅkhāra to abhisaṅkhāra by the “wheeling process”; see above. For example, when one sees an object that is just saṅkhāra due to a kamma vipāka. However, if one then starts thinking about how good it is, or thinks about how to acquire it, then it becomes abhisaṅkhāra; here one now has INTENTIONS about that object, one is hoping to get something.

▪That is why the Buddha said, “cetanā haṁ Bhikkhave kammaṁ vadāmi,” i.e., “I say that intention is kamma.”

▪So it is important to remember that kamma is the intention, and even though it can be done by the mind, speech, or the body, all those have their root in mind. We cannot say or do anything without a thought to do so (see the Abhidhamma section for details).

▪For example, the intention to go for a walk is a kamma that does not have any power to generate a good or bad vipāka in the future. That kamma will only get that task done.

Thus the key to Nibbāna is to stop valuing and thinking about kāma assāda (sense pleasures; āsvāda in Sinhala). This cannot happen until one sees the fruitlessness of sense pleasures in the long run (anicca, dukkha, anatta); see the section “Assāda, Ādīnava, Nissarana”. [assāda：[m.] “mind-made pleasures”; taste; enjoyment; satisfaction.]

Kamma Bīja (Kamma Seeds) or Kamma Bhava

When a kamma (abhisaṅkhāra) is committed, the kammic potential of that kamma is deposited in a kamma bīja (kamma seed); kamma seed is NOT a physical entity, it is an “energy” or “potential” to bring about an effect in the future. It can also be called a “kamma bhava.”

▪A kamma seed can be compared to a regular seed, for example, a seed of an apple tree. The potential to bring about a fully grown apple tree is in the apple seed. However, if the seed is kept in a dry place with no contact with soil, it does not get to germinate. It will germinate if placed under the soil and fed with water and nutrients. Then it can grow into an apple tree, yielding a thousand more seeds.

▪Similarly, a kamma seed has the POTENTIAL to germinate or come to fruition if suitable conditions appear; but a kamma seed is an energy lying below the suddhaṭṭhaka stage. It can then yield results with an impact corresponding to the original deed (this holds for both good and bad.) Results are the kamma vipāka; see, “What is Kamma? – Is Everything Determined by Kamma?.”

▪It is also possible to remove many of one’s bad kamma seeds. When we acquire a “bad kamma seed” we get indebted to another being. Just like one can be debt-free by paying off existing loans, one can “payback” old debts that have been accumulated in the cycle of rebirths by “transferring merits” when one does good deeds and also by doing the Ariya Metta Bhāvanā; see, “Transfer of Merits (Pattidāna)- How Does that Happen?” and “5. Ariya Metta Bhāvanā (Loving Kindness Meditation).”

Nothing in this world is permanent (but that impermanence is not anicca); kammic energy in a kamma seed also eventually loses its power, and the “staying power” depends on the strength of the particular kamma. For example, those seeds corresponding to “ānantariya akusala kamma” such as killing one’s parents or an Arahant, will bring fruits without delay (i.e., in the very next birth) before they lose their power.

Kamma Vipāka (Results of a Kamma Seed or Kamma Bhava)

So it is essential to distinguish between kamma and kamma vipāka: the first is the action, and the second is the consequence. When someone laments, “This is my kamma” when he/she faces a bad situation, what is meant is that this happens “because of what I had done in the past.” It is a kamma vipāka.

When one does something good or bad, kammic energy is deposited as a kamma bīja (seed), also called a kamma bhava. Then that kammic energy can give rise to kamma vipāka in the future when suitable conditions materialize. There are two ways to avoid kamma vipāka:

▪Like a seed will not germinate until the right conditions appear (soil, water, sunlight), kamma vipāka cannot materialize until suitable conditions appear. Thus by acting mindfully (not getting into “bad situations”), one can avoid them; see, “Anantara and Samanantara Paccaya.”

▪Most importantly, we can remove many kamma seeds by doing Mettā Bhāvanā. When we acquire a bad kamma seed, we become indebted to another being; we can get rid of that kamma seed by paying off that debt. The best way to do that is to ask for forgiveness and transfer the merits of one’s good deeds to all beings (since we have become indebted to an uncountable number of beings); see, “Kamma, Debt, and Meditation.”

Kamma vipāka (from the germination of seeds) leads to two main consequences:

▪They can lead to consequences during a lifetime (either the present or a future life). These are called “pavutti kamma bhava.”

▪Some strong kamma vipāka give rise to new existence (in the rebirth process). These are called “uppatti kamma bhava.”

In either case, kamma vipāka is NOT deterministic. Both types can be reduced in strength or even be made ineffective. This can be done in several ways:

▪When one becomes an Arahant since there is no more rebirth, all kamma seeds that do not get to come to fruition before the death of an Arahant become ineffective in producing a rebirth: Because an Arahant has removed avijjā, the “Akusala-Mūla Paṭicca Samuppāda cycle” becomes ineffective and thus “bhava paccayā jāti” does not get to initiate a new birth.

▪However, even an Arahant is subjected to any kamma vipāka that gets a chance to emerge during the current life, especially the strong ones. Even the Buddha suffered from physical pains during the last years of his life. Even if one transfers merits to other beings (as Arahants do) if the other being cannot accept those merits, then those debts do not get paid off; see “Transfer of Merits (Pattidāna) – How Does it Happen?.” Thus even the Buddha had a few “unpaid debts” left.

▪We all have done innumerable kamma in this long saṁsāra. Thus many kamma seeds are waiting to “bear fruit” under the right conditions. This is a crucial point one needs to digest. Just like a seed can lay dormant for long times, and germinate only under the right conditions (soil, water), a kamma vipāka bears fruit only when the conditions are right.

▪Thus most kamma vipāka can be suppressed and avoided (not letting them germinate) by acting with mindfulness (yoniso manasikāra). This is where a calm mind helps. An agitated mind is not able to make rational decisions. See “Key to Calming the Mind.” Working on the Five Hindrances (pañca nīvaraṇa) that cover the mind is essential.

How to do Meritorious Deeds without Accumulating Abhisaṅkhāra

Most people, even born Buddhists, do not get this right. They think Nibbāna can be attained by just doing meritorious deeds. Here are some key points to consider:

1. One needs to avoid apuññābhi saṅkhāra (unmeritorious deeds) that will lead to bad life events and/or rebirths, i.e., the four lower realms; see, “The Grand Unified Theory of the Dhamma.” They are “akusala” by definition, but ones of the worst kind; these are called “pāpa” in Pāli and Sinhala and “paw” (rhymes like “cow”) in Sinhala. One needs to avoid this in leading a moral life; see “Moral Living and Fundamentals.”

2. Puññābhi saṅkhāra (meritorious deeds) may be accompanied by apuññābhi saṅkhāra if one’s intention is not good. If one does a good deed AND wishes for something in return, that wishing is done with greed. Any good deed WILL produce good results whether one wishes it or not. They lead to good life events and good rebirths (at or above the human realm). Thus puññābhi saṅkhāra can help in pursuing Nibbāna and should be done without greedy intentions. A Sotāpanna automatically does meritorious deeds with such understanding; we will discuss this in the “Kusala-Mūla Paṭicca Samuppāda.” Thus the Aryan way is to do a good deed and share the merits of that deed with all beings, instead of wishing for something in return.

▪Thus one needs to be careful here because one may be acquiring apuññābhi saṅkhāra at the same time. This is a bit complex and is best illustrated with an example. Suppose one donates a meal to a hungry person. That act is inherently one that will produce a good outcome. However, if the person “makes a wish” such as “may I get delicious foods in the future because of this good deed,” that is a greedy thought, a greedy intention (cetanā). Thus while this does not negate the good deed, it also could produce ANOTHER kamma vipāka leading to bad life events.

▪This pitfall can be avoided by doing a good deed with pure intention not associated with greed, hate, or ignorance. One gives a meal to a hungry person out of compassion, to quench the hunger. That is all. Here one does not lose any possible benefits of the act.

▪When one starts comprehending anicca (that one cannot maintain anything to one’s satisfaction over the long run), one AUTOMATICALLY stops wishing for “good things.”

▪Furthermore, one can reap more benefits by additionally doing a mental act to quench the potential of previous bad kamma seeds. This is called “giving of merits” or “pattidāna” which is mislabelled as “puñña anumodana” frequently; see “Puñña Kamma – Dāna, Sīla, Bhāvanā.” One could wish that the merits of this good deed be shared with all other beings. We have built-up debts with all the beings in this long saṁsāra, that needs to be paid off (see “Kamma, Debt, and Meditation”). Thus, sharing the merits becomes a “visaṅkhāra” or “unwinding the power of the previous saṅkhāra.” This is thus one way to lessen the impact of previous bad kamma vipāka.

▪The Buddha said that one always needs to do good, meritorious deeds. Giving is especially encouraged. One could turn these deeds into visaṅkhāra by sharing the merits. By the way, sharing merits does not remove any possible good outcomes for oneself. Those were already acquired in the original act itself. The key here is not to wish for “profits in return” because such thoughts are associated with greed (of course, this cannot be stopped by sheer willpower until one comprehends anicca).

3. The third kind of abhisaṅkhāra, “āneñjābhi saṅkhāra” is associated with higher (arūpāvacara) jhānic states attained via Samatha Bhāvanā, such as breathing meditation or kasiṇa meditation. They are pursued to achieve higher meditative states and thus are pursued with greedy thought (pleasure).

▪These meditation techniques do not help with the cleansing of the āsavā; see “Sansāric Habits, Character (Gati) and Cravings (Āsavā)” and “The Way to Nibbāna – Removal of Āsavā.”

4. Jhānic states may be attained automatically when pursuing Nibbāna (not anāriya jhānā but Ariya jhānā). The goal here was to achieve Nibbāna, and thus no saṅkhāra are accumulated in this process. This raises another question: Is seeking Nibbāna another craving (āsava)?

▪Nibbāna is attained via removing craving for everything in this world: “rāgakkhayo Nibbānan, Dosakkhayo Nibbānan, Mohakkhayo Nibbānan.”

▪“Craving” for Nibbāna is called chanda (one of The Four Bases of Mental Power (Cattāro Iddhipāda). This “liking for Nibbāna” is the key factor that fuels the other three: viriya (effort), citta (thoughts), and vīmaṁsā (investigations).

▪Thus in seeking Nibbāna, one is not craving anything in this world. One is thinking and working diligently to comprehend the world’s true nature (vīmaṁsā), and with that wisdom gained, the mind automatically gives up craving for worldly pleasures.

Kāya, Vacī, and Mano Saṅkhāra

1. Saṅkhāra can lead to body movements, speech, and thoughts; they are respectively called kāya, vacī, and mano saṅkhāra. If those are not done with greed, hate, or ignorance, they are merely saṅkhāra. But if they are done with greed, hate, or ignorance, they become abhisaṅkhāra.

▪The recent post, “Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means,” for a detailed description.

2. Briefly, mano saṅkhāra are automatically generated based on our gati. All our thoughts that make body parts move (except speech) are kāya saṅkhāra. Vacī saṅkhāra are generated when we move our mouth, lips, tongue, etc. to speak.

▪When we think about doing something, we “play it out” in our mind (for example, reciting something silently in our mind). That is also vacī saṅkhāra and are called vitakka and vicāra; when we think and contemplate Dhamma concepts, they are savitakka and savicāra, with the prefix “sa” denoting “good.”

▪Thus “talking to oneself” is done with vacī saṅkhāra; see “Correct Meaning of Vacī Saṅkhāra.”

▪Mano saṅkhāra are feelings (vedanā) and perceptions (saññā) that arise automatically due to a sensory input that comes via a kamma vipāka.

3. Thus, it is clear that most enjoyments that we experience come through vacī saṅkhāra. We can sit quietly in one place and generate enormous amounts of vacī saṅkhāra, thoroughly enjoying the experience (not realizing we are accumulating bad kamma.) Most people do this when they go to bed at night while waiting to fall asleep.

▪It is a good idea to try to keep the mind away from defiled thoughts while falling asleep; this can be done by getting into the habit of thinking about a Dhamma concept, or listening to the chanting of sutta (paritta in Pāli or piritha in Sinhala), keeping the volume low (like playing background music); see, “Sutta Chanting (with Pāli Text).” It will be easier to fall asleep and have a restful sleep too.

For more details, see “Kamma are Done with Saṅkhāra – Types of Saṅkhāra.”