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śramaņa, Vol 59, No. 4/October-December 2008
lobha (greed), dveșa (aversion) and moha (decusion) have been regarded as the three fold causes of Kamma. Vasubandhu says, 'Karma is will (cetana) and voluntary action."
Dr. Rhys Davids in his Päli dictionary has used the word Kamma' in an inclusive sense. The word denotes both the action as well as acting subject, i. e. both in objective and subjective sense. The objective aspect produces good or bad consequences which affect the subject thereby modifying his nature as good or bad. This aspect of the doer is called his character.
So the word Kamma is used indiscriminately to denote (1) the act and the actor (2) performance of the act and the habit of repeating it, (3) acts as causes of other acts and as being caused by some other acts. Thus kamma means (1) the deed as expressing the agent's will i. e. qualified deed good or bad (2) the repeated deeds as expressing the agent's habit or his character, (3) the deed as having consequences for the agent as source of good or evil... Again the word kamma as objective action refers to action as performed in the past (kata), at present and as future now uncommitted but to be committed in the future (katabba). Kamma as good or bad is used attributively to denote good and bad character of the person. It is also used in the sense of cause and effect as having been performed by the agent and as redounding upon him in its virtuous or vicious effects which he has to reap. It is used also in the sense of general principle as the driving force causing the course of saṁsāra and also as the principle of retribution.?
Kammas are said to be of three kinds, bodily, mental and vocal (kāyika, mānasika and vācika). Insistence is laid on the necessity. of volition for action. The accidental destruction of a human being when aiming at a pumpkin is no murder. Hence, to be effective an action must be prompted by a strong will. All the three kinds of acts produce two fold effects on our mind and body as also outside us. "The first kind of effect is of a structural modification of our cerebro
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