Karma theory extended , How karma affects beings and how it cause rebirth
In Buddhism karma has a special position in describing the rebirth and Samsara. Karma is the main factor that determines where the rebirth occur and how it occur. Karma is also affect mainly to design the life of the being after his birth. and it most probably determines how he die when and where.
Before explaining about karmic direction to rebirth i wish to explain some of its effects in living animals in this world. As described in previous article karma causes vast differences in animals (people) it differentiate them by birth , by wealth , by health , by longevity , etc.. .But in buddhism Karma is not the only reason . for example a person may get sick.( ignorable disease or a severe one like cancer ) it may be karma or may not be. there are eight reasons in Buddhism that can cause illness.
1. vaatha samuddhajabaadha ( deseases that can cause by malfunction of airy humour in body )
2.pitta sumuddhjaabadha (diseases cause by malfunction of bile humour and temperature of body )
3.sembha samuddhajaabadha ( diseases caused by malfunction of phlegm and related humours )
4. visama pariharajaabadha ( diseases caused by inappropriate ingestion , behavioral and respiration patterns , includes nutrient deficiencies ,diabetes etc ..)
5.uthu parinamajaabadha ( diseases caused byenvironmental conditions )
6.sannipathika ( malfunction of several oragan systems )
7. opakkamika ( caused by some one or some thing )
8. pubba kammja ( caused by previous karma )
this description can be found in moliya sivaka sutta , in samyutta nikaya and also in girimanada sutta .
But remember, karma is a special phenomenon . It can mix with other reasons also . It can disguise as another reason in this list , but always karma does not cause everything.
Now let us discuss how the death can be caused by karma. Death is not like any other disease. it is cessation of life that is also a product of a previous karma. In buddhism the death in human realm can occur in four ways .
1. aayukkhaya
each person,s physical body has a expire date . It is closely similar in a species . In humans it is roughly 120 years. In elephants its around 60 . But this does not mean every animal in that species have same life span . some with deficiencies have lesser no of years that their body can function well some have more chance to live more time due to genetic or whatever factors . This body formation difference is also indirectly caused by karma . But here the fact is any person cant live more than that time period . Its known as aayu . people who pass that age die due to aging . Its not karma.
2. Kammakkhaya
one's life was began due to a special karma call janaka karma. That karma causes birth in current life . It is a good karma in all humans . but a bad karma in hell beings and other animals. After the energy of that karma vanishes. It cause the death.
3. Ubhayakkhaya
sometimes both aayu and karma can be end simultaneously . resulting immediate death.
4. upachcheda
While having more life in body and power in janaka karma. one can be die due to an accident , a murder or an execution. It may also a disguised karma or not.
There was a king named Vasabha in sri lanka . before he become king an blind ascetic prophesied he will be. ( He was a commoner ) and several other predictions including he will live only twelve years after coronation. All the prophesies became true and the king frightened he would doomed to die in several years. So he met buddhist monks and pleaded to lengthen his life . Monks who analyzed prophesies realized it is a bad karma that will cause the death of the king in young age and advised him to do many merits that cause en length life as much as possible. King vasabha constructed sixteen water reservoirs ( gave life to many aquatic organisms while feeding many that people used that water to agriculture purposes and also drinking water to animals and men ) That is a beneficial merit for life. The king released prisoners who were sentensed to death. Made peace in country . Although all other prophesies came true , the king could reign 44 years . This is due to the capability of diluting of karma.
In gods this is somewhat different . a god can die due to
1. Aayukkhaya
each divine species have maximum amount of life that can live . In lowest heaven it is 9000000 years . in highest heaven ( vasavatti ) its 94000000 years . any one cant live more except they reborn there after death in a new physical body .
2. kammakkhaya same as humans
3.aaharakkhaya
some gods forget to partake their meals in time ( in some divine species ex: kheeddapadosika ) Therefore their bodies become exhausted and they die.Because all animals exist due to food . Bodies need food to produce energy .
4. Kodhana
Several lesser divine species in lowest heaven envy others due to their treasures and wealth and gets angry. They die immediately because those jealousy and anger cant bared up by their mild bodies .
There are numerous descriptions about how all other animals die.
Now lets try to understand how the rebirth can occur.
Rebirth is actually the first thing a buddhist should know in detail in buddhism.
Its not simply been born again as in Hinduism. Its complicated process that only can be understood by wise. Buddhism denies soul there fore soul transmission of a death person is not the Buddhist philosophy of rebirth. Theres no any soul to be transmitted to another body. An animal consists of five masses called panchaupadanaskandha in Buddhism. they are
1. roopa ( physical body , remain as corpse after death )
2.veidhana ( sensation ability that exist with six organs )
3.sanna ( perception )
4. sankhara ( ability of do karmas and mental constructions )
5.vighghana ( caused by combination of six organs and universe. ex ;eye and forms )
mutually fuctioning these five stocks are called an animal. Like we call a correct combination of wheels , seats , motors , batteries , radiator and steering wheel a car. If we dissected car into those pieces its not a car . Like after the death Those five stocks are separating . and all the five things are destroyed after the death . nothing is transferred to other life.
So . how the rebirth occur. If every thing destroy after death how can we be sure the person born again is the person who dead ?
The person who born again is neither the person who dead nor another.
the person who born again has not the same figure of the dead. and not the same sensation . same perception same conciousnessor same ability to collect karma. it is a totally different being . But originated from that dead person. but there are some similarities. Its like planting a seed of a tree after that tree died.
For that cultivation it is called
kamman kheththan - karma is the field
vinnanan beejan - conciousness is the seed
thanha salilo - desire is the water
Here the vinnana is the seed. so why it is not required to transmissin of that vinnana to the place where reborn ?
To answer this question you must know well what is vinnana and how its work. explaining about wignana is not the ambition of this letter. simply the vinnana is aprocess ont a thing like soul. its not needed to be transferred to anywhere. http://www.mygqs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Bhava-Transition.pdf
Because conciousness is the only fact that can determine the nature of rebirth from those five skandhas the ultimate conception of ones life ( chuthi chiththa )determines the next life. This shold be understood as in previous letter.
when an animal dying the last mind causes his rebirth irrespective of any other good or bad karma he did. He may seen a dream like vision of next life . It always show in better way. the animal who have not exterminated desire cling that sensation anxiously . After the death ( separation of skandhas ) the last mind exists where it was. that conciousness cant exist solitary. immediately eye , ear and other organs are formed in that life . making another body and all other new five skandhas in that life.
In an arahat desire and all other passions are eliminated . So he will never cling any conception . so there will be no rebirth to him . ITs complete termination of his samsara called nibbana.
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