Classification of Karma
From TheBuddhism.Net
“Dear Monks, I would say that motive (thought) is Karma” were Buddha’s exact words regarding karma.The deeds done in accordance with the motives may be good or bad. Good deeds earn a person merits and bad deeds earn a person demerits.Karma is action, and Vipaka (fruit or result), is its reaction.According to their different functions, Karma is classified into 4 kinds.
1. Reproductive Karma – Karma that shapes up the future birth of a person is called Reproductive Karma. It is the last thought of a person that determines who he would be in his next birth.
2. Supportive Karma – Assists or maintains the Reproductive Karma, from one’s conception to his death. It is neither good nor bad.
3. Obstructive Karma or Counteractive Karma – Weakens, interrupts and retards the fruition of the Reproductive Karma. For instance, a person born with a good Reproductive Karma may be subjected to various ailments, thus preventing him from enjoying the blissful results of his good actions. An animal, on the other hand, who is born with a bad Reproductive Karma may lead a comfortable life by getting good food, lodging, as a result of his good counteractive or obstructive Karma preventing the fruition of the evil Reproductive Karma.
4. Destructive Karma – A powerful opposing Karma of the past which nullifies the potential energy of the Reproductive Karma. This is more effective than the Supportive Karma and Obstructive Karma. Destructive Karma may be good or bad. Devadatta is the most suitable example to show how the above karma works. He attempted several times to kill Buddha and also made a rift in the Sangha community which are great sins. His good Reproductive Karma made him born to a Royal family. His continued comfort and prosperity were due to the action of the Supportive Karma.
The Counteractive or Obstructive Karma came into operation when he was subjected to much humiliation as a result of his being banished from the Sangha community.
Finally the Destructive Karma brought his life to a miserable end.
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Wish there was more information on how such 4 types of karma is created. And how do we purify such karma that would be very interesting.
This classification of karma is similar but not as in-depth as the one presented by Rinpoche in his teaching called tendencies. According to Rinpoche, karma is absolutely determined by the motive of the person. With each motive, there are 3 types of result of karmic repercussions and they are result resembling the cause, environment karma and tendencies.
The first one represents the full force of the repercussion of the karma, the second is the karma of the environment that we will be reborn in which is similar to the reproductive karma mentioned here and the last one is tendencies and this is after the first two has ripened and gone, the tendencies towards the types of actions that created the first 2 types of karma will be there. Artists will tend towards artistic notions and expression. Murders towards anger, killing and destructive behavior. That would be the tendencies that will prevail.
I find this explanation of karma very compelling and scary because i witness this all the time first hand that’s why we have to constantly have to engage in purification practices to erase these sort of tendencies and to open tendencies towards spiritual practice and virtuous thoughts. That’s how I see it and how I find the Buddhist notion of karma very compelling