Dhamma Principles › Kamma in Seven Pairs
Core teachings

Kamma in Seven Pairs

จูฬกมฺมวิภงฺโค

The Buddha's answer to why people are born so differently — seven pairs of cause and result, from the Cūḷakammavibhaṅga Sutta.

7 points

The young brahmin Subha asked why human beings differ so much: in lifespan, health, appearance, influence, wealth, family and intelligence. The Buddha answered with a line that sums up the whole teaching on kamma: beings are owners of their actions, heirs to their actions, born of their actions.

He then analysed it into seven pairs, showing which kind of action leads to which kind of result. What repays careful reading is that all seven are things anyone can choose in the present — not an explanation designed to make people accept their lot.

  1. 1

    Killing ↔ not harming life → a short or a long life อปฺปายุกสํวตฺตนิกา

    One given to killing and harming living beings tends towards a short life; one who abstains from killing and has kindness towards all beings tends towards a long one.

    Applying it in daily life

    In daily terms this begins with not harming other lives or your own — sleep, food, and not damaging your body with accumulated stress.

  2. 2

    Injuring ↔ not injuring → much or little illness พหฺวาพาธสํวตฺตนิกา

    One given to hurting and injuring others tends towards frequent illness; one who does not injure tends towards good health.

    Applying it in daily life

    Practise laying down harm in deed and in speech, and notice your own body relax — resentment consumes the health of whoever carries it first.

  3. 3

    Anger ↔ freedom from anger → an unpleasant or a fair appearance ทุพฺพณฺณสํวตฺตนิกา

    One often angry, irritable and openly hostile tends towards an unattractive appearance; one not given to anger tends towards a bright one.

    Applying it in daily life

    This one shows day to day. Compare your face after a day of anger with your face after a day of calm, and the meaning becomes obvious.

  4. 4

    Envy ↔ freedom from envy → little or great influence อปฺเปสกฺขสํวตฺตนิกา

    One with an envious heart, displeased when others do well, tends towards having little influence; one free of envy and glad at others' success tends towards having much.

    Applying it in daily life

    Make gladness a habit: when someone does well, say one sincere line of congratulation. Those who can rejoice at others' success keep getting drawn into circles that grow.

  5. 5

    Not giving ↔ giving → little or great wealth อปฺปโภคสํวตฺตนิกา

    One who does not give and is stingy tends towards small means; one who gives tends towards great means.

    Applying it in daily life

    Start with giving you can genuinely sustain each month, however small. The habit of giving builds relationships and opportunities — the long-run sources of wealth.

  6. 6

    Arrogance ↔ humility → a low or a high family นีจกุลีนสํวตฺตนิกา

    One who is stiff with pride and does not honour those worthy of honour tends towards birth in a humble family; the humble tend towards birth in a respected one.

    Applying it in daily life

    Humility at work is the same principle with immediate results. Those who show respect at every level get supported by more people than they realise.

  7. 7

    Not asking the wise ↔ asking the wise → weak or strong discernment ทุปฺปญฺญสํวตฺตนิกา

    One who never approaches those who know to ask what is wholesome and what is not tends towards weak discernment; one who asks regularly tends towards strong discernment.

    Applying it in daily life

    Make a habit of asking good questions of people who really know, at least once a month. Wisdom doesn't come from sitting still; it comes from going and daring to ask.

Try it in daily life

Use this looking forward, not backward to assign blame: each pair says that if you want a certain result, begin the corresponding cause today.

Just as importantly, don't use kamma to judge another person's suffering as "deserved". In the Mahākammavibhaṅga Sutta the Buddha warned plainly that even those with the divine eye draw mistaken conclusions about others' kamma, because results unfold across time in ways the eye cannot follow.

Sign in to keep track of what you have read

Sources in the Tipiṭaka

Tap to read the actual passage on the page cited.

Other principles worth reading