8 (Day) Notes | Sutta Study @ Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields | Bhante Dr. G. Chandima

A life lived skillfully

"Having thus gone forth, following the training & way of life of the monks, abandoning the taking of life, he abstains from the taking of life. He dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down, scrupulous, kind, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings. Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given. He takes only what is given, accepts only what is given, lives not by stealth but by means of a self that has become pure. Abandoning uncelibacy, he lives a celibate life, aloof, refraining from the sexual act that is the villager's way."

— AN X 99

A layperson's skillfulness

"And how is one made pure in three ways by bodily action? There is the case where a certain person, abandoning the taking of life, abstains from the taking of life. He dwells with his rod laid down, his knife laid down, scrupulous, merciful, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings. Abandoning the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given. He does not take, in the manner of a thief, things in a village or a wilderness that belong to others and have not been given by them. Abandoning sensual misconduct, he abstains from sensual misconduct. He does not get sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another man. This is how one is made pure in three ways by bodily action."

— AN X 176

1. What is kammanta ( action)?

We already discussed mano kamma (diṭṭhi, saṅkappa) and vacī  kamma (vācā). Now here with kammanta, we are going to talk about kāya kamma.

mano kamma（diṭṭhi, saṅkappa）ーinside (invisible) AT THIS LEVEL vacī  kamma (vācā)・kāya kamma（kammanta）ーoutside (visible)

But your vacī  kamma  and kāya kamma display what you already have in mano kamma. So in vacī  and kāya kamma what we can see is what you already have in your mind.

2. What is sammā kammanta? /what is micchā kammanta?

Three bodily action

"And what is the right action?
Abstaining from taking life,
abstaining from stealing,
abstaining from sexual misconduct.

This is called right action.

3. Why is  sammā kammanta important?

It is one of the sīla parts. Other factors regarding sīla are sammā vācā and sammā ājīva.

sīla- vācā, kammanta, ājīva
samādhi- vāyāma, sati, samādhi
paññā- diṭṭhi, saṅkappa

4. How to practice sammā kammanta properly?

You must have 3 supporting factors to practice sammā kammanta.
(sammā diṭṭhi, sammā vāyāma and sammā sati)

5. What is the connection of sammā kammanta to the five precepts?

The five precepts’ first 3 are sammā kammanta.

The precepts are not a list of commandments like in other religions. Instead, they describe how a good person naturally lives and responds to life's challenges. As we work with the precepts, we learn to live harmoniously and compassionately.

・The first training involves respecting life.

In awareness of the pain caused by the destruction of life,

We work to practice metta and protect all living things.

・The second training involves generosity. Giving.
・The third training involves sexuality and avoiding sexual misconduct.

Living harmoniously and compassionately.

(how to live harmoniously and compassionately? It is only by practicing sammā vācā, sammā kammanta and sammā ājīva. But you still need to work on your mind because if you do not take care of your mind, you cannot and will not be able to be a peaceful person)

6. Does the absence of these 3 make you a sīla (ethical or virtuous) person?

No, the Buddha talks about that sīla requires intention/volition.

Eg- 3 month old infant breaks none of the precepts, but he/she is not a virtuous person although the baby does not do any harm like a bad person. But the baby is not intentionally moral. So he or she needs understanding and intention. It is not merely the inability to violate any of the five precepts. That is why this is called sīla perspective of the path.

Sīla being virtue, samādhi being concentration and paññā being wisdom.

What we have to learn here is the misunderstanding that a lot of people think that Sīla has no intention/volition. Actually, kamma always works with intention/volition, so even if you physically refrain from three bad actions, if you still do it in your mind, you still break the 3 parts of sammā kammanta.

7. Is sammā kammanta connected to compassion? How conscious decision-making leads to compassionate action?

Yes, only when we are compassionate to ourselves and others, we do not kill, steal and try to misbehave with other men or women. 

8. Is sammā kammanta connected to mindfulness (sati) training? Do you need sampajañña (full awareness) too?

Yes, if you can be mindful, you cannot kill, steal or misbehave (be with other people’s man or woman). Sampajañña helps us to identify the mindful nature of the action of practicing sammā kammanta.

9. The practice of sammā kammanta  starts from sammā diṭṭhi.

Yes, if we have the right view as the first step, then we do not kill, steal or misbehave. So we can prevent all three very early.

10. Is sammā kammanta a virati cetasikas?

Yes, This is given in Abhidhamma’s cetasika section (There are 25 good cetasikas in Abhidhamma and sammā kammanta is one of them). When we refrain from micchā kammanta, we have sammā kammanta.

Someone may now inquire, "If it is a physical activity, how did sammā kammanta become a mental factor?" (cetasika) The explanation is that sammā kammanta is more than simply a physical action; it begins with intentions.

11. How to practice sammā kammanta?

Make sure that you do not kill any being
Make sure you do not steal anyone’s things
Make sure you have sex with your partner only.

In a positive way

Respecting life.practicing metta. (make sure the safety of all
living beings) ----------------- (first precept)

Generosity, giving, only take what others give you, do not be greedy for other what people have ------------------ (second precept)

Avoid sexual misconduct and if you are in a relationship, practice sexual conduct.--------------- (third precept)