🌱Day 78: 🌱Why Are Some People Naturally Beautiful While Others Struggle?: Understanding Kamma Through the Cūḷakammavibhaṅga Sutta | Study Notes from BMV Monday Sutta Study with Bhante Dr. G. Chandima

The Path to Ugliness

Pāli (excerpt):

"Idha, māṇava, ekacco itthī vā puriso vā kodhano hoti upāyāsabahulo. Appampi vutto samāno abhisajjati kuppati byāpajjati patiṭṭhīyati kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti. So tena kammena evaṁ samattena evaṁ samādinnena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati. No ce kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati, sace manussattaṁ āgacchati yattha yattha paccājāyati dubbaṇṇo hoti. Dubbaṇṇasaṁvattanikā esā, māṇava, paṭipadā yadidaṁ—kodhano hoti upāyāsabahulo; appampi vutto samāno abhisajjati kuppati byāpajjati patiṭṭhīyati kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti."

Here, student, some man or woman is of an angry and irritable character; even when criticised a little, he is offended, becomes angry, hostile, and resentful, and displays anger, hate, and bitterness. Because of performing and undertaking such action…he reappears in a state of deprivation…But if instead he comes back to the human state, then wherever he is reborn he is ugly. This is the way, student, that leads to ugliness, namely, one is of an angry and irritable character…and displays anger, hate, and bitterness.

The Path to a Pleasant Appearance

Pāli (excerpt):

"Idha pana, māṇava, ekacco itthī vā puriso vā akkodhano hoti anupāyāsabahulo; bahumpi vutto samāno nābhisajjati na kuppati na byāpajjati na patiṭṭhīyati na kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti. So tena kammena evaṁ samattena evaṁ samādinnena kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati. No ce kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati, sace manussattaṁ āgacchati yattha yattha paccājāyati pāsādiko hoti. Pāsādikasaṁvattanikā esā, māṇava, paṭipadā yadidaṁ—akkodhano hoti anupāyāsabahulo; bahumpi vutto samāno nābhisajjati na kuppati na byāpajjati na patiṭṭhīyati na kopañca dosañca appaccayañca pātukaroti."

But here, student, some man or woman is not of an angry and irritable character; even when criticised a lot, he is not offended, does not become angry, hostile, and resentful, and does not display anger, hate, and bitterness. Because of performing and undertaking such action…he reappears in a happy destination…But if instead he comes back to the human state, then wherever he is reborn he is beautiful. This is the way, student, that leads to being beautiful, namely, one is not of an angry and irritable character…and does not display anger, hate, and bitterness.

"Your current appearance isn’t a random genetic accident. It’s karmic artistry may be shaped by your emotional habits—especially how you’ve handled anger."

1. 🧠 Kamma Shapes the Body—Not Just the Mind

According to the Cūḷakammavibhaṅga Sutta (MN 135), the Buddha reveals that physical appearance in a future birth may be conditioned by our mental conduct in past lives, particularly how we handle anger, resentment, and irritation.

Ugliness isn’t punishment—it can be a natural karmic effect of harsh, hostile mind-states.

Beauty isn’t reward—it’s the visible fruit of inner peace and emotional mastery.

🔁 Kamma isn’t arbitrary—it’s lawful. Just as overeating leads to weight gain, emotional violence distorts future appearance.

2. 🔥 The True Cause of Ugliness: Anger Gone Unchecked

The sutta says clearly: those who are…

Short-tempered
Easily offended by the slightest criticism
Frequently irritated
Prone to hatred, blame, or mental revenge

…tend to be reborn in unpleasant forms, ugly in appearance, or even in lower realms, depending on the intensity of that kamma.

💣 Anger is not merely a bad emotion—it is a mental state that must be transformed into loving-kindness, not tolerated or suppressed. If left untrained, it becomes a karmic sculptor of future pain/suffering.

3. 🌟 The Secret Behind Natural Beauty: Non-Anger

The Buddha contrasts that with those who:
Are patient under pressure
Don’t retaliate when insulted
Remain calm even when criticized
Do not hold grudges

These beings are said to be reborn in heavenly realms. And if they return to human life, they are visibly beautiful, graceful, and pleasant to behold (pāsādika).

This is not aesthetic luck—it's spiritual causality.

🪷 The 11 Benefits of Mettā (Loving-Kindness) Mettānisaṁsa Sutta (Aṅguttara Nikāya 11.15)

1. Sukhaṁ supati – One sleeps happily
2. Sukhaṁ paṭibujjhati – One wakes happily
3. Na pāpakaṁ supinaṁ passati – One does not see evil dreams
4. Manussānaṁ piyo hoti – One is dear to human beings
5. Amanussānaṁ piyo hoti – One is dear to non-human beings
6. Devatā rakkhanti – Deities protect one
7. Nāssa aggi vā visaṁ vā satthaṁ vā kamati – Fire, poison, and weapons do not harm one
8. Tuvatṁ Cittaṁ samādhiyati– One attains concentration easily
9. Mukhavaṇṇo vippasīdati – One’s facial complexion becomes serene and radiant
10. Asammūḷho kālaṁ karoti – One dies unconfused and with mindfulness
11. Uttariṁ appaṭivijjhanto brahmalokaṁ upapajjati – If no higher realization is attained, one is reborn in the Brahma world

4. 🪶 You Can Read Your Past by Looking in the Mirror

The Buddha gives us a mirror—not of glass, but of kamma.

Ask yourself:

Do I feel unattractive, even when I try?
Do people feel uneasy around me?
Is my presence dull, my face tight, my energy draining?

This may reflect an emotional pattern of aggression from a past life—not a curse. Understanding this brings freedom, not shame. While we acknowledge karma, we are not bound to suffer passively. We can respond wisely, take conscious steps to transform our body image, and cultivate the qualities that shape both inner and outer beauty.

💡 To see your past kamma, look at your present body.
To see your future body, watch your present mind.

5. 🧘 Changing Your Future Face: What to Practice Now

Want to be beautiful in future lives? Practice the following daily:

Loving-kindness (mettā): Softens the face, polishes the aura.
Patience (khanti): Builds karmic immunity to criticism.
Forgiveness (khama): Dissolves subtle resentment.
Right Speech (sammā-vācā): Prevents harsh verbal kamma.
Mindfulness (sati): Helps intercept reactive emotion before it manifests.

📿 Each moment of calm in the storm is a facial upgrade in your saṁsāric passport.

6. 🧪 Modern Insight: How Inner States Affect Outer Form

Even modern science shows that:

Chronic anger distorts facial muscles, increases stress hormones, and ages the skin.

Regular loving-kindness and meditation increase facial warmth, emotional attractiveness, and even immune health.

🧬 The body listens. The cells remember. The face reflects.

What science begins to see, the Buddha already taught:
Mind and matter are inseparably intertwined.

7. 🕯️ What If I Was Born Unattractive? Should I Suffer for It?

No. But instead of self-pity, consider this:

Ugliness is not your fault—but it is your karmic opportunity.
This is your starting point for reversing the cycle.
Right now, every moment of non-anger begins rewriting the blueprint of your next body.

🌱 From rage to radiance—through mindful restraint.

8. 🧭 A Buddhist Beauty Manifesto for This Life and Beyond

✅ Don't suppress anger. Transcend it.
✅ Don't hate your appearance. Understand it.
✅ Don't resent criticism. See it as an opportunity to practice patience.
✅ Don’t curse your past. Bless your future by healing your present.

✨ Final Realization: Karma Wears a Face

“The calm glow of a peaceful mind cannot be faked.
The harsh lines of anger cannot be hidden.
One creates the next face—long before the mirror reflects it.”

🔁 You don’t need to wait until next life to begin changing your presence. 

People will start noticing. You will start glowing.

The most attractive thing in the world is a non-angry being.