🌱Day 79: 🌱Why Are Some People Uninfluential While Others are Influential?: Understanding Kamma Through the Cūḷakammavibhaṅga Sutta | Study Notes from BMV Monday Sutta Study with Bhante Dr. G. Chandima
Pāli (excerpt):
Pāli (excerpt):
1. Envy is the Karma That Erodes Social Gravity
“Paralābha-sakkāra-garukāra-mānana-vandana-pūjanāsu issati…”-
This describes the tendency to mentally burn when others receive gains, recognition, honour, esteem, reverence, and offerings.
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In modern life: doomscrolling in jealousy, comparing accolades on LinkedIn, craving the spotlight others occupy.
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Insight: Every time the mind tightens around someone else’s success, one knots the karmic thread of appesakkha—destined for insignificance. The envious mind is clouded and incapable of discernment.
🪷 What to Practice:
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Daily reflection on the impermanence/ changes (aniccā) of fame and gain to weaken craving.
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Keep a gratitude journal for others' success, deliberately noting three things you admire each day.
2. True Influence Is Rooted in Muditā, Not Metrics
“Na issati, na upadussati, na issaṃ bandhati…”-
The ethical path to mahesakkha begins when one no longer envies, harms, or internally binds to jealousy.
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In digital terms: not resenting someone’s viral post or accolades.
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Insight: Celebrating others' joy (muditā) becomes the kammic soil for future social and moral influence.
🪷 What to Practice:
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Formal meditation on muditā (uplifting phrases: “May your happiness continue!”).
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Comment publicly with joy on others’ achievements instead of comparing.
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Actively support others’ projects without centering your own worth.
3. The Resentful Eye Leads to Obscurity
“So tena kammena… appesakkho hoti…”-
Envy may feel passive, but it generates an active karmic imprint.
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In life: those obsessed with "why not me?" silently repel others.
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Insight: The karmic fruit of envy is not punishment—it is becoming socially weightless.
🪷 What to Practice:
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When resentment arises, name it mentally as “issā, issā…” to defuse its power.
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Replace "Why not me?" with "How beautiful for them".
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Cultivate service—do something good anonymously each week.
4. Humility Attracts What Envy Chases Away
“Mahesakkhasaṃvattanikā esā… yadidaṃ anissāmanako hoti…”-
The absence of envy naturally gives rise to social, moral, and spiritual power.
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Today’s leaders who uplift others without craving spotlight often command deeper, long-term influence.
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Insight: True influence emerges from non-grasping. The less one clings to status, the more status adheres to them karmically.
🪷 What to Practice:
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Practice intentional non-boasting (Cetanā of Right Speech): avoid subtly inflating your own achievements.
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Train in rejoicing silently rather than performing for praise.
5. Envy in Silence Is Still a Loud Kamma
“Upadussati, issaṃ bandhati…”-
“Harboring envy” (issaṃ bandhati) doesn't require outward aggression—just internal seething.
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In modern terms: smiling publicly but resenting inwardly.
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Insight: Silent comparison is noiseless karmic sabotage; it doesn’t go unseen by the law of kamma.
🪷 What to Practice:
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Use Satipaṭṭhāna on vedanā to catch the “sting” of comparison and remain with it without reacting.
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Offer dedication of merits (puññānumodana) for those you envy.
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Develop the habit of inner applause—mentally cheer others' goodness.
6. Digital Jealousy is a Daily Karmic Practice
“Paralābha… vandana-pūjanāsu issati…”-
Modern application: Reacting with bitterness to others' likes, promotions, book deals, or Dhamma success.
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Insight: Every online engagement shapes either appesakkha or mahesakkha tendencies.
🪷 What to Practice:
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When envy arises on social media, close the app, breathe, and recite: “Sabbe sattā sukhitā hontu.”
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Practice digital fasting from envy-prone platforms.
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Follow more Dhamma content than personal achievement feeds.
7. Non-Competition Is Revolutionary Karma
“Na issati… mahesakkho hoti…”-
In a world built on rivalries, refusing to compete creates a spiritual shockwave.
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Insight: In Early Buddhism, ethical detachment is the source of charisma, not performance.
🪷 What to Practice:
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Be a mentor not a rival—share your resources without gatekeeping.
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Reflect on kamma as your only inheritance (Kammassakā: AN 5.57)
8. Praise Without Poison Is Rare and Radiant
“Na upadussati…”-
Even when praising others, subtle envy may creep in (“I could have done better”).
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True anissā is free from hidden agendas.
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Insight: Clean praise without internal bitterness purifies the speaker and plants karmic seeds of trustworthiness.
🪷 What to Practice:
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Before praising, check intention: “Is this praise meant to elevate or manipulate?”
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Write handwritten letters or comments of genuine appreciation.
9. The Karma of Status Cannot Be Hacked
“Evaṃ samattena evaṃ samādinnena…”-
“Having fully performed and undertaken such kamma…” — i.e., karmic status cannot be manufactured through image-building.
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Modern delusion: Success = visibility + manipulation.
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Insight: The sutta says only ethical transformation, not strategy, alters your karmic social position.
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Dhammapada 84 — “Let none seek fame by improper means.”
🪷 What to Practice:
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Observe Right Living (sammā-ājīva) — do not seek honor through deception or manipulation.
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Let actions speak more than curated images. Engage in silent merit-making.
10. Influence Is Not Something You Build — It's What You Become
“Yattha yattha paccājāyati mahesakkho hoti…”-
Influence is not tied to circumstance, geography, or platform—it follows the being wherever they are reborn.
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Insight: Ethical influence is portable. It’s not bound by algorithms, institutions, or approval—it is karmic weight.
🪷 What to Practice:
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Cultivate Sīla–Samādhi–Paññā consistently—even in small, unseen ways.
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Be an ethical presence in private spaces, not just public platforms.
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Reflect deeply on: “Attā hi attano nātho” — “You are your own protector.” (Dhp 160)
📿 Final Reflection:
Envy is the kamma of the small-hearted.
Muditā is the kamma of the influential.
The one who lets others shine will never lack light.
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