Friends:

Which Intentional Actions (Kamma) influence Beauty?

A student once asked the Buddha:
Master Gotama, what is the cause and condition why some human beings
are beautiful, while others are ugly ?

The Blessed Buddha then explained:
Here, friend, some man or woman is of an angry and irritable temperament,
even when criticized a little, such one is offended, becomes angry, hostile,
and resentful, and retorts with anger, hate and bitterness...
Because of intending and performing such action, at the breakup of the body,
right after death, such one is reborn in a state of affliction, in a miserable
destination, in the painful purgatory, or even in the hells...
But if such one at the breakup of the body, right after death, is not reborn
in an state of deprivation, a painful destination, the purgatory, or in the hells,
but instead comes back to the human state, then wherever such one is reborn
such one is ugly, unattractive, unsightly and repulsive #!
These are the actions, friend, leading to future ugliness: One is often angry,
and of easily irritable temperament, even when criticized a little, such one
is offended, becomes angry, hostile, resentful, & retorts hate & bitterness!
However, friend, any man or woman, who is neither angry nor irritable even
when criticized a lot, such one is not offended, does neither become angry,
nor hostile, nor revengeful, nor does such display anger, hate, or bitterness,
because of intending & undertaking such good action, at breakup of the body,
right after death, such one reappears in a pleasurable and happy destination,
even in the divine dimensions! But if at the breakup of the body, right after
death, such one is not reborn in a happy destination, in the heavenly worlds,
but instead comes back to a human state, then wherever such one reappears,
such one is beautiful %! This is the way, friend, leading to beauty, one is not
angry and of easily irritable temperament, even when criticized a little one is
not offended, one does neither become angry, nor hostile, nor resentful, nor
does one display any anger, hatred, nor any bitterness...

#: Such one escapes hell, because the evil kamma is modified by past good!
%: Such one miss heaven, because the good kamma is modified by past evil!

Source:
The Moderate speeches of the Buddha: The short speech on Action. MN 135
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=25072X Full Text:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn135a.html

For details on the mechanics of Kamma = Intentional Action see:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_is_intention.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Buddha_on_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Good_Action_dilutes_Evil_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_short_&_long_life.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Health_&_Sickness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Low_or_High_Birth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Wealth_or_Poverty.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Beauty_&_Ugliness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Effect_of_Action_(kamma)_is_Delayed.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Power_or_Disrespect.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Evil_Kamma_enhances_other_Evil_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Good_Action_enhances_other_Good_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Stupidity_or_Intelligence.htm

 

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Updated: 22 Nov 2009 http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Beauty_&_Ugliness.htm