Which Intentional
Actions (Kamma) influence Social Status?
A student once asked the Buddha:
Master Gotama, what is the cause and condition why some
humans are reborn into high social status,
while others are reborn into a low social status?
The Blessed Buddha then explained:
Here, friend, some man or woman is obstinate and arrogant; such one does
neither pay respect to one
who should receive respect, nor do such one rise up for one
in whose presence one should rise up,
nor do such one offer a seat to one who
indeed deserves a seat, nor do such one make way for one for
whom one ought to make
way, nor do such one honour, esteem, revere, and venerate one who should
be honoured, esteemed, revered, and venerated. Because of intending and
performing such action,
at the
breakup of
the
body,
right after death, such one is reborn in a bad state of deprivation,
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
low-born, of low rank, in a low social status family #!
This is the way, friend,
that leads to low birth, namely, one is obstinate and arrogant and one does not
pay respect to one who should receive respect, does not rise up for one in whose presence such
one must
rise up, does not offer a seat to one who deserves a seat, does not
make way for one for whom, one ought
to make way, and does not honour, esteem, revere, and venerate, one who deserves to be honoured,
esteemed, revered, and venerated..!
However, friend, here some man or woman is neither obstinate nor arrogant. They do indeed pay respect
to one who should receive respect, rise up for one in
whose presence one should rise up, offer a seat to
one who deserves a seat, make way
for one for whom, one should make way for, and honour, respect,
revere, and venerate one who ought to be honoured, respected, revered,
and venerated!
Because of intending and performing such advantageous action,
at breakup of the body, after death,
such one reappears in
a pleasurable and happy destination, even in the divine dimensions!
But if at the breakup
of the body, after
death, such one is not reborn in
a happy destination, in the divine
worlds,
but instead comes back here to the human
state, then wherever such one reappears,
such one is high born, reborn into a prominent family and high rank
and social status %!
This is the way, student, that leads being high born, namely, one is
neither obstinate nor arrogant;
and one do indeed pay respect to one who deserves to receive
respect, one do indeed rise up for one
in whose presence one should rise up, one do offer
a seat to one who deserves a seat, one do make way
for one for whom such one
should make way for, and one do indeed honour, respect, revere, and venerate
any one who
ought to be honoured, respected, revered, and naturally venerated...
#: 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!
For details on the mechanics
of Kamma = Intentional Action see:
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_is_intention.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Buddha_on_Kamma.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Good_Action_dilutes_Evil_Kamma.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_short_vs_long_life.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Health_vs_Sickness.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Low_or_High_Birth.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Wealth_or_Poverty.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Beauty_vs_Ugliness.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Effect_of_kammic_Action_is_Delayed.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Power_or_Disrespect.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Evil_Kamma_enhances_other_Evil_Kamma.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Good_Action_enhances_other_Good_Kamma.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Stupidity_or_Intelligence.htm
Source:
The Moderate speeches of the
Buddha: The short speech on Action. MN 135
http://store.pariyatti.org/Middle-Length-Discourses-of-the-Buddha_p_1543.html Full Text:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.135.nymo.html
