Course of Action
Comparison of the Tenfold Wholesome Course
of Action to the Tenfold Unwholesome Course of
Action and the Vehicle for Kamma
| The Vehicle for Kamma |
The Tenfold Wholesome Course of Action |
The Tenfold Unwholesome Course of Action |
| Physical Deeds | 1.To abstain from taking the life of another living being. | 1.To intentionally take the life of another living being. |
| 2.To abstain from stealing. | 2.To intentionally steal from others. | |
| 3.To abstain from sexual misconduct. | 3.To intentionally commit sexual misconduct. |
|
| Verbal Deeds | 1.To abstain from false speech | 1.To intentionally practice falses peech. |
| 2.To abstain from divisive speech. | 2.To intentionally practice divisive speech. | |
| 3.To abstain from offensive language. | 3.To intentionally practice offensive language. | |
| 4.To abstain from nonsensical speech. | 4.To intentionally practice nonsensical speech. | |
| Mental Deeds | 1.Non-Covetousness. | 1.Covetousness. |
| 2.Not thinking about harming or exploiting others. | 2.Thinking about harming or exploiting others. | |
| 3.To have Right View. | 3.To have Wrong View. |
Kamma or an intentional act must be followed by its consequence. The Lord Buddha had the following to say about the Law of Kamma: "All beings possess their own Kamma, are heirs to their own Kamma. Their Kamma define their rebirth, their race, their refuge. Kamma differentiates beings into crudeness and refinement." A good deed gives rise to merit. Accumulated merit is in turn concentrated into Perfections and Perfections cause the individual's body, words, and thoughts to become purer and brighter. On the contrary, a bad deed gives rise to retribution. The ill consequences of repeated misdeeds make one's defilements more potent.
