Subsequently Effective Kamma
(Upa-pajja-veda-niya-kamma)
1. The Meaning of Subsequently Effective Kamma
Subsequently Effective Kamma means Kamma which will definitely give its consequences in the next lifetime.
2. Characteristics of Subsequently Effective Kamma
Subsequently Effective Kamma will give its consequences in the next lifetime because it is performed during the seventh thought-moment or the seventh 'Javana-citta.' It means that when an unwholesome or wholesome Kamma which is performed during the first thought-moment (Effective Kamma) does not have the opportunity to send its consequences then it is up to Subsequently Effective Kamma to give its consequences in the next lifetime. There are two types of Subsequently Effective Kamma: Unwholesome Subsequently Effective Kamma and wholesome Subsequently Effective Kamma.
3. Unwholesome Subsequently Effective Kamma is a grave Kamma
and includes the five types of Ananta-riya-kamma and Nitaya-miccha-ditthi-kamma. As in the case in the Tripitaka:
'The Hereafter of the Layman 'Nandiya' and His Wife 'Revadi'
There was once in the city of Benares a very wealthy family. The family members had Right View and were devout Buddhists. When the son of this family whose name was 'Nandiya' was of age, his parents arranged his marriage to a woman named 'Revadi. Since Revadi was not a person of faith and was miserly by nature, Nandiya did not want to marry her. His parents came up with a scheme to have Revadi come to live in the house and pretend to be a lay-devotee. Revadi decided to go along with the plan and Nandiya eventually decided to marry her.
After Nandiya's parents died, Revadi was in charge of the household. The more Nandiya supported Buddhism, the more devoted he was to the Lord Buddha's Teachings. Once he commissioned four great pavilions to be built in the deer sanctuary. They were subsequently furnished with beds, chairs, tables, etc. To celebrate the completion of the pavilions, Nandiya invited a large number of monks presided over by the Lord Buddha to attend the celebration. When everything was ready, Nandiya offered the pavilions to the Buddhist monks by pouring water onto the Lord Buddha's hand to signify the transfer of ownership. In that instant, Nandiya's celestial mansion which was decorated with seven types of precious gems, 192 kilometers wide, 192 kilometers long, and 1,600 kilometers high along with 1,000 celestial attendants appeared instantly in the Tavatimsa Realm.
Later, Nandiya was out of town for many days to conduct his business transaction so he asked Revadi to take care of the offering of alms to the Buddhist monks and the poor on his behalf. She continued to give alms for only a couple of days and then stopped doing it altogether. Besides, she gave alms with disrespect by offering putrid leftovers to the monks. The monks had to throw the contents away after they returned to the temple. When Revadi heard about this, she made it a point to vilify the monks and to stop alms-giving altogether.
When Nandiya returned home and heard about Revadi's treatment of the Buddhist monks, he chased Revadi out of the house. He resumed his alms-giving to the Lord Buddha, the Buddhist monks and the poor. After he died, he was reborn in the Tavatimsa Realm enjoying the ecstasy of his celestial estate. Revadi returned home to inherit her husband's fortune. She did not continue with the alms-giving. Moreover, she continued to vilify the Buddhist monks. One night during her sleep, she heard a voice above her saying "Seven days from now, Revadi, you will die and be reborn in the Hell Realm."
Revadi was terror-stricken and had the doors of her castle bolted shut. On the seventh day, King Vessuvan commanded two Yakkha subjects to bring Revadi around the city for the masses to see before taking her to the Tavatimsa Realm to show her Nandiya's celestial estate. Afterward, they took her to the hell realm of Ussadanarok. The hell denizens immediately cut off her hands, her feet, her ears, her nose, and left what was left of her body to be pecked at by a flock of hell crows.
Revadi's grave misdeed of vilifying the Buddhist monks who practiced righteousness became unwholesome Subsequently Effective Kamma which gave its consequences in the following existence.
4. Wholesome Subsequently Effective Kamma
is a weighty Kamma and includes the eight types of Mahac-cata-kusala that allows an individual to attain the Jhanas. When the individual dies, hism Jhana attainments will cause him to be reborn in the Brahma Realm. If the Jhana attainments are weak then the Kamma will turn into Defunct Kamma as in the following case study.
A Yogi's Ascetic Practice Was Undermined.
A long, long time ago in the city of Benares, our Bodhisatta was reborn a Brahmin by the name of 'Udicca.' After graduating from the arts, he ordained as a Yogi and went to live in the Himavanta Forest. There he had practiced meditation until he attained the Jhanas and Supernormal Powers. In the forest there was a doe which grazed on grass and drank water from the Yogi's urinal pit which contained his semen. The doe felt a deep devotion for the Yogi and eventually became pregnant. She gave birth to a male infant and the Yogi named him 'Isi-singa.' After Isi-singa grew up, he ordained as a Yogi and practiced meditation by gazing at an object until he attained the Jhanas and Supernormal Powers. He had diligently practiced going in and out of each Jhana so expertly that King Sakka became anxious that he would soon be out of power and be replaced by Isi-singa as a result of his Perfections and Precepts. King Sakka felt that he had to do something to destroy the Yogi's Precepts. Therefore, he caused no rain to fall in the kingdom of Kasika for three whole years. People suffered tremendous hardship and asked their king for help. King Sakka subsequently appeared to the king of Kasika and told him that "The Yogi Isi-singa's ascetic practice is so bold and strong that he is causing drought by staring into the air. To correct the situation, his ascetic practice must be destroyed." The king decided to send his daughter, Princess Nalinika, to go and do the job of destroying the Yogi's ascetic practice.
One day, our Bodhisatta, the Yogi 'Udicca' left his son alone in the ashram while he went into the forest to look for fruit. Princess Nalinika under the guise of a Yogi went into the ashram and caused Isi-singa's practice of chastity to be violated. Having finished her assignment, she immediately returned to the city. Our Bodhisatta returned to find his son in a delirious state and knew that his son's chastity had been violated. He said to Isi-singa, "Behold, son, there are Yakkhas who go around the Human Realm and assume different forms in order to consume human beings that fall under their powers. Therefore, a wise person does not associate with Yakkhas. In the same manner, the practice of chastity comes to an end when one falls for someone in the guise of a Yogi. A Yakkhini has indeed found you but has not eaten you up yet."
Isi-singa's awareness returned as a result of his father's words. He began to practice the Four Noble Sentiments which include loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. As a result of these practices, he was able to regain the Jhanas and Supernormal Powers. He had practiced the Four Noble Sentiments for the rest of his life. After he died, his wholesome Upa-pajja-veda-niya- kamma caused him to be reborn in the Brahma Realm.
Both unwholesome and wholesome Upa-pajja-veda-niya-kamma gives their consequences according to the gravity level of each Upa-pajja-veda-niya-kamma. When a number of unwholesome Upa-pajja-veda-niya-kamma have been performed, the gravest Kamma will give its consequences as soon as the individual dies. For example, if an individual commits all five types of Ananta-riya-kamma, after he dies, Sangha-bheda, which is the gravest type of Ananta-riya-kamma, will cause the individual to be reborn in the Hell Realm. At the same time, the rest of the Ananta-riya-kamma will immediately become Ahosikamma and will never give their consequences.
