Ledi Sayadaw, The Manual of Light (Alin-Kyan), Chapter One, “The Stark Ignorance of Kamma (Kamma-sammoha) and the First Light (Kammassakata-nana).”
The Stark Ignorance of Kamma (Kamma-sammoha) and the First Light (Kammassakata-nana)
Knowledge in seeing that all beings have Kamma only as their own property.
I shall now set forth the first pair - Kamma-sammoha and Kammassakata-nana. Of these kamma-sammoha means:-
Not understanding kamma, and
Not understanding the resultant of kamma.
Not understanding kamma.
Not understanding the fact that all beings have kamma only as their own property; that they must inherit their own kamma: that kamma alone is their origin; that kamma alone is their real relative; and that kamma alone is their real refuge.
Not understanding which of their actions - bodily, verbal, or mental - are unwholesome in the sense that they are kammically unprofitable (a-kusalo).[1]
Not understanding the fact that unwholesome actions bring unwholesome resultants in their future births, and would cast them down into the Four Lower Worlds of unfortunate existences (apaya).
Not understanding which of their actions - bodily, verbal, or mental - are wholesome i.e., kammically profitable (kusalo).[2]
Not understanding the fact that wholesome actions bring wholesome resultants in their future births, and would send them to the fortunate existences of the human world and the world of devas. Not understanding the nature and characteristics of kamma in the above stated manner therefore amounts to ‘not understanding kamma’.
Not understanding the resultant of kamma:
Not understanding the fact that lives of beings do not end at their biological death, but that they would arise in another existence where their kamma casts them, sends them, drags them. assigns them, or places them.
Not understanding the fact that there exist an infinite number of sentient beings - though not visible to the ordinary human eye - in the tortuous worlds of niraya, hungry spirits (petas), fallen spirits (asurakdvas), and animals (some species common to human knowledge.)[3]
Not understanding the fact that if they commit unwholesome acts they are liable to be born in those four lower worlds (apaya), after their death.
Not understanding the fact that there exist infinite numbers and types of human beings, visible to the ordinary human eye, as well as an infinite number of spirits and devas, good or bad, together with those inhabiting the six deva lokas (worlds) and higher up, the Brahma Lokas of the Fine-Material Realms (rupa brahmas) and Non-Material Realms (arupa brahmas).
Not understanding the fact that through acquisition of merit such as giving (dana), virtue or morality (sila) and developing concentration (bhavana) beings are bound to be born in those fortunate planes of the human world and the celestial realms of devas and brahmas.
Not understanding the fact that there exists the round of births (samsara), that is beginningless and endless.
Not understanding the fact that all beings are subjected to good or bad destinies through their own acts, good or bad as the case may be, and that beings are born from existence to existence, incessantly, according as their own kamma dictates.[4]
Failure in understanding all those things is called Stark Ignorance of Kamma or kamma-sammoha.
(Here ends a brief exposition of the First Stark Ignorance.)
(B) 1: Kammassakata-nana.- (The First Light):-
Kammassakata-nana means:-
Understanding kamma, and
Understanding the resultant of kamma.
Understanding ‘kamma’ and its resultant:
Understanding the fact that all beings have kamma only as their own property; that they must inherit their own kamma; that kamma alone is their real relative; and that kamma alone is their real refuge.
Understanding which of their actions - bodily, verbal, mental - are unwholesome or kammically unprofitable, that they would bring unwholesome resultants in their future births, and would cast them down into the Four Lower Worlds.
Understanding that such and such actions of theirs are wholesome or kammically profitable; that they would bring wholesome resultants in their future births, and would send them to the fortunate existences of the human world and the worlds of devas.
To understand all those things is called Kammassakata-nana
(Here ends a brief exposition of Kammassakata-nana.)
Dreadful indeed is the Stark Ignorance of kamma. All sorts of wrong views (miccha-ditthi) stem from it. Kammassakata-nana, (on the other hand), is the refuge for the wayfarers of samsara, the beginningless round of births. It is only under the guidance of this Light that beings do meritorious things such as giving, observe morality, or develop mental concentration and attain successful existences as men or devas or Brahmas. And it is this Light that enables one to practise wholesome deeds to perfection (parami kusalo) that are the prerequisites for enlightenment of all classes such as the Perfect Self-Enlightenment of a Buddha. or the solitary Self-Enlightenment of a Pacceka-buddha, or the arahatship as Noble Disciples (savaka bodhi).
The Light of Kammassakata-nana exists in those men and devas in the innumerable universes or world systems, who have Right View or Samma ditthi. In our universe too, even during the ‘empty’ kappas, i.e., where the world goes without the benefit of any Buddha, this Light exists. By Right View (samma ditthi), of course, we mean this Light of Kammassakata-nana.
At the present time this Light prevails among the Buddhists and Hindus in the world. Among people of other creeds, and among animals, this Light does not exist. Few among the inhabitants of the tortuous realms of niraya, the fallen spirits (asurakaya world) and the hungry spirits (peta world) have the benefit of this Light. Those beings who do not possess such Light dwell in the darkness of kamma-sammoha. As they are enveloped in Stark Ignorance, the path leading to successful existences in their round of births is lost to them. And being incapable of lifting themselves up to the fortunate planes of human, deva or Brahma existences, they are destined to go down to the Lower Worlds, whose portals are ever wide open. For these people, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of existences may pass without their ever getting the slightest benefit of this beneficient Light.
Only in the case of a confirmed Buddha-to-be, i.e., a bodhisatta who has obtained the word of assurance from a living Buddha about his future Buddhahood in specific terms, has the shroud of ignorance been lifted already so that even when born an animal, he is yet endowed with this Light. Considering the fact that this Light belongs to the holders of Right View even during the world-cycles (systems) or kappas devoid of any Buddha. and in those universes that lack the benefit of a Buddha’s arising; and also considering the fact that Buddhas do not arise in the world only to expound this Light but to expound the Light of Knowledge that penetrates the Four Noble Truths (catu sacca pativedha-nana); the Light of Kammassakata-nana cannot be called the Light of the Buddha’s Teaching - in spite of its occurrence in many a Buddhist text. For it is merely a worldly Light, the Light that does not shed its rays beyond samsara. People who have the benefit of the Buddha’s Teaching, therefore, if they are wise enough, will not remain satisfied with the mere Light of Kammassakata-nana - which is not really meant by the Buddha - but will rouse themselves up to acquire the true light of the Buddha’s Teaching. For this indeed is the wise course.
(Here ends the exposition of the first pair - Stark Ignorance of Kamma and the First Light.)