Part 5 - On those who bind karma

Q. 30. Bhante! Does a female bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does a male bind? Dees an impotent bind? Does a non-female non-male non-impotent⁶ bind?

A. 30. Gautama! A female binds, so does a male and so does an impotent. A non-female non-male nonimpotent sometimes binds and sometimes dees not bind. This is relevant of the seven types of karma, karma binding life-span excepted.

Q. 31. Bhante! Does a female bind karma determining life-span? Does a male bind? Does an impotent bind? And so on,

A. 31. Gautama! A female sometimes binds and sometimes does not. Like this, all the three. A non-female non-male non-impotent does not (bind karma determining life-span).

Q. 32. Bhante! Does the restrained bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does the unrestrained bind? Dees the restrained-unrestrained bind? Or, does the non-restrained non-unrestrained non-restrained-unrestrained bird?

A. 32. Gautama! The restrained sometimes binds and sometimes does not bind. The unrestrained binds. The restrained-unrestrained also binds. The non-restrained non-unrestrained non-restrained-unrestrained does not bind. Like this is to be known of the seven types, karma binding life-span excepted. As to karma binding life-span, the first three sometimes bind and sometimes do not bind, and the last one does not bind.

Q. 33. Bhante! Does one with right outlook bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does one with wrong outlook bind? Does one with mixed outlook bind?

A. 33. Gautama! One with right outlook sometimes binds and sometimes does not bind. One with wrong outlook binds. So does one with right-wrong outlook. Like this is to be known of the seven types of karma, the one binding life-span excepted. One with right outlook and one with wrong outlook sometimes bind karma giving life-span and sometimes do not bind. One with right-wrong outlook does not bind.

Q. 34. Does a being with mind (saṅgī) bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does a being without mind (asaṅgī) bind? Does one not-with-mind not-without-mind bind⁷?

A. 34. Gautama! A being with mind sometimes binds karma enshrouding knowledge and sometimes he does not. A being without mind binds. One not-with-mind not-without-mind does not bind. Like this is to be known of the six types of karma, karma enshrouding pleasure and karma binding life-span excepted. As to karma enshrouding pleasure, a being with mind binds and so does a being without mind, but one not-with-mind not-without-mind sometimes binds and sometimes does not bind. As to karma binding life-span, a being with mind and a being without mind sometimes bind and sometimes do not bind; but one not-with-mind not-without-mind does not bind.

Q. 35. Bhante! Does a would-be-liberated in this life bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does one non-would-be-liberated bind? Does one would-be-liberated non-would-be-liberated bind?

A. 35. Gautama! One who is an would-be-liberated sometimes binds and sometimes does not bind; a non-would-be-liberated binds; one who is an would-be-liberated non-would-be-liberated does not bind. And like this is to be known of the seven types of karma, karma binding life-span excepted. As to karma binding life-span, the first two sometimes bind and sometimes do not; but the last one does not bind.

Q. 36. Bhante! Does one with optical vision bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does one without optical vision⁸ bind? Does one with avadhi vision bind? Does one with supreme (kevala) vision bind?

A. 36. Gautama! One with optical vision, one without optical vision and one with avadhi vision sometimes bind and sometimes do not bind. One with supreme vision does not bind. And like this is to be known of the seven types of karma, karma obstructing pleasure excepted. As to karma obstructing pleasure, the first three bind karma obstructing pleasure, but one with supreme vision sometimes binds it and sometimes does not bind.

Q. 37. Does a living being with full attainment bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does one without full attainment bind? Does one with- and without-full attainment bind?

A. 37. Gautama! A living being with full attainment sometimes binds karma enshrouding knowledge and sometimes he does not bind. A being without full attainment sometimes binds and sometimes does not bind. A being with-and without-attainment does not bind. Like this (all the seven types of karma), karma binding life-span excepted. As to karma binding life-span, the first two sometimes bind and sometimes do not bind; the third one does not bind.

Q. 381 Bhante! Does a living being with speech bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does a living being without speech bind? And so on.

A. 38. Gautama! A being with speech and one without speech sometimes bind karma enshrouding knowledge, and sometimes do not bind, and like this all the seven, karma obstructing speech excepted. As to karma obstructing speech, a being with speech binds this, and a being without speech sometimes binds this and sometimes does not bind.

Q. 39. Does a paritta (with one-soul-in-one-body) bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does an aparitta (with many-souls-in-a-body) bind? Does a non-paritta non-aparitta bind?

A. 39. Gautama! A paritta sometimes binds karma enshrouding knowledge and sometimes he does not. An aparitta binds. A non-paritta non-aparitta does not bind. Like this is to be known of the seven types of karma, karma binding lift-span excepted. A paritta and an aparitta sometimes bind karma giving life-span and sometimes do not bind. A non -paritta non -aparitta does not bind this.

Q. 40. One with mati knowledge, one with śruta knowledge, one with avadhi knowledge, one with manaḥ-paryāya knowledge and one with supreme knowledge—do they bind karma enshrouding knowledge?

A. 40 Gautama! The first four sometimes bind and sometimes do not bind. One with supreme knowledge does not bind. Like this is to be known of the seven types of karma, karma enshrouding pleasure excepted. The first four bind karma enshrouding pleasure, but one with supreme knowledge sometimes binds it and sometimes does not bind.

Q. 41. Does one with mati ignorance bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does one with śruta ignorance bind? Does one with vivaṅga ignorance bind?

A. 41. Gautama! They bind seven types of karma, karma binding life-span excepted. As to karma binding life-span, sometimes they bind and sometimes they do not.

Q. 42. Does one with activities of mind bind? Does one with activities of speech bind? Does one with activities of body bind? Does one without activity bind?

A. 42. Gautama! The first three sometimes bind and sometimes do not bind. One without activity does not bind. Like this (of seven types of karma), karma obstructing pleasure excepted. The first three bind karma obstructing pleasure, but one without activity does not.

Q. 43. Does one with active cognition bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does one without active cognition bind?

A. 43. Gautama! Sometimes they bind and sometimes they do not bind—ail the eight.

Q. 44. Does one with food intake bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does one without food intake bind?

A. 44. Gautama! Sometimes they bind and sometimes they do not. Like this (of six types of karma), karma enshrouding pleasure and karma giving life-span excepted. As to karma enshrouding pleasure, one with food intake binds, but one without food intake sometimes binds and sometimes does not bind. As to karma binding life-span, one with food intake sometimes binds and sometimes does not; but one without food intake does not bind this.

Q. 45. Does a diminutive being bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does a coarse being bind? Does one non-diminutive non-coarse bind?

A. 45. Gautama! A diminutive being binds, a coarse being sometimes binds and sometimes does not. A nondiminutive non-coarse being does not bind. And like this (of seven types of karma), karma giving life-span excepted. As to karma giving life-span, a diminutive being and a coarse being sometimes bind and sometimes do not bind. A nondiminutive non-coarse being sometimes binds and sometimes does not bind.

Q. 46. Does one in ultimate body bind karma enshrouding knowledge? Does one who is not in the ultimate body bind?

A. 46. Gautama! Sometimes they bind and sometimes they do not bind—all the eight.

Q. 47. Bhante! Of those experiencing female-hood, of those experiencing male-hood, of those experiencing impotent-hood, and of those experiencing none of these, which ones are more, (which ones are less, which ones are at par, and which ones are especially more)?

A. 47. Gautama! Smallest are those experiencing male-hood. Countable number of times more are those experiencing female-hood. Infinite times more are those who experience nothing. And infinite, times still more than these are those who experience impotent-hood.

Of all the aforesaid terms, it is necessary to state whether they are more or less, (and so on)...till smallest in number are the Siddhas and the not-to-be-perfected beings (acarama, i.e., abhavya). Infinite times more than these are the would-be-perfected beings (carama, i. e., bhavya)⁹.

Bhante! So they are. Glory be to the Lord! So saying, Bhagavān Gautama paid his homage and obeisance to the Lord, and having done so, he withdrew to his seat.

Chapter three ends.

Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):

6. A. non-female non-impotent has the physical frame of a woman, a man and an eunuch without corresponding sensibilities. Such a being ex sts at a guṇasthāna (step to higher life) called anibṛtti-bādara-saṃparāyādi. He binds karma enshrouding knowledge.

7. For this note, it is convenient to combine Sūtra 33 and 34. The considerations are twofold, viz., one about right and wrong outlook and the other about the states of being with and without mind. If one with right outlook is free from attachment, he does not bind karma enshrouding knowledge. Similarly if one who has a mind is free from attachment, he does not bind karma enshrouding knowledge. The rest of the species sometimes bind karma enshrouding knowledge, or sometimes they bind and sometimes they do not.

As to beings with right-wrong outlook, it has been stated that they bind karma enshrouding knowledge, but they do not bind karma giving a life-span in that state.

One not-with-mind not-without-mind may be of three types, viz., sayogī (with activity), ayogī (without activity) and siddha. Of these, sayogī binds vedanīya karma, but not ayogī and siddha. But none of them binds karma enshrouding knowledge nor karma giving a life-span.

8. These have organs of senses and mind, but they do not have eyes.

9. Acarima are the liberated beings and also those who are never to be liberated. Contrasted to them, those who are to be liberated are infinite times more.