Lonaphala Sutta: The Salt Crystal AN 3.99
 

Lonaphala Sutta: The Salt Crystal AN 3.99


"Monks, for anyone who says, 'In whatever way a person makes kamma, that is how it is experienced,' there is no living of the holy life, there is no opportunity for the right ending of stress.

But for anyone who says, 'When a person makes kamma to be felt in such & such a way, that is how its result is experienced,' there is the living of the holy life, there is the opportunity for the right ending of stress.

"There is the case where a trifling evil deed done by a certain individual takes him to hell. There is the case where the very same sort of trifling deed done by another individual is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment.

"Now, a trifling evil deed done by what sort of individual takes him to hell? There is the case where a certain individual is undeveloped in [contemplating] the body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment: restricted, small-hearted, dwelling with suffering.
A trifling evil deed done by this sort of individual takes him to hell.

"Now, a trifling evil deed done by what sort of individual is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment? There is the case where a certain individual is developed in [contemplating] the body, developed in virtue, developed in mind, developed in discernment: unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the immeasurable.

A trifling evil deed done by this sort of individual is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears for a moment"
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Comments?

Interesting sutta and something to be clearly understood by meditation.

Karmic result is a vibration reaction in the body/mind.

When the mind is non-attached, with some samadhi, karmic results of triffling karma can be simply calmed away.

For those interested in liberation, the Buddha generosity & compassionately offerred the 'not-self' teaching.

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'Kamma result' = vipaka. It's good to keep these two terms in use equally, kamma and vipaka.

Speaking of... "vibration" is a fuzzy word with broad definitions which lack clarity, what is meant by your use of it?

Agreed, although this could be said about nearly any Sutta!

Indeed. http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...lies/hands.gif


Although I'm not very knowledgeable about the suttas, from what I've read, some appear to be deeper in meaning than others - for example some appear to have a supramundane meaning whilst others are more mundane . This particular sutta seemed to be a little different to some of the others, which is why I quoted it.

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I mean only that meditation on the Dhamma makes parsing out the non-dhamma crap much easier as you go along. Foundation is everything, however, and on that note you're right to point out that there are some Suttas which function as skillful gateways to the Dhamma, and some which do not.

To say nothing of the suttas and sutras which aren't Dhamma at all but yet claim they are, of course.

A short and insightfull sutta... that encourages to keep in practice... so to become a kind of "River Ganges" http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...ilies/wink.gif

I liked this secction:

"Now suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into the River Ganges. What do you think? Would the water in the River Ganges become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?"

"No, lord. Why is that? There being a great mass of water in the River Ganges, it would not become salty because of the salt crystal or unfit to drink."

Just great...

Thanks Aloka,

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Hi Sobeh

I mean vibration & agitation, which can be felt in the breath body.

The Pali will use the general term 'sankhara'. This sankhara is defilement.

Kind regards

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Agreed.

'Don't sweat the small stuff.'

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Thanks Element, but as my english is not very plentifull, what exactly do you try to mean with "Don't sweet the small stuff" ?

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its a phrase in english

it means to not worry about small mistakes

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Shure Element,

Thanks,

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