Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

The kamma-result (vipāka) is normally explained as 3 kinds:
1. kamma ripening during the life-time (dittha-dhamma-vedanīya kamma);
2. kamma ripening in the next birth (upapajja-vedanīya-kamma);
3. kamma ripening in later births (aparāpariya-vedanīya-kamma).

The Visuddhimagga also adds a fourth type, called ahosi-kamma (ineffective, lit. "what has passed already").

In this article the author suggests that this might be a misunderstanding of a Sutta passage, and in fact there are only 2 types of vipaka:
http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-con ... 6-piya.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

See also
See http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-con ... 3-piya.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Any thoughts?

Here is also the later Abhidhamma classification:

# Kamma w.r.t Function

1. Reproductive Kamma (Janaka Kamma)
2. Supportive Kamma (Upatthambhaka Kamma)
3. Obstructive Kamma (Upapidaka Kamma)
4. Destructive Kamma (Upaghataka Kamma)

# Kamma w.r.t. Order to take effect

1. Weighty Kamma (Garuka Kamma)
2. Proximate Kamma (Asanna Kamma)
3. Habitual Kamma (Acinna Kamma)
4. Reserve Kamma (Katatta Kamma)

# Kamma w.r.t. Time of taking effect

1. Immediately Effective Kamma (Ditthadhammavedaniya Kamma)
2. Subsequently Effective Kamma (Upapajjavedaniya Kamma)
3. Indefinitely Effective Kamma (Aparapariyavedaniya Kamma)
4. Defunct Kamma (Ahosi Kamma)

http://www.basicbuddhism.org/index.cfm?GPID=54" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In his translation of this Sutta, Ven. Thanissaro also favours the 2 kinds of kamma only:

"Monks, these three are causes for the origination of actions. Which three? Greed is a cause for the origination of actions. Aversion is a cause for the origination of actions. Delusion is a cause for the origination of actions.

"Any action performed with greed — born of greed, caused by greed, originating from greed: wherever one's selfhood turns up, there that action will ripen. Where that action ripens, there one will experience its fruit, either in this very life that has arisen or further along in the sequence."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It seems the later explanations are adding a lot. Why would this happen?

Maybe it was a recognition of the complexity of the kamma-vipaka relationship that has led to such elaborations.