Kamma and Anicca

[clw_uk]

Greetings

In the Classical Theravada, as far as i understand, beings get born into realms and then pass away according to kamma. They also have sickness as a result of kamma (as well as ageing?) so my question is this

Is kamma the cause of anicca?

Or is it Ignorance (which leads on through D.O.)?




Metta

[Mawkish1983]

I'm certainly no expert but I wouldn't say kamma is the cause of anicca per se. Anicca, dukkha and anatta are just how things are, irrespective of volition.

I might, of course, be wrong

[tiltbillings]

Greetings

In the Classical Theravada, as far as i understand, beings get born into realms and then pass away according to kamma. They also have sickness as a result of kamma (as well as ageing?) so my question is this

According to the suttas sickness might be the result of kamma, but it might not be. Everything that happens to us is not always kamma.

Is kamma the cause of anicca?

No.

Or is it Ignorance (which leads on through D.O.)?

No.

[tiltbillings]

I'm certainly no expert but I wouldn't say kamma is the cause of anicca per se. Anicca, dukkha and anatta are just how things are, irrespective of volition.

I might, of course, be wrong

So we all might be, but you certainly are not.

[clw_uk]

Thanks both

[tiltbillings]

Greetings

In the Classical Theravada, as far as i understand, beings get born into realms and then pass away according to kamma. They also have sickness as a result of kamma (as well as ageing?) so my question is this

Is kamma the cause of anicca?

Or is it Ignorance (which leads on through D.O.)?

Where are these ideas coming from?

[appicchato]

...a result of kamma (as well as ageing?)...

Irrespective of the volitional actions we choose to make in life...skillful, unskillful, or otherwise...we're still going to age...

[Mawkish1983]

...we're still going to age...

Such is the nature of the marks of existence/dhamma seals.

I was recently asked 'why is there suffering?'. I explained about tanha and the four noble truthes, but that wasn't what the questionner was asking. They wanted to know why suffering as an objective concept should exist at all (they were Christians and so had their own theories about a god punishing for original sin etc, which still avoids the question as far as I can tell but I didn't fancy going into theology with this asker). In the end, when asked 'why is there suffering' I had to answer, 'there just is' (first noble truth). I explained that the reason isn't important, the erradication of suffering is the important bit but they couldn't accept that.

Anyway, just thought I'd share

[clw_uk]

Greetings

In the Classical Theravada, as far as i understand, beings get born into realms and then pass away according to kamma. They also have sickness as a result of kamma (as well as ageing?) so my question is this

Is kamma the cause of anicca?

Or is it Ignorance (which leads on through D.O.)?

Where are these ideas coming from?

I was listening to a talk by Ven. Munindo that went into discussion on rebirth as a deva etc and it got me thinking how in that cosmology kamma seems to drive change through passing away and being reborn so I posted here to see if that is the cause but on reflection i can see how other factors come into play there

metta

[Peter]

I was recently asked 'why is there suffering?'. I explained about tanha and the four noble truthes, but that wasn't what the questionner was asking. They wanted to know why suffering as an objective concept should exist at all

One might as well ask why color or temperature or smell exist at all. There is no why other than the answer you already gave: craving. Suffering exists because of craving. If there was no craving then there would be no suffering. Period.

I agree that answering "why does X concept exist?" with "because G-d wills it to be so" is really no answer at all since the obvious follow up question ("why does G-d exist") doesn't ever get answered.