The Four Buddhist Tenet Systems Regarding What Karma Is

All Four Tenet Systems 

• The most general meaning of the Tibetan term sems-pa, Sanskrt cetanā, is an “urge” or an “urging” – the mental factor (sems-byung, Skt. caitta) that, like a magnet, draws the mind (i.e., a consciousness and its accompanying mental factors) into all cognitions of mental and sensory objects and into all actions of mind, body and speech. The most general meaning of the Tibetan term las, Sanskrit karma, is an “impulse.” 

• The urges that draw the mind into cognitions of mental or sensory objects are called “observational impulses” (dmigs-pa’i las, Skt. upalabdhikarma) in the Chittamatra system and “performer impulses” (byed-pa’i las, Skt. kāritrakarma) in the Sautrantika system. The urges that draw the mind into actions of mind, body or speech are called “exertional impulses” (rtsol-ba-can-gyi las, Skt. vyavasāyakarma). Only exertional impulses are true origins of suffering and thus only they are “karmic impulses.” The term las, karma is also used with this specific meaning of a karmic impulse.

• Within the general meaning of an urge as a mental factor, then, its most general meaning as a true origin of suffering is the karmic impulse that draws the mind into an action of mind, body or speech – in other words, the karmic impulse for the sake of (or, simply, for) an action of mind, body or speech. This may also be called an urging karmic impulse.
• A more restricted usage of sems-pa, Skt. cetanā is as a karmic impulse that draws the mind only into an action of mind (yid-kyi las, Skt. manaskarma). We may refer to an urge in this usage as the karmic impulse in the context of (or, simply, in) an action of mind. 

• There are two types of karmic actions of mind. One is in the context of the presentation of the ten constructive and ten destructive actions. Here, the term sems-pa, Skt. cetanā, an urge, appears in its most specific usage. It is the mental factor that draws the mind into only specific actions of mind – namely, those that are focused on the body or speech and that consider and decide to commit a physical or verbal action. Thus, they “incite” such an action, whether or not that action of body or speech is actually enacted. Such karmic impulses are translated as inciting karmic impulses (sems-pa’I las, Skt. cetanākarma).
• The second type of karmic action of the mind is a karmic action of the mind that is not an inciting karmic impulse, such as a throwing karmic impulse (‘phen-byed-kyi las) at the end of a lifetime that propels the mind into a next rebirth. There is no special term for this second type of karmic action of the mind.

Vaibhashika and Madhyamaka

• The karmic impulses in actions of body and speech (lus-kyi las, Skt. kāyakarma and ngag-gi las, Skt. vākkarma) are forms of physical phenomena and not mental factors. They include revealing forms (rnam-par rig-byed-kyi gzugs, Skt. vijñaptirūpa) and nonrevealing forms (rnam-par rig-byed ma-yin-pa’i gzugs, Skt. avijñaptirūpa). Only the karmic impulses in actions of mind are the mental factor of an urge.

• Among the karmic impulses in actions of body and speech (revealing and nonrevealing forms) that are preceded by karmic actions of mind that are brought about by inciting karmic impulses are “karmic impulses being caused by a previous urging” (bsam-pa’i las, Skt. cetayitvākarma). These are translated as “incited karmic impulses.”

• Thus, there are also karmic impulses in actions of body and speech that are not incited karmic impulses, such as the karmic impulse in an unplanned, spontaneous action of body or speech. Such karmic impulses are only revealing forms and do not have a nonrevealing form. They were not being caused by a previous urging.

Sautrantika and Chittamatra

• The karmic impulses for actions of mind, body and speech are also the karmic impulses in actions of mind, body and speech, and all are the mental factor of an urge (sems-pa, Skt. cetanā).
• All karmic impulses (urges) for actions of mind, body and speech are also “karmic impulses for (actions) being caused by an urge” (bsam-pa’i las, Skt. cetayitvākarma). In this usage, “being caused by an urge” does not refer to being caused by a previous inciting karmic impulse.

• Among them, the karmic impulses being caused by a previous urging (bsam-pa’i las, Skt. cetayitvākarma) are the karmic impulses for actions of body or speech that are preceded by karmic actions of mind that were brought about by inciting karmic impulses. These are called “incited karmic impulses.”

• Thus, there are also karmic impulses (urges) for actions of body and speech that are not incited karmic impulses, such as the karmic impulse (the urge) in an unplanned, spontaneous action of body or speech. They were not being caused by a previous urging.

Vaibhashika

Revealing forms (rnam-par rig-byed-kyi gzugs, Skt. vijñaptirūpa), as forms of physical phenomena, are the shape of the body or the sound of the voice as a method implemented for causing an action of body or speech to occur. They reveal the ethical status of the motivating consciousness and mental factors that cause them to arise. 

• They are karmic impulses of the body or speech that occur in actions of body or speech and may or may not be incited karmic impulses (bsam-pa’i las). 
• They take on the ethical status of the constructive or destructive emotion or of the unspecified attitude that accompanies their arising and thus may be constructive, destructive or unspecified. 
• The shape of the body is a momentary, substantial entity (rdzas) made of light, separate from color, and is different from the biological body, which is an unspecified phenomenon. The sound of the voice is also a momentary, substantial entity. It is communicative that it is being produced by the work of a sentient being having the intention to speak and functions as a platform for words. A substantial entity is one having substantially established existence (rdzas-su grub-pa), which is defined as having the ability to perform a function (don-byed nus-pa). 
• Since the implementation of a method for causing an action of body or speech to occur may last over several moments, the action may contain a sequence of momentary revealing forms. The sequence of the momentary revealing forms of an action of body or speech arises with the initiation of a method to cause the action to occur and lasts only as long as the action occurs. 

Madhyamaka 

• Revealing forms, as forms of physical phenomena, are the movements of the biological body or the utterances of clear, distinct syllables and phrases having meaning as a method implemented for causing an action of body or speech to occur. As in the Vaibhashika assertions, they reveal the ethical status of the motivating consciousness and mental factors that cause them to arise. 

• As in the Vaibhashika assertions, they are karmic impulses of the body or speech that occur in actions of body or speech and may or may not be incited karmic impulses. 

• Although revealing forms themselves, as parts of the biological body, are unspecified phenomena, they take on the ethical status of the constructive or destructive emotion or of the unspecified attitude that accompanies their arising and thus may be constructive, destructive or unspecified.
• The movement of the biological body occurs over a sequence of moments and is not a substantial entity. The visible form of the biological body during the movement is comprised of moments of colored particles amassed into shapes. The utterance of clear, distinct syllables and phrases having meaning also occurs over a sequence of moments and is not a substantial entity. Madhyamaka equates substantially established existence with self-established existence (rang-bzhin-gyis grub-pa; inherent existence) and asserts that nothing exists in this impossible way. Thus, there are no phenomena that are substantial entities.
• As in the Vaibhashika assertions, revealing forms arise with the initiation of a method to cause a karmic action of body or speech to occur and last only as long as the action occurs.

Sautrantika and Chittamatra

• Similar to the Madhyamaka assertions, revealing forms, as forms of physical phenomena, are the movements of the biological body or the verbalization of the sounds of speech as a method implemented for causing an action of body or speech to occur. As in the Vaibhashika and Madhyamaka assertions, they reveal the ethical status of the motivating consciousness and mental factors that cause them to arise. 

• Although they occur in actions of body or speech, they are not karmic impulses. Therefore, the variable of being incited or not does not apply to them.
• Although as parts of the biological body, they are unspecified phenomena, but as parts of the actions in which they occur, they take on the ethical status of constructive, destructive or unspecified urges that bring them about. 
• The movement of the body and the verbalization of the sounds of speech occur over a sequence of moments. The visible form of the biological body during the movement is comprised of moments of colored particles amassed into shapes. The verbalization of the sounds of speech also occurs over a sequence of moments. Within True Aspectarian interpretation of Sautrantika and Chittamatra, which accepts the Vaibhashika definition of a substantial entity as one that performs a function, the Jetsunpa textbook tradition asserts that these movements and verbalizations, taken as a whole, constitute a substantial entity distinct from the substantial entities of each moment comprising them. The Panchen textbook tradition asserts that the whole and the parts of each of them constitute one substantial entity. 
• As in the Vaibhashika and Madhyamaka assertions, revealing forms arise with the initiation of a method to cause a karmic action of body or speech to occur and last only as long as the action occurs.

Vaibhashika 

• Nonrevealing forms (rnam-par rig-byed ma-yin-pa’i gzugs, Skt. avijñaptirūpa) of body and speech are immaterial forms of physical phenomena and are the only type of form of physical phenomenon that is merely a cognitive stimulator that is all validly knowable phenomena (chos-kyi skye-mched-kyi gzugs, Skt. dharmāyatanarūpa). Such phenomena can only be cognized by mental cognition and do not reveal the ethical status of the motivating consciousness and mental factors that cause them to arise. 

• They include vowed restraints (vows), avowed non-restraints and the nonrevealing forms that arise, for instance, from building or sponsoring a monastery or a slaughterhouse.
• They are karmic impulses of body or speech that arise only in constructive or destructive actions of body or speech and are exclusively incited karmic impulses. They occur only when the revealing forms of those actions are also incited karmic impulses. 
• They take on the ethical status of the incited revealing forms with which they simultaneously arise and thus are exclusively constructive or destructive.
• They are momentary, substantial entities in accord with the Vaibhashika definition of such entities.
• Their sequence arises simultaneously with the initiation of a method to cause a karmic action of body or speech to occur, continues after the action has ceased and ends only when the vowed restraints (vows) or avowed non-restraints  are relinquished or when others no longer make use of the objects one has offered. 
• While they are present on one’s mental continuum, there is a continuing buildup of positive potential (bsod-nams; merit) or negative potential (sdig-pa). 
• Vowed restraints and avowed non-restraints, then, are karmic impulses that are nonrevealing forms of body and speech.

Madhyamaka

• Nonrevealing forms of body and speech are immaterial forms of physical phenomena and are one of five types of forms of physical phenomena that are merely cognitive stimulators that are all validly knowable phenomena. As in the Vaibhashika assertions, they do not reveal the ethical status of the motivating consciousness and mental factors that cause them to arise. 
• As in the Vaibhashika assertions, they include vowed restraints (vows), avowed non-restraints and the nonrevealing forms that arise, for instance, from building or sponsoring a monastery or a slaughterhouse.
• As in the Vaibhashika assertions, they are karmic impulses of body or speech that arise only in constructive or destructive actions of body or speech and are exclusively incited karmic impulses. They occur only when the revealing forms of those actions are also incited karmic impulses. 
• As in the Vaibhashika assertions, they take on the ethical status of the incited revealing forms with which they simultaneously arise and thus are exclusively constructive or destructive.
• They are not substantial entities, as defined by Madhyamaka, and occur over a sequence of moments. 
• As in the Vaibhashika assertions, they last over the sequence of moments that arises with the initiation of a method to cause a karmic action of body or speech to occur, continue after the action has ceased and end only when the vowed restraints or avowed non-restraints are relinquished or when others no longer make use of the objects one has offered. 
• As in the Vaibhashika assertions, while they are present on one’s mental continuum, there is a continuing buildup of positive potential or negative potential. 
• As in the Vaibhashika assertions, vowed restraints and avowed non-restraints, then, are karmic impulses that are nonrevealing forms of body and speech.

Sautrantika

• There is no such thing as a nonrevealing form, nor are there forms of physical phenomena that are merely cognitive stimulators that are all validly knowable phenomena.
• From the taking on of vowed restraints or avowed non-restraints, donating material objects to the monastic community or building a slaughterhouse, rejoicing in the constructive or destructive actions of others and so on, transformations (yongs-su ‘gyur-ba, Skt. pariṇāma) occur on one’s mental continuum that build up positive potential or negative potential. The transformations include the buildup of tendencies that repeatedly give rise to the mental factor of ethical self-discipline to refrain from transgressing the vowed restraints or avowed non-restraints or to the mental factors of intention and subsequent urges to make further donations or to further rejoice. The transformations also account for the buildup of positive potential or negative potential on one’s mental continuum when others build up positive potential or negative potential on their mental continuums from making use of what one has donated or built. 
• Transformations of the mental continuum arise only in incited karmic actions of body and speech.

• The transformations entail substantial entities in accord with the Vaibhashika definition and the Sautrantika interpretation of such entities. 
• The transformations arise after the karmic actions of body or speech that give rise to them have ceased and end only when the vowed restraints or avowed non-restraints are relinquished, when others no longer make use of objects one has donated or built, or when one fully regrets having made the donations or having participated in the construction and has the decisive intention never to make further donations or to participate in further constructions.
• While the transformations are present on one’s mental continuum, there is a continuing buildup of positive potential or negative potential.

• Vowed restraints and avowed non-restraints, then, are the mental factors of self-discipline.

Chittamatra

• As in the Madhyamaka assertions, nonrevealing forms are immaterial forms of physical phenomena and are one of the five types of forms of physical phenomena that are merely cognitive stimulators that are all validly knowable phenomena. As in the Vaibhashika and Madhyamaka assertions, they do not reveal the ethical status of the motivating consciousness and mental factors that cause them to arise. 
• They include vowed restraints, avowed non-restraints and the nonrevealing forms that arise in bringing about benefit or harm in some limited way. The texts I have been able to consult do not give further detail about this third type of nonrevealing form.
• They are not karmic impulses and thus do not build up positive or negative potential. In the case of vowed restraints and avowed non-restraints, what does build up these two types of karmic potential are the urges to continue refraining from committing the proscribed actions plus shyness to violate what one has vowed not to do. The urges arise from tendencies to be mindful of the vowed restraints or avowed non-restraints one has taken on and tendencies to repeat the promise to refrain from the proscribed actions that one originally promised to refrain from committing. The continuing arising of such urges indicates the presence of the nonrevealing forms.
• As in the Vaibhashika and Madhyamaka assertions, nonrevealing forms arise only in incited karmic actions of body and speech.
• They take on the ethical status of the incited revealing forms with which they simultaneously arise and thus are exclusively constructive or destructive.
• They are substantial entities in accord with the Vaibhashika definition and the Sautrantika interpretation of such non-external entities.
• As in the Vaibhashika and Madhyamaka assertions, the nonrevealing forms that are vowed restraints or avowed non-restraints last over the sequence of moments that arises with the initiation of the actions of body or speech with which one takes them on, continue after the action has ceased and end only when the vowed restraints or avowed non-restraints are relinquished. 
• The vowed restraints and avowed non-restraints are present on one’s mental continuum so long as urges continue to arise to repeat the promise to refrain from the proscribed actions that one originally promised to refrain from committing. During that period, the urges that continue to arise build up positive potential or negative potential. 
• Vowed restraints and avowed non-restraints, then, are nonrevealing forms of body and speech, but not karmic impulses.