Firewns said: “I have read somewhere that circumambulation clockwise around a stupa or Buddhist relic brings enormous merit to oneself.
Is it really a kusala kamma to do so, or merely a form of silabbata-paramaso?
Also, if it is a kusala kamma, will circumambulating anti-clockwise negate its merit and instead bring demerit upon oneself?”
It is always good to know how the key Pali terms originated (“pada nirukti”).
Kusala comes from “ku” + ”sala”, where “ku” refers to “kunu” or keles or defilements, and “sala” means “to get rid of”.
“akusala” is the opposite of “kusala”.
Therefore, an akusala kamma is an action that defiles or contaminates one’s mind. Any kusala kamma involves an action that involves removal of defilements from one’s mind.
Now it must be clear that circumambulation (walking) around a stupa or Buddhist relic is neither a kusala or an akusala kamma.
The word “punna” is related to joy; the Sinhala word “pina” or “pin” is associated with “pinaveema” or “making one’s heart joyful.
Therefore, a punna kamma is an action that makes one’s heart filled with joy. It is usually an action out of saddha (faith in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha). Such actions may not necessarily be kusala kamma, but some punna kamma are kusala kamma too.
For example, when one offers food to the bhikkhus (or even to a hungry person) with joy in heart, that is both a kusala kamma (giving which is the opposite of stealing), and also a punna kamma because one does with joy.
Circumambulation around a stupa or Buddhist relic (usually while reciting a gatha or Tisarana Vandana) is a punna kamma. In fact, it belongs to the same category as offering flowers and reciting pirith (paritta).
The key reason is that one’s mind becomes temporarily free of pancanivara (kamaccandha, vyapada, tina middha, uddacca kukkucca, and vicikicca) when doing a punna kamma. All those actions make one’s mind joyful and be receptive to deep Dhamma. It is good to do them before sitting down to listen to a desana.
Whether there is an effect for clockwise or counter- clockwise, I am not sure. If there is, it must be a small effect.
In fact, when one does mundane anapana (breath meditation), that could be a punna kamma, but NOT a kusala kamma. That is because it helps keep the mind focused on the breath and thus suppress pancanivarana temporarily. But, by itself, it does not remove any defilements.
April 28, 2018: More details in a new post: “Kusala and Akusala Kamma, Punna and Pāpa Kamma“.