Kusala/Akusala and Puñña/Apuñña Kamma

Puñña and apuñña kamma are moral and immoral deeds, respectively. The former leads to rebirths in good realms and the latter to rebirths in bad realms. Kusala kamma are those that lead to Nibbāna, while akusala kamma (dasa akusala) perpetuate the rebirth process. Kusala kamma refers to permanently stopping the initiation of akusala kamma generation by stopping the initial, automatic kamma generation in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage.

January 17, 2026

Introduction

1. It is easy to remember puñña and apuñña kamma as moral and immoral deeds. Thus, moral deeds such as giving or other actions out of kindness are puñña kamma. Actions that hurt others (killing, stealing, harsh words, etc.) are apuñña kamma.

  • Akusala kamma are the ten types of immoral deeds (dasa akusala) done via the body, speech, and the mind. Therefore, apuñña kamma are the same as akusala kamma.
  • Even though many people consider kusala kamma to be the same as puñña kamma, they are not.
  • Kusala kamma are those that directly move one’s mind toward Nibbāna. Only those at or above the Sotapanna Anugāmi stage can engage in kusala kamma. Before one can follow the Noble Path to Nibbāna, one must comprehend Buddha’s worldview at the Sotapanna stage.
  • Even though puñña kamma — by themselves — cannot lead to Nibbāna, they are necessary to reach the Sotapanna Anugāmi stage. That will become clear by the end of this post. 
Puñña Kamma – Dāna, Sila, Bhāvanā

2. The ten types of puñña kammā are: 

  1. Dāna (giving)
  2. Transfer of merits to others (pattidāna)
  3. Rejoicing (accepting or participating) in others’ merits (pattānumodanā)
  4. Sila (morality), i.e., observing 5, 8, or 10 precepts
  5. Reverence to elders and holy persons (apacayaṃa)
  6. Pay homage to religious places, take care of such places, etc. (veyyāvacca) 
  7. Meditation (bhāvanā)
  8. Listening to Dhamma discourses (Dhamma savana) 
  9. Teaching Dhamma (Dhamma desanā) 
  10. Correcting one’s wrong views, especially on kamma (diṭṭhijukamma)

3. The three categories (Dāna, Sila, Bhāvanā) are discussed in the “Puññakiriyavatthu Sutta (AN 8.36).” It explains how cultivating the three categories leads to various rebirths.

  •  First, someone has practiced a little giving (dāna) and ethical conduct (sila) as grounds for making merit, but they haven’t got as far as meditation (bhāvanā) as a ground for making merit. They are reborn among disadvantaged humans (e.g., those who are unhealthy or poor).
  • Next, someone has practiced a moderate degree of generosity and ethical conduct as grounds for merit, but they haven’t gone as far as meditation as a ground for merit. They are reborn among well-off humans (healthy and wealthy).
  • (@markers 4.1 – 9.3) Next, someone has practiced giving and ethical conduct to an extraordinary degree, but they haven’t gone as far as engaging in meditation. Depending on the extent of the Dāna and Sila cultivated, they are reborn in the following Deva realms (in ascending order): Cātumahārājika, Tāvatiṁsa, Yāma, Tusita, Nimmānaratī, and paranimmitavasavattī. As we can see, those are the six Deva realms that are above the human realm.
  • Rebirths in the 16 rupaloka Brahma realms require cultivation of Bhāvanā. Those who cultivate jhāna are reborn in the 16 rupa loka Brahma realms, and those who go beyond that and cultivate arupa samāpatti are reborn in the 4 arupa loka Brahma realms. 
  • Those who barely practice Dāna, Sila, Bhāvanā, but engage in dasa akusala are reborn in the lowest four realms (apāyās) as discussed below in #5.
It Is Essential to Cultivate Puñña Kamma 

4. Even though puñña kamma do not directly lead to Nibbāna, they are essential for a puthujjana. 

  • The reason? One must be reborn in a realm at or above the human realm to be able to comprehend Buddha’s teachings.
  • Those who are born in any of the lower four realms (apāyās, including the animal realm) cannot comprehend Buddha’s teachings.
  • Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate at least the Dāna and Sila categories.
Dasa Akusala – Done with the Body, Speech, and Mind

5. These are the ten types of akusala kamma (apuñña kamma) done with body, speech, and mind. 

  • Three kāya kamma (based on vaci saṅkhāra): Pānātipātā (killing), Adinnādānā (taking what is not given), kāmēsu micchācārā (not just sexual misconduct, but also excessive sensory pleasures)

  • Four vaci kamma (based on vaci saṅkhāra): Musāvāda (Lying), Pisunāvācā (slandering), Parusāvācā (harsh speech), Sampappalāpā (frivolous talk)

  • Three manō kamma (immoral acts done with the mind based on manō saṅkhāra): Abhijjā (covetousness; greed for others’ belongings), Vyāpāda (ill-will, hatred), Micchā Diṭṭhi (wrong views)

  • These are discussed in “Ten Immoral Actions (Dasa Akusala).”
Pāpa Kamma = Potent Apuñña/akusala Kamma

6. ‘Pāpa kamma‘ means the same as ‘akusala kamma,’ but usually refers to worse forms of akusala kamma that inevitably lead to rebirth in the apāyās, likely to be the lowest (niraya or hell).

  • Pāpa in Pāli and Sinhala means “evil” or “sinful” actions that are obvious: Killing of a human or routine killing of animals, raping, and niyata micchā diṭṭhi (having the ten types of wrong views) are some examples of pāpa kammā.
  • See #4 of “Dangers of Ten Types of Wrong Views and Four Possible Paths“) 
Rebirths Are According to Kammic Energies Accumulated

7. As we can see from the above discussion, rebirths are according to the kamma committed, i.e, they are the results (vipaka) of accumulated kamma.

  • The “Ayyikā Sutta (SN 3.22)” explains that everyone (‘sabbe sattā‘ in that verse) will die and are reborn. Only Arahants are not reborn.
  • They will be reborn according to their deeds. Those who engage in pāpa kamma go to niraya (the ‘hell’ or the lowest realm), while those who engage in puñña kamma go to ‘good realms’ (‘puññakammā ca suggatiṁ‘).
  • Then it states: “That’s why you should do good, investing in the future life. The good deeds of sentient beings support them in the next world.”
  • This is a critical point regarding puñña kamma, because one must be born in a ‘good realm’ to comprehend the Buddha’s teachings and attain Nibbāna.
  • Of course, a Noble Person (at or above the Sotapanna Anugāmi) cannot be reborn in an apāya.
  • The Buddha stated that most humans or even Devas are reborn in the apāyās. See “Cuti and Marana – Related to Bhava and Jāti.”
Two Eightfold Paths

8. From the above discussion, we can also see that one must cultivate at least the Dāna and Sila categories and also abstain from dasa akusala to be able to have a rebirth in a ‘good realm’ to comprehend Buddha’s teachings, i.e., one must follow the mundane eightfold path before getting to the Noble Eightfold Path. More details in “Mahā Cattārisaka Sutta (Discourse on the Great Forty).” 

  • Therefore, “good deeds” are done at two levels: within the mundane eightfold path, one can engage in puñña kamma. 
  • In other words, even puñña kamma are “contaminated” to some degree (via unavoidable saṅkappa that arise automatically in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage). This is discussed in #14 below.
  • Automatic generation of weak saṅkhāra (saṅkappa) will gradually stop in the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage, beginning with the Sotapanna Anugāmi stage. That will stop completely at the Arahant stage.
It Is a ‘Step-by-Step’ Process

9. One must get rid of the ten types of wrong views before one can start on the mundane eightfold path. 

  • The following critical point demonstrates the necessity of eliminating the ten types of wrong views.
  • The goal of Buddha Dhamma is to end suffering in the process of rebirth. If one believes that life ends with the death of the physical body (i.e., there is no rebirth process), then there is no point in cultivating the Noble Eightfold Path. 
  • Most of the relevant wrong views (see #4 of “Dangers of Ten Types of Wrong Views and Four Possible Paths“) are associated with uccheda ditthi, the view that there is no rebirth.
  • This is why scientists (most of whom do not believe in rebirth) try to explain ‘(distorted) saññā‘ to arise in the brain. They have not been successful, and they never will be. See “The Illusion of Perception (Saññā) – It Is Scientific Consensus.” 
What Are Kusala Kamma?

10. The “Kusala Sutta (AN 10.180)” explains what akusala and kusala are.

  • Dasa akusala or the ten types of akusala kamma are the three types via the physical body, four types via speech, and three types via the mind, as discussed in #5 above.
  • Then it states that kusala kamma are automatically cultivated when one’s mind has lost the ability to generate akusala kamma.
  • The key here is the word ‘veramaṇī,’ which means “the mind has lost the cravings for all worldly attractions (sensual pleasures, jhānic pleasure, and arupa samāpatti)”.
  • That would not be possible without attaining Sammā Diṭṭhi and thereby stopping the automatic arising of abhijjā and vyāpāda in the mind.

11. We have seen that the mind of a puthujjana is automatically defiled with ANY sensory input. Even seeing a patch of grass or a worthless pebble is enough to move the mind of a puthujjana from the initial ‘kāma dhātu‘ stage to the contaminated ‘bahiddha viññāṇa.’ See “Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi – Free of Loka Saññā.”

  • Even if you do not fully understand how that occurs, it is critically important to recognize that it does.
  • That automatic and instant contamination of the mind occurs due to the ‘distorted saññā‘ built into us and ALL living beings. Thus, pañcupādānakkhandha gets started with any sensory input. See #14 below.
  • Of course, not all sensory inputs lead to pañcupādānakkhandha to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage where dasa akusala are done. Still, the point is that the ‘possibility for committing an akusala kamma‘ is there with all sensory inputs for a puthujjana.
  • By the way, ‘puthujjana‘ means ‘most of humans.’ Here, ‘puthu‘ means ‘many’ and ‘jana‘ means ‘people.’ Of the approximately 8 billion people living today, far fewer than 1 billion are aware of the Buddha’s teachings, and most of them are not exposed to the Buddha’s deeper teachings.
Veramaṇī (Full Avoidance) of Akusala Kamma 

12. Therefore, the avoidance of dasa akusala is not possible until the Arahant stage. Only an Arahant has trained their mind to the ‘veramaṇī‘ status; see #10 above for the explanation of ‘veramaṇī.‘

  • The mind of an Arahant would not attach to sensual pleasures, jhānic pleasure, and arupa samāpatti. They are able to experience those ‘mind-pleasing saññā‘ without attaching to them.
  • When they live their daily life, they would see colorful things, hear pleasing music, taste the sweetness of honey, etc., but their minds do not attach to any of them. When in a jhāna or arupa samāpatti, they will experience the corresponding sensations without attaching to them. 
  • An Arahant has generated that ability by breaking off all ten bonds (saṁyojana) to the rebirth process. That happens in stages, each stage being realized by cultivating wisdom, i.e., by comprehending the fruitlessness and dangers of attaching to the ‘distorted saññā.‘

13. In the “Sabhiya Sutta (Snp 3.6),” the Buddha explains to Subhiya how one becomes ‘skillful’ (paṇḍito) who can accumulate kusala kamma.

  • They are the ones who have lost the desire to be reborn in the human, Deva, or Brahma realms. Of course, they have completed the first step of being reborn in the apāyās by attaining Sammā Diṭṭhi (how a mind is automatically contaminated by attaching to the ‘distorted saññā‘). That is when one becomes a Sotapanna.
  • Then, a Sotapanna cultivates Satipatthana to regularly enter the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi (free of the ‘distorted saññā‘). All the remaining magga phala are attained via fully focusing the mind on Dhamma concepts (Paṭicca Samuppāda, Tilakkhana, etc) while the mind is in the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi.
Dasa Akusala Cannot be Avoided Until One Overcomes the ‘Distorted Saññā‘

14. The above explanation clarifies why dasa akusala cannot be avoided by restraining the mind with willpower.

  • Even before one realizes it, the mind has been contaminated, i.e., we are not aware of the initial phase of the pañcupādānakkhandha. 
  • As we have discussed, when a pañcupādānakkhandha process (equivalently a Paṭicca Samuppāda process) starts, it has two distinct phases: (i) the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage, which happens without our awareness, and (ii) the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, where we become aware of the sensory input and start accumulating potent (strong) kamma.
  • I have discussed the purāna and nava kamma in “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.” Note that purāna kamma does not mean ‘old kamma‘ but ‘initial kamma.‘ The following chart is from that post.

Download/Print: “Purana and Nava Kamma -2-revision 3“

  • Therefore, by the time we become aware of a sensory input, the pañcupādānakkhandha/Paṭicca Samuppāda process has already started!
  • A puthujjana (including those ancient yogis like Ālāra Kālāma who cultivated the highest jhāna and arupa samāpatti) can only control the ‘nava kamma‘ stage. However, that will not help break even the first three saṁyojana!
  • This is why the rebirth process can only be stopped after fully comprehending the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage.
  • This is explained in the short “Kammanirodha Sutta (SN 35.146).” Let me explain that by providing not a direct translation, but an expanded explanation in the ‘niddesa‘ form; see “Sutta Interpretation – Uddēsa, Niddēsa, Paṭiniddēsa.”
Kammanirodha Sutta – Purana and Nava Kamma

15. The Kammanirodha Sutta starts with the Buddha saying, ‘Bhikkhus, I will teach you purāna kamma (initial automatically generated weak kamma with saṅkappa), nava kamma (subsequent consciously generated potent kamma with abhisaṅkhāra), the cessation of kamma (with the elimination of saṁyojana via comprehending the  complete kamma generation process, including the automatic ‘purāna kamma‘ stage), and the practice that leads to the cessation of kamma.’

  • (@marker 1.4) ‘cakkhu (which is cakkhu āyatana or cakkhāyatana) is the initial stage of kamma formation (‘purāna kamma‘). The mind of a puthujjana automatically attaches first to the ‘mind-made version of the external rupa‘ in the bahiddha viññāṇa stage and immediately converts the cakkhu indriya to a cakkhu āyatana. That is how one starts the ‘kamma accumulation’ process without even being aware of it.
  • (@marker 1.5-1.6) Sensory inputs coming through all six sensory faculties do the same.
  • (@marker 1.7) They all initiate the kamma accumulation process (NOT ‘old kamma‘ as stated in the English translation in the link).
  • (@marker 1.8) What are ‘nava kamma‘?
  • (@marker 1.9) Those are the kāya, vaci, and mano kamma you perform consciously. These are the dasaka akusala listed in #5 above.
  • (@marker 1.11) ‘And what is the cessation of kamma?’
  • (@marker 1.12) ‘Cessation of all kāya, vaci, and mano kamma is realized when one attains Nibbāna or the Arahant stage (vimutti). At the time one attains Arahanthood, not even the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage can arise anymore.’
  • (@marker 1.13) ‘Thus, attaining the Arahant stage stops any kamma generation. Kamma ceases to arise (nirodha).’
  • (@marker 1.14) ‘What’s the practice that leads to the cessation of kamma generation?’
  • (@marker 1.16) ‘It is the Noble Eightfold Path: sammā diṭṭhi, sammā saṅkappo, sammā vācā, sammā kammanto, sammā ājīvo, sammā vāyāmo, sammā sati, sammā samādhi.
  • (@marker 1.19) ‘So bhikkhus, I have taught you purāna kamma, nava kamma, the cessation of kamma, and the practice that leads to the cessation of kamma.’
  • (@marker 1.20) ‘Out of sympathy, I’ve done what a teacher should do who wants what’s best for their disciples.’
  • (@marker 1.20) ‘Go to the root of a tree or an empty hut. Practice cessation of kamma (stop the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage by getting into Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi and cultivating Satipaṭṭhāna), Bhikkhus! Don’t be negligent! Don’t regret it later! This is my instruction to you.’
Kusala Kamma Necessary to Attain Magga Phala

16. As we saw above, one must be able to overcome the ‘distorted saññā‘ (‘kāma saññā‘ for humans) to be able to stop the automatic arising of the ‘purāna kamma‘ stage. When one comprehends this, one will be able to attain the Sotapanna stage by overcoming the ‘kāma saññā‘ and entering the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi. Then, that Sotapanna must access the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi to attain higher magga phala.

  • This is explicitly stated in the “Kusalarāsi Sutta (SN 47.45).” 
  • It states, ‘The four kinds of mindfulness meditation (cattāro satipaṭṭhānā) are the way to accumulate kusala.’
  • Then it states, ‘kāye kāyānupassanā, vedanāsu vedanānupassanā, citte cittānupassanā, and dhammesu dhammānupassanā‘ as those four.
  • As we have discussed, those can be cultivated only while the mind is free of the ‘(distorted) saññā,’ i.e., when the mind is in the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi. See “Kāye Kāyānupassanā – Details in Satipaṭṭhāna.”
Kusala = Cultivating the Noble Path = Comprehending the Dangers of the Rebirth Process

17. Cultivating kusala or engaging in kusala kamma means to cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna.  

  • The First Noble Truth states that it is the dukkha that inevitably arises with the initiation of a pañcupādānakkhandha or a Paṭicca Samuppāda process. 
  • That is triggered by the automatic arising of ‘(distorted) saññā.‘ It is hard to comprehend Dhamma concepts with a mind ‘deceived’ by ‘(distorted) saññā.‘
  • When one attains the Sotapanna stage, one enters the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi for the first time ever and attains the Sotapanna phala moment. Subsequent magga phala are also attained while in the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi.
  • Cultivation of kusala kamma is to engage in examining pañcupādānakkhandha or a Paṭicca Samuppāda process or other related Dhamma concepts like Tilakkhana. Instead of vitakka/vicāra that arises with the ‘(distorted) saññā,‘ only dhamma vitakka/dhamma vicāra can arise while in the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi.
  • See “Satipaṭṭhāna Bhūmi – Free of Loka Saññā” for details.
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