People Who Committed Pancanantariya Kamma

Pancanantariya kamma is the weighty or serious kamma (Garuka kamma) which certainly produces its effects in the present life or in the next. Unlike other unwholesome actions, people who committed pancanantariya kamma can be saved by no means.

Pancanantariya kamma includes:

1. Killing one's mother (Matricide) 
2. Killing one's father (Patricide)

3. Murdering an arahant

4. Physically injuring Buddha

5. Creating a schism or split in the sangha

Maha Moggallana-to-be: was a dutiful son of blind parents. After his marriage, his wife persuaded him to kill his parents. He took his parents into the forest, pretended as robbers and beat them to death. For this ill deed, he suffered in the hell for many hundreds thousands of years.

Then in his final rebirth, he became an arahant, Maha Moggallana and a left chief disciple of the Buddha. He was foremost in supernormal powers and only second to Sariputta (a right chief disciple of the Buddha) in wisdom.

However, Maha Moggallana was repeatedly smashed and left for dead by assassins.

The assassins who murdered him were captured by the king Ajatasattu's men and were executed. As they killed an arahant and committed pancanantariya kamma, they reborn in the hell. And all those concerned in this crime suffered in the same way.

Buddha stated that, ''even supernormal powers will be of little or no use to oneself in avoiding their heavy kamma''.

Ajatasattu: imprisoned and tortured his father king Bimbisara to death. Later, he regretted for his evil deeds. After visiting the Buddha, he changed over to a follower of the Buddha. He then became a patron of the Buddhism and of the First Sangha Council.

Nevertheless, he was killed by his son . Ajatasattu suffered in the hell for thousands of years for his grave sin.

In the Samannaphala Sutta, Buddha said that, ''If Ajatasattu hadn't killed his father, he would have attained sotapannahood''.

Devadatta: was the most sinful person among those who committed pancanantariya kamma. He entered the order of monks in the early part of his life. Instead of attaining any of the sainthoods, he was superb in psychic powers.

At first, he was a good monk. Later, he changed to evil one, having jealousy towards the Buddha. He advised Ajatasattu to kill his father. Influenced by him, Ajatasattu committed patricide.

Devadatta attempted to kill the Buddha thrice. Firstly, he sent killers. Then, he himself hurled down a huge rock from the hill top at the Buddha. It only wounded the Buddha's foot and caused to bleed. Lastly, he intoxicated a fierce elephant to attack the Buddha. All his plans failed.

He then proceeded to split the sangha community. Before long, his followers went back to the Buddha, after Buddha's two chief disciples preached them.

Being a failure, Devadatta fell very ill. He was filled with remorse for his misdeeds. He wished to see the Buddha prior to his death. On his way to see the Buddha, he was engulfed by the earth. He suffered in Avici hell for one hundred thousands kappas.

As mentioned, none of the people committing pancanantariya kamma could escape punishment.

Thus, the Buddha said, ''We are the heirs of our actions''.
 

Posted by Aye Sat