Grammatical Analysis

Kāyakamma (kāyakammaṃ): [nt.] Bodily action, action of the body. A compound of kāya (body) + kamma (action, deed). The Atthasālinī explains the name: kāyena pana katattā taṃ kāyakammanti vuccati (“because it is done by the body, it is called bodily action”). Together with vacīkamma and manokamma it forms the three kammas (tīṇi kammāni).

Orthodox Definition

Kāyakamma is the first of the three kammas. In the Mūla the Buddha says: tīṇi kammāni … kāyakammaṃ, vacīkammaṃ, manokammaṃ (MN 56). The Atthasālinī defines it as the volition (cetanā) established in the door of the body: yā pana tasmiṃ dvāre siddhā cetanā … idaṃ kāyakammaṃ nāma. The door itself (kāyakammadvāra) is the bodily intimation (kāyaviññatti) among the consciousness-originated material forms.

The three doors of kamma are kāyakammadvāraṃ, vacīkammadvāraṃ, manokammadvāraṃ (Atthasālinī). The ten courses of action (dasa kammapathā) are grouped by door in the Cunda Sutta (AN 10.176): three by body, four by speech, three by mind.

The three unwholesome bodily courses of action (kāyena asoceyyaṃ):

  1. Pāṇātipātī – one who takes life.
  2. Adinnādāyī – one who takes what is not given.
  3. Kāmesumicchācārī – one who engages in sensual misconduct.

The three wholesome bodily courses (kāyena soceyyaṃ) are the abstentions: pāṇātipātā paṭivirato, adinnādānā paṭivirato, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato (AN 10.176).

According to the Atthasālinī, threefold bodily misconduct is solely unwholesome bodily action (tividhaṃ kāyaduccaritaṃ akusalaṃ kāyakammameva hoti).

Quote (Mūla: MN 56)

“Tīṇi kho ahaṃ, tapassi, kammāni paññapemi pāpassa kammassa kiriyāya pāpassa kammassa pavattiyā, seyyathidaṃ – kāyakammaṃ, vacīkammaṃ, manokamman” ti.
“Verily, Tapassī, there are three modes of ‘action’ I declare, in doing and perpetrating evil deeds, namely: ‘action’ of body, of word, and of mind.”

— Majjhima Nikāya (MN 56, Upāli Sutta) · TPR

Quote (Mūla: AN 10.176)

“Kathañca, cunda, tividhaṃ kāyena asoceyyaṃ hoti? “Idha, cunda, ekacco pāṇātipātī hoti luddo lohitapāṇi hatapahate niviṭṭho adayāpanno sabbapāṇabhūtesu. “Adinnādāyī hoti. Yaṃ taṃ parassa paravittūpakaraṇaṃ gāmagataṃ vā araññagataṃ vā taṃ adinnaṃ theyyasaṅkhātaṃ ādātā hoti. “Kāmesumicchācārī hoti.
“And how, Cunda, is one made impure in three ways by bodily action? There is the case where a certain person takes life, is a hunter, bloody-handed, devoted to killing and slaying, showing no mercy to living beings. “He is a taker of what is not given. Whatever belongs to others—their property and possessions, whether in a village or the wilderness—he takes in the manner of a thief, things that have not been given by them. “He engages in sensual misconduct.

— Aṅguttara Nikāya (AN 10.176, Cunda Sutta) · TPR

Quote (Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī)

Katame dhammā kusalā? Tīṇi kusalamūlāni – alobho, adoso, amoho; taṃsampayutto vedanākkhandho, saññākkhandho, saṅkhārakkhandho, viññāṇakkhandho; taṃsamuṭṭhānaṃ kāyakammaṃ, vacīkammaṃ, manokammaṃ – ime dhammā kusalā.

  1. What mental phenomena are wholesome? Three wholesome roots – non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion; the feeling aggregate, the perception aggregate, the formations aggregate, the consciousness aggregate, associated with them; and bodily actions, verbal actions, mental actions, arisen from them – these mental phenomena are wholesome.

— Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Tikanikkhepa, Kusalatika §985) · TPR

Quote (Aṭṭhakathā: Atthasālinī, the doors)

Tattha kiñcāpi tīṇi kammāni paṭhamaṃ vuttāni, tāni pana ṭhapetvā ādito tāva tīṇi kammadvārāni bhājetvā dassitāni. Katamāni tīṇi? Kāyakammadvāraṃ, vacīkammadvāraṃ, manokammadvāranti.
Therein, even though the three deeds were stated first, setting those aside, first of all the three doors of deeds were presented by dividing them. What are the three? The door of bodily action, the door of verbal action, and the door of mental action.

— Atthasālinī (Kāyakammadvārakathā, the three doors of kamma) · TPR

Quote (Aṭṭhakathā: Atthasālinī, kāyakamma)

Yā pana tasmiṃ dvāre siddhā cetanā yāya pāṇaṃ hanati, adinnaṃ ādiyati, micchācāraṃ carati, pāṇātipātādīhi viramati, idaṃ kāyakammaṃ nāma.
But that volition established in that door, by which one destroys life, takes what has not been given, engages in wrong conduct, or abstains from destroying life and so on—this is called bodily action.

— Atthasālinī (Kāyakammadvārakathā) · TPR

Textual References

  • Sutta: Upāli Sutta (MN 56) – the Buddha tells Dīghatapassī that he declares three kammas: kāyakammaṃ, vacīkammaṃ, manokammaṃ.
  • Sutta: Cunda Sutta (AN 10.176) – the ten unwholesome and ten wholesome courses of action, arranged as three by body, four by speech, three by mind.
  • Sutta: Sāleyyaka Sutta (MN 41) – the same threefold, fourfold and threefold division, given as adhammacariyā and dhammacariyā.
  • Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Tikanikkhepa, Kusalatika §985) – kāyakammaṃ, vacīkammaṃ, manokammaṃ arisen from the wholesome roots.
  • Commentary: Atthasālinī – Kāyakammadvārakathā, Vacīkammadvārakathā, Manokammadvārakathā and Kammakathā.

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