Grammatical Analysis

Manokamma (manokammaṃ): [nt.] Mental action, action of the mind. A compound of mano (mind) + kamma (action, deed). It is the third of the three kammas, after kāyakamma and vacīkamma. The Atthasālinī, in the Manokammadvārakathā, says the mind (mano) is of four kinds, by way of the sense sphere and so on.

Orthodox Definition

Manokamma is the third kamma (MN 56: kāyakammaṃ, vacīkammaṃ, manokammaṃ). The Atthasālinī (Kammakathā) asks what kamma is and answers with the Buddha’s words: cetanāhaṃ, bhikkhave, kammaṃ vadāmi, cetayitvā kammaṃ karoti kāyena vācāya manasā (“Monks, I say that volition is kamma. Having intended, one makes kamma by body, speech and mind”).

The three unwholesome mental courses of action (manasā asoceyyaṃ), in the Cunda Sutta (AN 10.176):

  1. Abhijjhālu – one who is covetous.
  2. Byāpannacitto – one with a mind of ill will.
  3. Micchādiṭṭhiko – one who holds wrong view.

The three wholesome mental courses are anabhijjhālu, abyāpannacitto and sammādiṭṭhiko (AN 10.176).

The Atthasālinī says: tividhaṃ manoduccaritaṃ akusalaṃ manokammameva hoti (threefold mental misconduct is solely unwholesome mental action). It also says that unrestraint arising through the five sense-contact doors is solely unwholesome mental action, while unrestraint arising through the mind-contact door can become all three actions: unwholesome bodily or verbal action if it reaches agitation at the body or speech door, and unwholesome mental action if it does not reach agitation in either.

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 manasā asoceyyaṃ hoti? Idha, cunda, ekacco abhijjhālu hoti. “Byāpannacitto hoti paduṭṭhamanasaṅkappo – “Micchādiṭṭhiko hoti viparītadassano – “Ime kho, cunda, dasa akusalakammapathā.
“And how, Cunda, is one made impure in three ways by mental action? There is the case where a certain person is covetous. “He has a mind affected by ill will, with a corrupted mental intention: “He holds wrong view, with a distorted perspective: “These, Cunda, are the ten courses of unwholesome action.

— 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, Kammakathā)

Tīṇi hi kammāni – kāyakammaṃ vacīkammaṃ manokammanti. “Cetanāhaṃ, bhikkhave, kammaṃ vadāmi, cetayitvā kammaṃ karoti kāyena vācāya manasā”(a. ni.6.63; kathā.539).
Indeed, there are three karmas: bodily karma, verbal karma, and mental karma. ‘Monks, I say that volition is kamma. Having intended, one makes kamma by way of body, speech, and mind.’

— Atthasālinī (Kammakathā) · TPR

Quote (Aṭṭhakathā: Atthasālinī, Kammapathasaṃsandana)

Tividhaṃ kāyaduccaritaṃ akusalaṃ kāyakammameva hoti, catubbidhaṃ vacīduccaritaṃ akusalaṃ vacīkammameva hoti, tividhaṃ manoduccaritaṃ akusalaṃ manokammameva hoti.
Threefold bodily misconduct is solely unwholesome bodily action; fourfold verbal misconduct is solely unwholesome verbal action; threefold mental misconduct is solely unwholesome mental action.

— Atthasālinī (Kammapathasaṃsandana) · 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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