Anantarika-karma


Ānantarya karma or Ānantarika kamma are the most serious offences in Buddhism that, at death, through the overwhelming karmic strength of any single one of them, bring immediate disaster. Both Buddhists and non-Buddhists must avoid them at all costs. Such offenses prevent perpetrators from attaining any of the stages of enlightenment and from ordaining into the Sangha. Those who have committed any of the five acts of Ānantarika kamma are said to be reborn in the naraka of Avīci, the very lowest of all the Hells of Buddhism.
The Ānantarika kamma are:
  1. Killing one's mother
  2. Killing one's father
  3. Killing an Arahant
  4. Wounding a Tathāgata
  5. Creating division in the Sangha

    Etymology

Ānantarika or ānantariya derives from na, an, and antara.
An in this context refers to the "seed" of karma and antara means in storage, or waiting to germinate or bear fruit. These two words combined create anantara, which means a karma seed waiting to germinate. Na means "not", and therefore, ānantarika means "not stored to germinate/mature" or "brings vipāka immediately".

Ānantarika kamma in Mahayana Buddhism

, one of the primary buddhas in Mahayana and the most widely-worshipped Buddhist deity in East Asian Buddhism discusses the Ānantarika kamma in his Original Vow. His vow reads: