<p>Yes, from multiple suttas we see that karma can be done by way of the mind and <strong>intentional</strong> thoughts only. In fact, according to the first verses of the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dhammapada</a>, the mind precedes all mental states. It's more important than words and actions.</p>
<p>From <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.063.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Nibbedhika Sutta</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Intention, I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of
body, speech, &amp; <strong>intellect</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>From <a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn136/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mahakammavibhanga Sutta</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>After doing an intentional deed to be experienced as pleasant by way
of body, speech, or mind, one feels pleasure. After doing an
intentional deed to be experienced as painful by way of body, speech,
or mind, one feels pain. After doing an intentional deed to be
experienced as neutral by way of body, speech, or mind, one feels
neutral.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>From <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.025.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bhumija Sutta</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;When there is a body, pleasure &amp; pain arise internally with bodily
intention as the cause; or when there is speech, pleasure &amp; pain arise
internally with verbal intention as the cause; or <strong>when there is
intellect, pleasure &amp; pain arise internally with intellectual
intention as the cause.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>From <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.145.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Kamma Sutta</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>And what is new kamma? Whatever kamma one does now with the body, with
speech, or with the intellect. This is called new kamma.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-24T12:47:59.200Z
2021-01-26T03:57:13.127Z
2021-01-26T03:57:13.127Z
ruben2020
<p>Just only with an instant unwholesome thought (without any physical action or verbal action) is generally not bad kamma; particularly if the true nature of that unwholesome thought is fully understood; but habitual unwholesome thoughts (without any physical action or verbal action) is certainly bad kamma because habitual bad thoughts are signs of inherent ignorance that block the progress of the Path.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-25T00:52:02.553Z
2021-01-25T00:52:02.553Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>The text below is taken from the collected teaching of Ajahn Chah - ' about being careful '</p>
<p>As It reads bad karma doesn't happen by sudden arising of thought.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>So, some people feel that these sudden arisings of thought are wrong
or evil. You may have an impulse to kill someone. But you are aware of
it in the next instant, you realize that killing is wrong, so you stop
and refrain. Is there harm in this? What do you think? Or if you have
a thought about stealing something and that is followed by a stronger
recollection that to do so is wrong, and so you refrain from acting on
it – is that bad kamma It’s not that every time you have an impulse
you instantly accumulate bad kamma. Otherwise, how could there be any
way to liberation? Impulses are merely impulses. Thoughts are merely
thoughts. In the first instance, you haven’t created anything yet. In
the second instance, if you act on it with body, speech or mind, then
you are creating something. Avijjā has taken control. If you have
the impulse to steal and then you are aware of yourself and aware that
this would be wrong, this is wisdom, and there is vijjā instead. The
mental impulse is not consummated.</p>
<p>This is timely awareness, wisdom arising and informing our experience.
If there is the first mind-moment of wanting to steal something and
then we act on it, that is the dhamma of delusion; the actions of
body, speech and mind that follow the impulse will bring negative
results.</p>
<p>This is how it is. <strong>Merely having the thoughts is not negative kamma.</strong>
If we don’t have any thoughts, how will wisdom develop? Some people
simply want to sit with a blank mind. That’s wrong understanding.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-24T23:57:35.647Z
2021-01-24T23:57:35.647Z
Epic
<p>I'm not sure -- there might be something about this in the Abhidhamma, which I don't know.</p>
<p>I think that when a thought arises, that's a result of past karma.</p>
<p>But an &quot;action&quot; can be mental, as well as (or instead of) physical or verbal. And for example, when a thought arises (as a result of past karma), then an action such as deciding whether that thought is skilful or unskilful -- that action is karmic.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-24T17:59:43.360Z
2021-01-24T17:59:43.360Z
ChrisW
<p>Excellent question Tahlia.</p>
<p>Karma follows Dharma, of which intention is a part. You will find Karma is most present surrounding those who are of tranquil mind and heart.</p>
<p>To understand the nature of Karma in a nutshell:</p>
<p>Imagine a bubble that surrounds every individual. When an intention is created the shape of the bubble changes in order to support the intention we send out. If the intentions of the individual continue the bubble will become shaped by the intentions that define the individual.</p>
<p>The if the bubble is perfect it would be round, and a representation of the purest epitome the heart, body and mind of the individual could be, and 'slippery' (for lack of more accurate language) as far as Karmic bubbles go.</p>
<p>The chances of being afflicted by impure intentions of another are dramatically dropped when one is tranquil. When the impure intention slips off, the energy to muster that intention results in what is commonly referred to as 'bad' karma.</p>
<p>So it could be said, karma has little to do with the verbal or the physical. Intention is the wavelength of karma, verbal and physical responses are an easy way to observe karma in action. Lastly, if one does not let the intentions of another reach their inner world, they do not take part in the suffering.</p>
<p>Cultivate in harmony</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-25T14:44:22.240Z
2021-01-25T14:44:22.240Z
Beau. D
<p>Do we collect bad karma just only with an instant thought without any physical action or verbal action?</p>

<karma>
Can a bad karma happen just only with a thought without any physical or verbal action?
# Can a bad karma happen just only with a thought without any physical or verbal action?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-24)

Do we collect bad karma just only with an instant thought without any physical action or verbal action?

**Tags:** karma


---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-01-24. Score: 3

Yes, from multiple suttas we see that karma can be done by way of the mind and **intentional** thoughts only. In fact, according to the first verses of the [Dhammapada](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.01.budd.html), the mind precedes all mental states. It's more important than words and actions.

From [Nibbedhika Sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.063.than.html):

> "Intention, I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of
> body, speech, & **intellect**.

From [Mahakammavibhanga Sutta](https://suttacentral.net/mn136/en/sujato):

> After doing an intentional deed to be experienced as pleasant by way
> of body, speech, or mind, one feels pleasure. After doing an
> intentional deed to be experienced as painful by way of body, speech,
> or mind, one feels pain. After doing an intentional deed to be
> experienced as neutral by way of body, speech, or mind, one feels
> neutral.”

From [Bhumija Sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.025.than.html):

> "When there is a body, pleasure & pain arise internally with bodily
> intention as the cause; or when there is speech, pleasure & pain arise
> internally with verbal intention as the cause; or **when there is
> intellect, pleasure & pain arise internally with intellectual
> intention as the cause.**

From [Kamma Sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.145.than.html):

> And what is new kamma? Whatever kamma one does now with the body, with
> speech, or with the intellect. This is called new kamma."


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-01-25. Score: 2

Just only with an instant unwholesome thought (without any physical action or verbal action) is generally not bad kamma; particularly if the true nature of that unwholesome thought is fully understood; but habitual unwholesome thoughts (without any physical action or verbal action) is certainly bad kamma because habitual bad thoughts are signs of inherent ignorance that block the progress of the Path.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-01-24. Score: 1

The text below is taken from the collected teaching of Ajahn Chah - ' about being careful '

As It reads bad karma doesn't happen by sudden arising of thought.

> So, some people feel that these sudden arisings of thought are wrong
> or evil. You may have an impulse to kill someone. But you are aware of
> it in the next instant, you realize that killing is wrong, so you stop
> and refrain. Is there harm in this? What do you think? Or if you have
> a thought about stealing something and that is followed by a stronger
> recollection that to do so is wrong, and so you refrain from acting on
> it – is that bad kamma It’s not that every time you have an impulse
> you instantly accumulate bad kamma. Otherwise, how could there be any
> way to liberation? Impulses are merely impulses. Thoughts are merely
> thoughts. In the first instance, you haven’t created anything yet. In
> the second instance, if you act on it with body, speech or mind, then
> you are creating something. Avijjā has taken control. If you have
> the impulse to steal and then you are aware of yourself and aware that
> this would be wrong, this is wisdom, and there is vijjā instead. The
> mental impulse is not consummated.
>
> This is timely awareness, wisdom arising and informing our experience.
> If there is the first mind-moment of wanting to steal something and
> then we act on it, that is the dhamma of delusion; the actions of
> body, speech and mind that follow the impulse will bring negative
> results.
>
> This is how it is. **Merely having the thoughts is not negative kamma.**
> If we don’t have any thoughts, how will wisdom develop? Some people
> simply want to sit with a blank mind. That’s wrong understanding.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-01-24. Score: -1

I'm not sure -- there might be something about this in the Abhidhamma, which I don't know.

I think that when a thought arises, that's a result of past karma.

But an "action" can be mental, as well as (or instead of) physical or verbal. And for example, when a thought arises (as a result of past karma), then an action such as deciding whether that thought is skilful or unskilful -- that action is karmic.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2021-01-25. Score: -1

Excellent question Tahlia.

Karma follows Dharma, of which intention is a part. You will find Karma is most present surrounding those who are of tranquil mind and heart.

To understand the nature of Karma in a nutshell:

Imagine a bubble that surrounds every individual. When an intention is created the shape of the bubble changes in order to support the intention we send out. If the intentions of the individual continue the bubble will become shaped by the intentions that define the individual.

The if the bubble is perfect it would be round, and a representation of the purest epitome the heart, body and mind of the individual could be, and 'slippery' (for lack of more accurate language) as far as Karmic bubbles go.

The chances of being afflicted by impure intentions of another are dramatically dropped when one is tranquil. When the impure intention slips off, the energy to muster that intention results in what is commonly referred to as 'bad' karma.

So it could be said, karma has little to do with the verbal or the physical. Intention is the wavelength of karma, verbal and physical responses are an easy way to observe karma in action. Lastly, if one does not let the intentions of another reach their inner world, they do not take part in the suffering.

Cultivate in harmony


---

