Song: The Karma We Create Today Inspired by the Saḷāyatana Saṃyutta Navapurāṇa Vagga
[Verse 1]
The past has left its footprints,
The road has brought us here,
Some things we cannot change again,
Some memories remain.
But every breath before us
Is a chance to choose anew,
With every thought and word and deed,
We shape what we will do.
[Pre-Chorus]
The past may be a condition,
But today is in our hands.
With wisdom as our compass,
We can change the way we stand.
[Chorus]
The karma we create today,
The words we choose to say,
The thoughts we keep within the heart,
Can shape another way.
Old karma may be behind us,
But the present gives us light.
Walk the Noble Eightfold Path,
And turn your heart toward right.
[Verse 2]
The eye, the ear, the nose and tongue,
The body and the mind,
Receive the world through changing doors,
Where feelings rise and wind.
If craving guides the senses,
The chains become more strong,
But wisdom sees the changing flow
And knows where we belong.
[Pre-Chorus]
Right View can light the road,
Right Mindfulness can see,
Right Effort keeps the heart awake,
And opens the way to be free.
[Chorus]
The karma we create today,
The words we choose to say,
The thoughts we keep within the heart,
Can shape another way.
Old karma may be behind us,
But the present gives us light.
Walk the Noble Eightfold Path,
And turn your heart toward right.
[Bridge]
Not every past can be undone,
Not every wound can disappear,
But we can change the way we meet
The present moment here.
A careless word can build a wall,
A mindful word can heal.
The freedom that we seek outside
Begins with what we feel.
[Final Chorus]
The karma we create today,
Let wisdom lead the way.
Through body, speech, and thought alike,
Choose truth in what you say.
Old karma may have shaped the road,
But it need not rule our life.
With the Eightfold Path before us,
We can move beyond the strife.
[Outro]
Yesterday is yesterday,
Tomorrow is unknown.
This moment is our field of practice,
This heart is where we grow.
Create no chains of craving,
Let wisdom be your guide.
From karma toward freedom,
Walk the path with open eyes.
The Navapurāṇa Chapter: From Old Karma to the Cessation of Karma
Tipiṭaka, Volume 18 — Sutta Piṭaka, Volume 10 — Saṃyutta Nikāya, Saḷāyatana Vagga, Saḷāyatana Saṃyutta, Third Paṇṇāsaka, Navapurāṇa Vagga
Bangkok — The teachings of the Navapurāṇa Vagga present an important examination of old karma, new karma, the cessation of karma, and the path leading to the cessation of karma. The teachings connect these principles with the six sense bases: the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. The chapter contains ten discourses, beginning with the Kamma Sutta and ending with the Dhammakathika Sutta.
Understanding Old Karma
In the Kamma Sutta, the Buddha explains old karma in connection with the six sense bases. The eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are described in relation to conditions, formations, and feelings.
The important point is that the teaching should not simply be interpreted as saying that the physical eye or ear itself is “karma.” Rather, the discourse describes these faculties in relation to conditions arising from past karma and other causes, as further clarified in the commentary.
New Karma Is Created in the Present
“New karma” refers to actions being performed in the present through body, speech, and mind. This shows that although people live with conditions inherited from the past, they remain responsible for how they act now.
The teaching therefore does not encourage fatalism. Human beings are not simply prisoners of the past. Through mindfulness and wisdom, they can create different causes in the present.
The Cessation of Karma
The Navapurāṇa Vagga also explains the cessation of karma and the path leading to that cessation. This path is associated with the Noble Eightfold Path:
Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.
The cessation of karma should therefore not be understood simply as stopping all activity. It refers to the movement toward liberation through the proper training of body, speech, and mind.
From Karma to the End of Suffering
The central teaching can be understood as a fourfold process:
Understand old karma → understand new karma → understand the cessation of karma → practice the path leading to its cessation.
This approach encourages people to understand life through causes and conditions rather than blaming everything on the past or creating the future through careless actions.
A Path Conducive to Nibbāna
The discourses following the Kamma Sutta discuss practices conducive to Nibbāna, including contemplation of impermanence, suffering, and not-self, together with teachings concerning the holy life and the purpose of spiritual practice.
The essential point is that Buddhist practice should lead to direct understanding of reality rather than merely accumulating intellectual knowledge.
As reality is understood more clearly, attachment gradually weakens, creating the conditions for liberation.
Karma and Modern Life
The teachings of the Navapurāṇa Vagga can be applied directly to modern life.
The past may influence our present circumstances, but what matters greatly is what we are thinking, saying, and doing now. These present actions become “new karma.”
Social-media activity, conversations about others, professional decisions, business practices, and responses to conflict are all areas where body, speech, and mind can create new causes.
The True Meaning of a Teacher of Dhamma
The final Dhammakathika Sutta concerns what makes someone a true speaker or teacher of Dhamma. It suggests that being able to speak about Dhamma is not merely a matter of eloquence; genuine understanding must be connected with practice.
This teaching is particularly relevant in the modern information age, when anyone can rapidly publish teachings, opinions, and interpretations. Good words should therefore be accompanied by self-discipline and responsibility.
A Message for Today
The Navapurāṇa Vagga offers a powerful message:
The past may be a condition, but the present is the field of practice.
We may have old karma that cannot be changed, but every moment gives us an opportunity to create new causes through body, speech, and mind.
With Right View as a compass, Right Mindfulness as a guide, and the Noble Eightfold Path as the way forward, life can gradually move away from creating attachment and toward freedom.
Understand the past, do not be careless in the present, and create the causes for freedom through right practice. This is the heart of the Navapurāṇa Vagga.
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