The Cessation of Kamma and the Path to Liberation

Abstract

This study examines the Buddhist teaching on the cessation of kamma and the path leading to liberation, with emphasis on the teaching of ignorance (avijjā), craving (taṇhā), and the Noble Eightfold Path. It explains that kamma arises through intentional actions rooted in greed, hatred, and delusion, and continues to produce as long as these defilements remain. Through an analysis of teachings such as kammassakatā-ñāṇa, Paṭiccasamuppāda, and related suttas, the study clarifies that kamma cannot be erased directly, but becomes ineffective when its supporting conditions are removed. The paper highlights that the true extinguishment of kamma is achieved not by rituals or ascetic practices, but by uprooting the mental defilements that generate volitional action. Moreover, the Noble Eightfold Path gradually purifies moral conduct, concentration, and wisdom, leading to the destruction of ignorance and craving. The practice of meditation such as mindfulness and insight (vipassanā) is shown to be a crucial method in realizing the impermanent, suffering, and non-self of phenomena. Ultimately, the study concludes that the cessation of kamma culminates in Nibbāna, where both wholesome and unwholesome kamma are transcended and the cycle of saṃsāra comes to a final end.