Kiriya, Kiriyā & Kriyā

1. (n.)-

   1. (-˚) action, performance, deed; the doing = fulfilment cp. ˚karaṇa, anta˚, making an end of, putting a stop to (dukkhassa) SN.iii.149; SN.iv.93; Snp.454, Snp.725
      ■ kāla˚ “fulfilment of one’s time” i.e. death SN.iii.122; Pv.i.10#12 Snp.694; Pp.17; kusala˚ performance of good actions SN.i.101; SN.v.456; dāna˚ the bestowing of gifts Pv-a.123 pāpa˚ commission of sin Pp.19 = Pp.23; puñña˚ the performance of good works SN.i.87 = SN.i.89 = AN.iii.48; a Pv-a.54 mangala˚ celebration of a festival Pv-a.86 massu-kiriyā the dressing of the beard Ja.iii.314 (cp m-karaṇa and kappanā); sacchi˚ realization, see s. v -akiriyā the non-performance of, omission, abstaining from (a˚ akaraṇa = veramaṇī) Ja.iii.530; Vb.285.
   2. an act in a special sense = promise, vow, dedication intention, pledge: Pv-a.18; justice: Mil.171; kiriyaṃ bhindati to break one’s vow Mil.206
   3. philosophically: action ineffective as to result, non-causative an action which ends in itself (Mrs. Rh. D. in Dhs. trsl. xciii.), inoperative (see Cpd. 19). In this sense it is grouped with kamma (cp. for relation kamma: kiriyā Ger. sache: ursache). Thus is the theory of Makkhali n’atthi kammaṃ, n’atthi kiriyaṃ n’atthi viriyan ti there is no karma, no after-effect and no vigour in this world AN.i.286 (different at DN.i.53); n’atthi kiriyā it does not matter MN.i.405.

2. (adj.)

   1. making no difference, indefinite; of no result, as def. of avyākatā dhammā Vb.106, Vb.182 = Vb.302 = Dhs.566 and Dhs.989 (manodhātu kiriyā neva kusalā nâkusalā na ca kammavipākā: indifferent, neither good nor bad and having no fruit of kamma), same of jhāna Vb.268 = Vb.281; Dhs-a.388
   2. indecisive, in akiriyaṃ vyākaroti to give an indecisive answer, to reply evasively DN.i.53 and≈

• -pada (ttg.) the verb (i.e. that which supplies the action) Vv-a.315;
• -vāda (adj.) promulgating the (view of a) consequence of action, believing in merit and demerit, usually combined with kammavāda (q.v.) also ˚vādin: DN.i.115 (of Gotama) AN.i.62; Vin.i.71
  ■ a˚ denying the difference between merit & demerit AN.iv.174 = Vin.i.234; Vin.i.242, Vin.iii.2; AN.iv.180 sq.; SN.iii.73 (+ natthikavāda);
• -vādin adj. to prec. AN.i.62;
• -hetu being a cause of discrimination Dhs.1424 sq.

abstr. fr. karoti