Nikaya and Agama
Gottama Buddha seems to have wanted His teachings to be recited in its original form and passed on to the future through voice like music CDs. However, this method of transmission required about 600 people, so it would have been a big financial burden. Perhaps, these financial burdens are one of the reasons for the introduction of the letter-based method of transmission. There are two ways to use the letters to pass on the teachings of Gottama Buddha.

1. sound copy method
example : sound file => pitu(English alphabet), 삐뚜(Korean alphabet)
merit : Gottama Buddha's teachings are not damaged.
demerit : The scriptures of the same content are repeated many times to the point of being boring.

2. translation method
example : sound file => father(English translation), 아버지(Korean translation)
merit : Scriptures of the same content can be compressed into one.
demerit : If the translator's level of understanding of Gottama Buddha's teachings is low, His teachings may be damaged.

Nikaya has transmitted the Gottama Buddha's teachings in the sound copy method, but Agama has transmitted in translation method.

While today's Korean Buddhists are able to simultaneously read Nikaya and Agama translated into Korean, they are very surprised that the two types of scriptures are not very different in content. The journey that the Korean language Agama was born in Korea is as follows. Reciting cannon in India => Sanskrit translation in nothern India => Chinese translation in China => Korean translation

kamma and salaytana(six senses)
"Now what, monks, is old kamma? The eye is to be seen as old kamma, fabricated & willed, capable of being felt.(Kamma Sutta SN 35.145)

What is the cause of the eye, connection and bondage? It is said that eye result from kamma, connected with kamma and restricted by kamma. (Samyuktagama SA 334)

Both Nikaya and Agama say that salaytana(six senses) and kamma are closely related. 

“Ananda, if there were no kamma ripening in the sensuality-property, would sensuality-being be discerned?” “No, lord.” (Bhava Sutta AN 3.76)

The clause 'There is no being(bhava) without kamma.' in Nikaya is exaxactly same as Husserl's word 'There is no object(bhava) without thought.' (E. Husserl, 1959~1938 ; phenomenology). So, thought = kamma.

time independancy of kamma / space(location) independancy of kamma
At Savatthi. “Bhikkhus, the eye is anatta(not mine, not myself and not I), both of the past and the future, not to speak of the present. (Ajjhatta-anatta-sutta SN35.9)

In Nikaya, the kamma is is said to be independent of time in a way that mentions past, future and present simultaneously.

“Monks, when the eye arises, there is no place from which it comes; when it ceases, there is no place to which it goes. (Samyuktagama SA335)

In Agama, kamma is is said to be independent of space(location) in a way that mentions no place from and no place to simultaneously.

If you look at kamma from the position of nibbana, there is no past, future, and present distinction of kamma, nor from and to anywhere of kamma.

anatta(not-self) and sunnata(emptiness)
"And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: 'This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am'?" "No, lord." (Pañcavaggi Sutta SN 22.59)

The Buddha said: “Monks, what is impermanent, dukkha, of a nature to change, would a learned noble disciple herein regard it as the self, as distinct from the self in the sense of being owned by it, as existing within the self, or the self as existing within it?“ The monks said to the Buddha: “No, Blessed One.” (Samyuktagama SA86)

 "It is said that the world is empty, the world is empty, lord. In what respect is it said that the world is empty?" "Insofar as it is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self: Thus it is said, Ananda, that the world is empty. (Suñña Sutta SN 35.85)

Just as with contemplating impermanence. In the same way also for dukkha, emptiness and not-self. (Samyuktagama SA1)

result of saint(Arahat)'s kamma
Agama generally uses the core content of the scriptures as the title of the scriptures. SA 335, titled 'emptiness in its ultimate meaning', explains how saint(Arahat), who realizes the emptiness(not mine and not myself) of kamma, thinks about result of previous kamma.

It is a result of previous kamma but it has no doer. (Samyuktagama SA335)

Even if there are kamma's result that greatly benefit people, the saint(Arahat) has no idea that He built it.

.(2019.5.26)

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