羯かつ磨ま

also: こんま

Meanings

A technical Buddhist term for 'karma' or 'action', specifically in the context of monastic procedures and precepts. Reading varies by sect: かつま in Tendai, こんま in Shingon and Ritsu. Not used in everyday Japanese.

Kanji

羯barbarian
磨grind, polish, scour
摩chafe, rub, polish

Related words

業ごう
業 (ごう) is the more common and broader term for karma in Japanese Buddhism, used in general contexts. 羯磨 is a specialized term for monastic procedures and is rarely encountered outside sectarian texts.

Word family

羯かつ磨ま曼まん荼だ羅ら
karma mandala; three-dimensional mandala with deity sculptures

Written forms

羯磨Usage100%
- かつま
  Standard kanji form for this Buddhist term. Read as かつま in Tendai and other sects.
- こんま
  Reading used in Shingon, Ritsu, and other sects.
羯摩
rarely-used kanji form
- かつま
  Rarely used kanji variant.
- こんま
  Rare kanji variant with the こんま reading.
こんま

Etymology

Transliteration of Sanskrit 'karman' (कर्मन्), meaning 'action' or 'deed', via Chinese Buddhist texts. The kanji are used phonetically (ateji).