In Abhidharma texts, karman is classified into three types: kuśala, akuśala, and avyākṛta. According to the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya, in addition to those, another three types of karman—puṇya, apuṇya, and āniñjya—are further introduced as presented in sūtras.
In the Āgamas, puṇya is explained in a variety of ways, such as something that should be increased, or that should be accumulated towards the next cyclic birth, or that should be thrown away when entering the monastic life. This study analyses how puṇya, a word with such a broad meaning, is explained in the Abhidharma literature.
