karma essay

The Psychology and Philosophy of Karma

Is karma a firm basis for morality.

Updated April 29, 2024 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

• Karma is the law of cause and effect extended to human affairs.
• Karma theory is echoed in Plato and even in the Bible.
• Hindus and Buddhists are keen to ensure that karma theory is more than an appeal to naked self-interest.

Karma, often misunderstood as fate or destiny, is conceptualized as a causal law by which our modes of engagement come to determine our station and situation. According to several Indian religions, karma is the law of cause and effect extended to human affairs; every instance of thought, speech, and action is a cause, and all our experiences are their effects.

Karma, good and bad, is often referred to as punya (“merit”) and paap (“demerit”). Even if punya does not immediately pay off, or seem to pay off, it does in the longer term, which is why karma is tied to samsara , the transmigration of life, with future births conditioned by the accumulated balance of paap and punya .

Greek Parallels

At the outset of Plato’s Republic , the sophist Thrasymachus argues that it is not the just but the unjust who flourish, and that the tyrant, being the most wicked of people, is also the happiest. At the end of the Republic , in the Myth of Er, Plato resorts to reincarnation to guarantee that the genuinely just always come out on top, with each soul choosing its next life according to its wisdom . In this and other things, Plato was influenced by Pythagoras (d. 495 BCE), who, like the Indians, came to believe in the transmigration of the soul.

The Transfer of Karma

Although karma is individual, it is believed that in certain circumstances it can be transferred—for example, from a dying father to his son, with the son being, essentially, the continuation of the father. This rite, in which the father places himself above his son, and touches his organs with his own, is laid out in the Kaushitaki Upanishad .

More ordinarily, the paap of a person, living or deceased, may be mitigated by the prayers and pilgrimages of others.

The Function of Karma and Christian Parallels

Karma serves the same purpose as Eden in providing the major motivation to lead a moral life. In the Christian tradition, it is believed that the soul of the newly deceased is judged and sent to heaven, hell, or purgatory. Then, there is also a Last Judgement that takes place after the Second Coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.

In the Letter to the Galatians , St Paul warns: “Be not deceived ; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” According to the Old Testament, punishment might even be extended to later generations, that is, to future selves:

The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Karma also serves other purposes, such as accounting for the existence of evil, rationalizing rebirth (which could also operate independently of karma), and providing a soteriological goal of final liberation.

In determining our circumstances and even our temperament, karma may constrict our options, but it does not deprive us of choice and deliberation, enabling it to condone social inequities and the caste system while at the same time affirming human freedom.

The Philosophy of Karma

The importance of karma, and the degree of freedom and determination within it, is a matter of debate between the Hindu schools.

But even if karma theory is not literally true, it is at least metaphorically true. Being good does pay off, if only in peace of mind and mental health.

In which case, is karma theory a firm basis for morality , or an appeal to naked self-interest?

One way around this problem, which has been taken, is to broaden the scope of karma to include thoughts as well as actions, so that the system becomes impossible to game.

Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is not the same, and does not feel the same, as doing it for the right reason. According to the Great Forest Upanishad , the truly virtuous act is the one that is desire-less. Like the Stoic archer, one must concentrate on doing the right thing, to the best of one’s ability, without being attached to the outcome. For it is from attachment that life and misery arise.

The Buddhist Solution

The Buddha had another way around the problem, which is to deny the metaphysical distinction between the self and others so that helping others is the same as helping oneself.

Aristotle makes a similar move in the Nicomachean Ethics , when he says that there is no conflict between helping a friend and helping oneself insofar as a perfect friend is like another self.

When we are good to another, we are good to all, including ourself, because the distinction is an illusion, and karma travels.

If we have no self, why did the Buddhists not altogether give up on karma and samsara?

In part, because karma can still operate in the absence of a Self, or Atma , with future incarnations being conditioned by the sum of all the karmic actions that have been put into the world.

Every person—their parents, their teachers, and their parents and teachers—is the embodiment of every karmic action that has ever gone before. Our every action reverberates to the end of time.

Read more in Indian Mythology and Philosophy .

Plato, Republic , Book X.

Kaushitaki Upanishad 2.15.

Bible: Letter to the Galatians 6:7.

Bible: Numbers 14:18 (KJV).

Great Forest Upanishad 4.4.5.

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics , Book IX.

Neel Burton, M.D. , is a psychiatrist, philosopher, and writer who lives and teaches in Oxford, England.

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Buddhism and Karma

Introduction to the Buddhist Understanding of Karma

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Karma is a word everyone knows, yet few in the West understand what it means. Westerners too often think it means "fate" or is some kind of cosmic justice system. This is not a Buddhist understanding of karma, however.

Karma is a Sanskrit word that means "action." Sometimes you might see the Pali spelling, kamma , which means the same thing. In Buddhism, karma has a more specific meaning, which is volitional or willful action. Things we choose to do or say or think set karma into motion. The law of karma is therefore a law of cause and effect as defined in Buddhism . 

Sometimes Westerners use the word karma to mean the result of karma. For example, someone might say John lost his job because "that's his karma." However, as Buddhists use the word, karma is the action, not the result. The effects of karma are spoken of as the "fruits" or the "result" of karma.

Teachings on the laws of karma originated in Hinduism, but Buddhists understand karma somewhat differently from Hindus.  The historical Buddha lived 26 centuries ago in what are now Nepal and India, and on his quest for enlightenment he sought out Hindu teachers. However, the Buddha took what he learned from his teachers in some very new and different directions.

The Liberating Potential of Karma

Theravada Buddhist teacher Thanissaro Bhikkhu explains some of these differences in this illuminating essay on karma . In the Buddha's day, most religions of India taught that karma operated in a simple straight line- past actions influence the present; present actions influence the future. But to Buddhists, karma is non-linear and complex. Karma, the Ven. Thanissaro Bhikku says, "acts in multiple feedback loops, with the present moment being shaped both by past and by present actions; present actions shape not only the future but also the present."

Thus, in Buddhism, although the past has some influence on the present, the present also is shaped by the actions of the present. Walpola Rahula explained in What the Buddha Taught (Grove Press, 1959, 1974) why this is significant:

"...instead of promoting resigned powerlessness, the early Buddhist notion of karma focused on the liberating potential of what the mind is doing with every moment. Who you are — what you come from — is not anywhere near as important as the mind's motives for what it is doing right now. Even though the past may account for many of the inequalities we see in life, our measure as human beings is not the hand we've been dealt, for that hand can change at any moment. We take our own measure by how well we play the hand we've got."

What You Do Is What Happens to You

When we seem stuck in old, destructive patterns, it may not be the karma of the past that's causing us to be stuck. If we're stuck, it's more likely that we're re-creating the same old patterns with our present thoughts and attitudes. To change our karma and change our lives, we have to change our minds. Zen teacher John Daido Loori said, "Cause and effect are one thing. And what is that one thing? You. That’s why what you do and what happens to you are the same thing."

Certainly, the karma of the past impacts your present life, but change is always possible.

No Judge, No Justice

Buddhism also teaches that there are other forces besides karma that shape our lives. These include natural forces such as the changing seasons and gravity. When a natural disaster such as an earthquake strikes a community, this is not some kind of collective karmic punishment. It's an unfortunate event that requires a compassionate response, not judgment.

Some people have a hard time understanding karma is created by our own actions. Perhaps because they are raised with other religious models, they want to believe there is some kind of mysterious cosmic force directing karma, rewarding good people and punishing bad people. This is not the position of Buddhism. Buddhist scholar Walpola Rahula said,

"The theory of karma should not be confused with so-called 'moral justice' or 'reward and punishment'. The idea of moral justice, or reward and punishment, arises out of the conception of a supreme being, a God, who sits in judgment, who is a law-giver and who decides what is right and wrong. The term 'justice' is ambiguous and dangerous, and in its name more harm than good is done to humanity. The theory of karma is the theory of cause and effect, of action and reaction; it is a natural law, which has nothing to do with the idea of justice or reward and punishment."

The Good, the Bad and the Karma

Sometimes people talk about "good" and "bad" (or "evil") karma. Buddhist understanding of "good" and "evil" is somewhat different from the way Westerners usually understand these terms. To see the Buddhist perspective, it's useful to substitute the words "wholesome" and "unwholesome" for "good" and "evil." Wholesome actions spring from selfless compassion, loving-kindness and wisdom. Unwholesome actions spring from greed, hate, and ignorance. Some teachers use similar terms, such as "helpful and unhelpful," to convey this idea. 

• Karma and Rebirth

The way most people understand reincarnation is that a soul, or some autonomous essence of self, survives death and is reborn into a new body. In that case, it's easy to imagine the karma of a past life sticking to that self and being carried over to a new life. This is largely the position of Hindu philosophy, where it is believed that a discrete soul is reborn again and again. But Buddhist teachings are very different.

The Buddha taught a doctrine called anatman , or anatta — no soul, or no self. According to this doctrine, there is no "self" in the sense of a permanent, integral, autonomous being within an individual existence. What we think of as our self, our personality and ego, are temporary creations that do not survive death.

In light of this doctrine — what is it that is reborn? And where does karma fit in?

When asked this question, the renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, borrowing concepts from modern psychological theory, said that what gets reborn is our neurosis — meaning that it is our karmic bad habits and ignorance that gets reborn — until such time as we awaken fully. The question is a complex one for Buddhists, and not one for which there is a single answer. Certainly, there are Buddhists that believe in literal rebirth from one life to the next, but there are also others who adopt a modern interpretation, suggesting that rebirth refers to the repetitious cycle of bad habits we may follow if we have an insufficient understanding of our true natures. 

Whatever interpretation is offered, though, Buddhists are united in the belief that our actions affect both current and future conditions, and that escape from the karmic cycle of dissatisfaction and suffering is possible. 

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karma , in Indian religion and philosophy , the universal causal law by which good or bad actions determine the future modes of an individual’s existence. Karma represents the ethical dimension of the process of rebirth ( samsara ), belief in which is generally shared among the religious traditions of India. Indian soteriologies (theories of salvation ) posit that future births and life situations will be conditioned by actions performed during one’s present life—which itself has been conditioned by the accumulated effects of actions performed in previous lives. The doctrine of karma thus directs adherents of Indian religions toward their common goal: release ( moksha ) from the cycle of birth and death. Karma thus serves two main functions within Indian moral philosophy: it provides the major motivation to live a moral life, and it serves as the primary explanation of the existence of evil.

Derived from the Sanskrit word karman , meaning “act,” the term karma carried no ethical significance in its earliest specialized usage. In ancient texts (1000–700 bce ) of the Vedic religion , karma referred simply to ritual and sacrificial action. As the priestly theology of sacrifice was articulated by Brahman priests over the following centuries, however, ritual action came to be regarded as effective by itself, independent of the gods. Karma as ritual functioned autonomously and according to a cosmic ritual law.

The earliest evidence of the term’s expansion into an ethical domain is provided in the Upanishads , a genre of the Vedas (sacred scriptures) concerned with ontology , or the philosophical study of being. In the middle of the 1st millennium bce , the Vedic theologian Yajnavalkya expressed a belief that later became commonplace but was considered new and esoteric at the time: “A man turns into something good by good action and into something bad by bad action.” Although within the Vedic ritual tradition “good action” and “bad action” may have included both ritual and moral acts, this moral aspect of karma increasingly dominated theological discourse, especially in the religions of Buddhism and Jainism , which emerged about the middle of the 1st millennium bce . Both of these religions embraced ascetic modes of life and rejected the ritual concerns of the Brahman priests.

The connection between the ritual and moral dimensions of karma is especially evident in the notion of karma as a causal law, popularly known as the “law of karma.” Many religious traditions —notably the Abrahamic religions that emerged in the Middle East ( Judaism , Christianity , and Islam )—place reward and punishment for human actions in the hands of a divine lawgiver. In contrast, the classical traditions of India—Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, much like the Vedic sacrificial theology that preceded them—view karma as operating according to an autonomous causal law. No divine will or external agent intervenes in the relationship of the moral act to its inevitable result. The law of karma thus represents a markedly nontheistic theodicy , or explanation of why there is evil in the world.

Once a divine judge is taken out of the equation, a new question arises: within a causal sequence, how can an act produce an effect at a future time far removed from the act’s performance? Different Indian moral philosophies provide different answers, but all acknowledge some kind of karmic residue resulting from the initial act. Jainism, for example, regards karma as a fine particulate substance that settles on the soul ( jiva ) of one who commits immoral actions or has immoral thoughts, making it impure and heavy and miring it in the material world of rebirth. The Vedic ritualistic tradition that preceded Hinduism contributed the concept of the apurva , the latent potency created within the soul by ritual and moral actions. Much like a seed, an apurva sprouts into new realities in the distant future. Other traditions—e.g., Yoga and Buddhism—provide psychological explanations in which karmic residue produces dispositional tendencies ( samskara s) and psychological traces ( vasana s) that determine the future births and personality traits of an individual. Each of these examples demonstrates how the concept of karma provided a bridge between cause and effect separated by time.

The doctrine of karma implies that one person’s karma cannot have an effect on another person’s future. Yet, while karma is in theory specific to each individual, many aspects of Indian religions reflect the widely held belief that karma may be shared. For example, the doctrine of the transfer of merit , whereby one person can transfer his good karma to another, is found in both Buddhism and Hinduism. Ancestral offerings and other rituals for the departed show that acts done by the living are believed to influence the well-being of the dead. Finally, pious activities, including pilgrimages , are often performed for the benefit of living or deceased relatives.

Essay on Karma

Students are often asked to write an essay on Karma in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Karma

Understanding karma.

Karma is a concept originating from ancient India. It’s about the law of cause and effect. Simply put, it means that what you do will eventually come back to you.

Karma in Daily Life

In daily life, karma can be seen in how our actions affect our lives. If we help others, good things tend to happen to us. If we hurt others, we may face negative consequences.

The Importance of Karma

Understanding karma teaches us to be responsible for our actions. It encourages us to act positively, leading to a better life and a better world.

250 Words Essay on Karma

Karma, a concept deeply rooted in various Eastern philosophies, is commonly understood as the principle of cause and effect. It suggests that our actions, whether good or bad, inevitably return to us in some form, creating a cycle of action and consequence.

The Mechanics of Karma

Karma and personal growth.

The concept of karma encourages self-awareness and introspection. It prompts us to critically evaluate our actions and their potential consequences before we act. By doing so, we can strive to make choices that generate positive karma, fostering personal growth and contributing to collective well-being.

Karma in the Modern World

In the contemporary context, karma serves as a moral compass, guiding individuals towards ethical actions. It underscores the interconnectedness of all beings, urging us to act responsibly and compassionately. The belief that our actions will return to us may deter harmful behaviors and promote acts of kindness and generosity.

In conclusion, karma is a profound philosophical construct that encourages mindfulness, responsibility, and personal growth. It is a reminder that we are not isolated entities but integral parts of a complex web of life, where our actions reverberate beyond our immediate surroundings.

500 Words Essay on Karma

Karma, a concept rooted in various Eastern religions, is often understood as a cosmic principle of cause and effect. It’s an intricate system where actions and intentions are believed to influence the future, either in this life or a subsequent one. The essence of karma is that every action has consequences, and these consequences are not merely inflicted by an external force but are a direct result of the actions themselves.

Karma in Different Religions

In Hinduism, karma is a fundamental doctrine, closely linked with the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The law of karma dictates that every action, thought, or decision one makes in their life will somehow influence their future lives.

In Jainism, karma is seen as a physical substance that clings to the soul, affecting its ability to reach liberation. The type and intensity of karma depend on the nature of the actions performed.

The Philosophical Implications of Karma

The concept of karma has profound philosophical implications. It introduces a moral dimension to the universe, suggesting that ethical conduct is not only a social necessity but also a cosmic one. It’s seen as a self-regulating system that maintains moral equilibrium, providing a sense of justice and fairness.

Karma and Modern Perspectives

In the modern world, karma is often misinterpreted as a form of divine retribution. However, its true essence is far from this simplified understanding. Karma is not about punishment or reward; it’s about understanding the interconnectedness of all things and the consequences of our actions.

The concept of karma has also found resonance in scientific fields. In psychology, the idea that our actions and intentions can shape our future aligns with the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy. In physics, the law of action and reaction bears a striking resemblance to the law of karma.

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Essays on Karma

The Doctrine of Karma: Understanding Action and Consequence

Table of Contents

Have you ever wondered why certain things happen to you? Is it mere coincidence, or is there an underlying principle guiding these events? In Indian philosophy, the concept of Karma offers an answer to these questions. Karma is not just a word; it’s a philosophy, a moral compass, and a way to understand life’s complexities.

The fundamentals of Karma

Karma, a Sanskrit term, literally means ‘action’ or ‘deed’. However, it transcends the simplicity of action to encompass the consequences that follow. It’s a cornerstone concept in Indian ethics, suggesting that every action we take has a corresponding effect, not just in this life but across multiple lifetimes. The beauty of this doctrine lies in its simplicity and the profound truth that personal responsibility shapes our destiny.

Decoding the types of Karma

In the vast ocean of Indian philosophy, Karma is categorized into four distinct types – each with its own role in the tapestry of life.

Sanchita Karma : The Accumulated Deeds

Sanchita Karma is the sum of all past actions waiting to bear fruit. It’s like a reservoir of seeds that have been planted over various lifetimes and are waiting to sprout. Think of it as your cosmic bank account where every action you’ve ever taken is a deposit, accumulating interest over time.

Prarabdha Karma : The Fruit Bearing Deeds

Prarabdha Karma refers to a portion of Sanchita Karma that has ‘ripened’ and is playing out in your current life. It’s akin to destiny – certain events are preordained, based on your past actions. It’s the script of your life’s play, already written, and now being enacted.

Kriyamana Karma : The Current Actions

Kriyamana Karma is the immediate karma we create with our current actions. It’s in our control and directly shapes our present and future. It’s the real-time scriptwriting of your life where you’re both the author and the protagonist.

Agami Karma : The Future Actions

Agami Karma is the future karma that stems from your current deeds. It’s the seeds you’re planting today that will blossom in the future. Your present actions are like an investment that will yield results, good or bad, in times to come.

Action and consequence: The inseparable duo

The doctrine of Karma emphasizes the inseparability of action and its outcome. It’s a moral law of cause and effect that doesn’t just govern your physical actions, but also your words and thoughts. Every thought you nurture, every word you speak, and every action you take is like throwing a pebble into the pond of the universe, creating ripples that eventually come back to you.

Shaping destiny: The role of Karma

Karma doesn’t imply fatalism; rather, it empowers. The doctrine suggests that while we may not have control over the Prarabdha Karma that’s currently unfolding, we have the power to shape our destiny through Kriyamana and Agami Karma. It’s a call to live with mindfulness and integrity, knowing that our present actions are drafting the blueprint of our future.

Karma in daily life: Practical implications

Understanding Karma can transform how we approach our daily lives. It encourages ethical behavior, compassion, and empathy. When we know that our actions will come back to us, we’re more likely to act positively and contribute to a healthier society. It’s the ultimate reminder that while we can’t control everything, we can control ourselves.

The doctrine of Karma is not just a philosophical concept; it’s a practical guide for living. By understanding the types of Karma and the power of our actions, we can navigate life’s challenges with greater awareness and purpose. The law of Karma teaches us that we are the architects of our fate, and through our deeds, we can craft a destiny that’s aligned with our highest aspirations.

What do you think? How does the concept of Karma influence your daily decisions? Do you believe in the power of actions to shape your future?

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Indian Philosophy

1 Nature of Philosophy and Characteristics of Indian Philosophy

• Metaphysics
• Logic and Epistemology
• Ethics or Moral Philosophy
• Characteristics of Indian Philosophy
• Special Features of Indian Philosophy

2 Introduction to Vedas and Upanisads

• Vedas and Its Contents
• A General Survey of the Vedic Literature
• Some Important Vedic Concepts – I
• Some Important Vedic Concepts – II

3 Introduction to Tirukkural

• Philosophical Insights of Tirukkural
• Moral Philosophy of Tiruvalluvar
• Social Philosophy of Tiruvalluvar
• Political Philosophy of Tiruvalluvar

4 Introduction to Epics, Puranas and Bhagavat Gita

• Itihasas – Epics
• Ethical Insights of Epics
• Political Thought in Epics
• Eighteen Puranas
• Bhagavat Gita
• Idea of God in Gita
• Three Margas in Gita
• Path of Bhakti as means to Liberation
• Origin of the School
• The Literary Sources of Carvakas/Lokayatas
• Epistemology
• Metaphysics of Carvakas
• Carvakas Views on God and Religion
• Ethics of Carvakas

6 Buddhism – I

• Four Noble Truths
• Philosophical Pre-suppositions

7 Buddhism – II

• Main Schools In Hinayana (Early) Tradition
• Vaibhasika (Sarvastivada) School
• Sautrantika School
• Main Schools In Mahayana Tradition
• Madhyamaka (Sunyavada) School
• Yogacara (Vijnanavada) School

8 Nyaya – Vaisesika

• Nyaya and Vaisesika
• Nyaya Theory of Knowledge
• Nyaya Theory of Causation
• Nyaya Concept of God
• Vaisesika Concept of Padartha or Category
• Vaisesika on Atoms and Creation
• Bondage and Liberation
• Theory of causation
• Theory of knowledge
• Modifications of Chitta
• Chitta Bhumi
• Kinds of Klesas
• Ashtanga Yoga
• Place of God in Yoga
• Eight Siddhis
• Theory of Knowledge
• Mimamsa Theory of Error
• Theory of Reality
• Theory of Soul

12 Advaita Vedanta

• Brahman and Atman
• Avidya and Maya
• Karya and Karana (effect and cause)
• Attaining Liberation through Knowledge

13 Visistadvaita

• Philosophy of Visistadvaita: An Overview
• Jivas or Individual Souls
• The Means of Liberation

14 Dvaita Vedanta

• Dvaita: its Notion and Meaning
• General Philosophy of Madhva
• Metaphysics of Dvaita Vedanta

15 Saivism and Vaisnavism

• Origin of Saiva Religion and Philosophy
• Schools of Saivism
• Saiva Siddhanta
• Siddhanta Concept of God and Soul
• Siddhanta Concept of Bondage and Liberation
• Sources of Vaishnava Religion and Philosophy
• Vaishnava Epistemology and Metaphysics
• Vaishnava Concept of God and Soul

16 Logic and Epistemology

• Carvaka Epistemology
• Jaina Logic and Epistemology
• Buddhist Epistemology
• Nyaya-Vaisesika Epistemology
• Samkhya-Yoga Epistemology
• Purva Mimamsa Epistemology
• Vedanta Epistemology

17 Indian Metaphysics

• Indian Materialism (Carvaka)
• Realism of Nyaya-Vaisesika
• Realism of the Sautrantika and Vaibhasika
• Realism of Mimamsa
• Dualistic Metaphysics of Samkhya
• Realistic Relativistic Pluralism of Jainism
• Idealism of Vijnanavada and Madhyamika
• Non-dualistic Absolutism (Advaita)
• Non-dualism of the Qualified Whole (Visistadvaita)
• Dualistic Absolutism of Madhvacarya

18 Indian Ethics

• Vedic and Vedantic Schools of Ethics
• Doctrine of Karma
• Transmigration of Soul
• Supreme Goals (purusharthas)
• Social Stratification (varnashrama dharma)
• Ethics in Buddhism
• Ethics in Jainism
• Hedonism in Ethics of Carvaka

19 Indian Aesthetics

• Bharata’s Rasa-Theory

20 Swami Vivekananda and Muhammad Iqbal

• The philosophy of Vivekananda
• God, Cosmos, and Human Person
• Yoga – the ways of realisation
• Towards universal religion
• The Philosophy of Muhammad Iqbal
• Concept of Self
• His Concept of God
• The Nature of the World
• Human Destiny

21 Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore

• Gandhi: Life Influence and Basic Philosophy
• God and Truth
• Nature of the World
• Concept of Human Person
• Social and Political Philosophy
• Tagore: Life and Basic Thought
• Search for the Absolute and Nature of the World
• Philosophy of Human Person
• Tagore’s Religious Thoughts

22 Aurobindo and S. Radhakrishnan

• Life and the Works of Sri Aurobindo
• The Transcendental Reality in Aurobindo’s Thought
• Nature of Creation: The World-Process
• Man in Terms of Evolution
• Reality and Its Aspects
• Synthesis of Yoga
• Radhakrishnan’s Life and Works
• The Absolute or the Brahman
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Karma is one of those words we don't translate. Its basic meaning is simple enough — action — but because of the weight the Buddha's teachings give to the role of action, the Sanskrit word karma packs in so many implications that the English word action can't carry all its luggage. This is why we've simply airlifted the original word into our vocabulary.

But when we try unpacking the connotations the word carries now that it has arrived in everyday usage, we find that most of its luggage has gotten mixed up in transit. In the eyes of most Americans, karma functions like fate — bad fate, at that: an inexplicable, unchangeable force coming out of our past, for which we are somehow vaguely responsible and powerless to fight. "I guess it's just my karma," I've heard people sigh when bad fortune strikes with such force that they see no alternative to resigned acceptance. The fatalism implicit in this statement is one reason why so many of us are repelled by the concept of karma, for it sounds like the kind of callous myth-making that can justify almost any kind of suffering or injustice in the status quo: "If he's poor, it's because of his karma." "If she's been raped, it's because of her karma." From this it seems a short step to saying that he or she deserves to suffer, and so doesn't deserve our help.

This misperception comes from the fact that the Buddhist concept of karma came to the West at the same time as non-Buddhist concepts, and so ended up with some of their luggage. Although many Asian concepts of karma are fatalistic, the early Buddhist concept was not fatalistic at all. In fact, if we look closely at early Buddhist ideas of karma, we'll find that they give even less importance to myths about the past than most modern Americans do.

For the early Buddhists, karma was non-linear and complex. Other Indian schools believed that karma operated in a simple straight line, with actions from the past influencing the present, and present actions influencing the future. As a result, they saw little room for free will. Buddhists, however, saw that karma acts in multiple feedback loops, with the present moment being shaped both by past and by present actions; present actions shape not only the future but also the present. Furthermore, present actions need not be determined by past actions. In other words, there is free will, although its range is somewhat dictated by the past. The nature of this freedom is symbolized in an image used by the early Buddhists: flowing water. Sometimes the flow from the past is so strong that little can be done except to stand fast, but there are also times when the flow is gentle enough to be diverted in almost any direction.

So, instead of promoting resigned powerlessness, the early Buddhist notion of karma focused on the liberating potential of what the mind is doing with every moment. Who you are — what you come from — is not anywhere near as important as the mind's motives for what it is doing right now. Even though the past may account for many of the inequalities we see in life, our measure as human beings is not the hand we've been dealt, for that hand can change at any moment. We take our own measure by how well we play the hand we've got. If you're suffering, you try not to continue the unskillful mental habits that would keep that particular karmic feedback going. If you see that other people are suffering, and you're in a position to help, you focus not on their karmic past but your karmic opportunity in the present: Someday you may find yourself in the same predicament that they're in now, so here's your opportunity to act in the way you'd like them to act toward you when that day comes.

This belief that one's dignity is measured, not by one's past, but by one's present actions, flew right in the face of the Indian traditions of caste-based hierarchies, and explains why early Buddhists had such a field day poking fun at the pretensions and mythology of the brahmans. As the Buddha pointed out, a brahman could be a superior person not because he came out of a brahman womb, but only if he acted with truly skillful intentions.

We read the early Buddhist attacks on the caste system, and aside from their anti-racist implications, they often strike us as quaint. What we fail to realize is that they strike right at the heart of our myths about our own past: our obsession with defining who we are in terms of where we come from — our race, ethnic heritage, gender, socio-economic background, sexual preference — our modern tribes. We put inordinate amounts of energy into creating and maintaining the mythology of our tribe so that we can take vicarious pride in our tribe's good name. Even when we become Buddhists, the tribe comes first. We demand a Buddhism that honors our myths.

From the standpoint of karma, though, where we come from is old karma, over which we have no control. What we "are" is a nebulous concept at best — and pernicious at worst, when we use it to find excuses for acting on unskillful motives. The worth of a tribe lies only in the skillful actions of its individual members. Even when those good people belong to our tribe, their good karma is theirs, not ours. And, of course, every tribe has its bad members, which means that the mythology of the tribe is a fragile thing. To hang onto anything fragile requires a large investment of passion, aversion, and delusion, leading inevitably to more unskillful actions on into the future.

So the Buddhist teachings on karma, far from being a quaint relic from the past, are a direct challenge to a basic thrust — and basic flaw — in our culture. Only when we abandon our obsession with finding vicarious pride in our tribal past, and can take actual pride in the motives that underlie our present actions, can we say that the word karma, in its Buddhist sense, has recovered its luggage. And when we open the luggage, we'll find that it's brought us a gift: the gift we give ourselves and one another when we drop our myths about who we are, and can instead be honest about what we're doing with each moment — at the same time making the effort to do it right.

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Short essay on the hindu doctrine of karma (396 words).

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Here is your short essay on the Hindu doctrine of Karma !

A nation is known from its people, their culture and civilization set-up. But the philosophy of this nation and this people epitomizes the essence of its culture and civilization.

Image Courtesy : hinduonline.co/PhotoGallery/HinduImages/KarmikPrinciple.jpg

In other words philosophy is the quintessence of fundamental ideas and ideals of a given people pursued generations after generations and therefore, philosophy bears the unconscious stamp of the culture and civilization concerned.

If we look to the Indian philosophy and the various schools of thought therein, we apparently find diversity in views and vistas, but there is a discernible strain of commonality. Indian culture and philosophy based on fundamental aspects of universal truth, life and society, presents a wonderful synthesis of unity amidst diversities.

he essence of Indian philosophy lies in the theories of the Purusharthas, the four phased Ashrams scheme of life, the circle of rebirth, Karma etc. The doctrine of Karma constitutes the ethical background of Hindu social life and organization. The Bhagvad Gita has devoted a great deal of attention to the nature and functions of Karma.

According to the Gita, no man can ever remain for a single moment of life without some activity. For the very nature of the physiological constitution makes a person active. Seeing, hearing, smiling, walking, sleeping, breathing, speaking, grasping or even opening and closing our eyes, are all various forms of activity.

Work is a necessity for the maintenance of the world. Life and society can go on only when there is activity and work. If men are idle, the whole fabric of society will fall apart and it will come to a standstill. Therefore, it is the duty of each person to contribute his mite to the maintenance and well-being of the world.

The theory of Karma is the most important basis of social action in Hindu society and culture. According to this theory, every man behaves in a particular manner. It is said that man is the maker of his own destiny. The theory of action is given an important place in Indian social thought. In a simple manner, we can say that good actions bring good result and bad actions bad result. The interpretation of action pertains to layman’s domain. Here attempt has been made to give a sociological explanation of the theory, of Karma as propounded by ancient Hindu thinkers.

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