Karma

Understanding Karma

  • Karma is a fundamental concept in Hinduism that translates to ‘action’, ‘work’, or ‘deed’.
  • It refers to a law of cause and effect, implying every action has a consequence. The kind of life one leads determines the state of life after reincarnation.
  • The concept of karma is intertwined closely with other key beliefs in Hinduism, including samsara (the cycle of life, death, and rebirth), moksha (liberation from samsara), and dharma (duty or responsibility).

Types of Karma

  • Hinduism outlines three types of karma: Sanchita Karma (accumulated past actions), Prarabdha Karma (fruits of past actions manifesting in the present life), and Kriyamana Karma (current actions affecting the future).
  • The perspective of karma thus extends beyond a single lifetime, influencing events, circumstances and conditions in this life and future lives.

Role of Karma in Ethical Decision Making

  • The law of karma promotes moral behaviour, as Hindus believe they can positively influence their future by performing good deeds and avoiding harmful actions.
  • Karma encourages a practical engagement with ethical issues, such as injustice or suffering, because helping others and performing good actions is understood to generate good karma.

Karma and Reincarnation

  • Hindu belief in reincarnation is closely tied to Karma. The actions of an individual in this life dictate the conditions of their next life.
  • Karma is carried forward through each life cycle until all is resolved and moksha, or liberation, is achieved.

Karma and Dharma

  • Karma is additionally related to dharma, understood as duty or righteousness. By fulfilling one’s dharma, an individual generates good karma and contributes positively to their cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
  • The concept of dharma varies based on individual circumstances, including one’s profession, caste, gender, and age. However, following one’s dharma is universally considered to produce good karma.

Goal of Karma

  • The ultimate goal of understanding and realising karma is to achieve moksha, the liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, resulting in union with the divine Brahman.