Karma is one of the laws of existence, based on our previous patterns. The concept of karma is derived from Eastern religions and philosophies, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. This concept refers to a person’s actions. Karma says that every person’s action affects this life or the next life, and every action a person sees will result in this life or the next life. Karma is the principle of cause and effect, action and reaction, cosmic justice, and individual responsibility. Some people also know this law by other letters such as echo, boomerang law, the law of reflection of actions, and the law of action and reaction.
Karma, written in Sanskrit as कर्म. It means bio-work, action, or result of each person’s action. One does anything in this life, whether it is good or bad; It creates a force that makes them see the result in this life or the next. Good deeds create positive karma and bad deeds create negative karma. In Karma, the intention is more important than action. When you understand your thought or action, some karmic force is released; For example, if you did something bad like stealing and then realized your mistake and tried to make up for it, you would change your energy yourself and you would no longer be under the burden of karma.
The consequence of a person’s action is called fruit or Vipāka; According to this definition, God does not reward or punish humans, instead, deeds determine the reward and punishment of each person. In religions that believe in periodic birth or reincarnation; The consequences of actions are carried on to the next life. Accordingly, if a person is not dependent on his life and actions, his actions will not have results or fruits.
The concept of Karma and Dharma are interrelated, and Dharma is complementary to Karma. In the Sanskrit language, Dharma means protection. According to the law of Dharma, we must protect ourselves from negative sorrows, hardships, and negative karma. The law of Dharma says that every creature has its unique talent and according to it has duties in this life. We have all come to this world with a specific purpose and we must try to find that purpose.
The concept of karma in different religions:
All religions believe in the rule that every action one performs, its result will be seen. But Eastern religions and philosophies have more faith in the law of Karma in the universe. Next, we explore the concept of Karma in the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Islam.
The main origin of Karma is in Hinduism:
They believe that the human soul is trapped in many different lives, and as long as a person does not give up his carnal desires, his soul will remain trapped. This is why Hindus try to produce positive karma throughout their lives to have a better life in the next reincarnation.
Buddhism is a branch of Hinduism and believes that the stored karma of the soul is transferred from one life to the next, But the soul itself is not transmitted. The Buddha says about Karma: “I am the owner of my deeds, the inheritor of our deeds, the offspring of our deeds, we live in connection with our deeds and rely on our deeds, and every action I do, make me inherit good or bad.” “The monk must always focus on this principle.” According to the Buddha, Karma is motivation; Each person performs karma with his body, speech, and intellect, and action is the physical movement of thought and speech.
The first three motives are positive and the next three motives are their opposite. By repeating the behavior, our mental inclination increases towards those actions.
In Jainism, karma is made up of particles that are attached to the soul. As long as the burden of Karma is on the soul; The soul is constrained in the cycle of reincarnation.
Sikhism is one of the newest religions in the world based on monotheism. The goal of this religion is the equality of all human beings in the world and it is believed that to get out of the cycle of life and reincarnation, one must reach the top level of theology.
The impact of karma on our success and failure According to the law of Karma, man sees the result of every action he takes. Doing good deeds creates positive karma. For example, compassion, helping others, honesty in action cause a person to achieve peace and success in life, But doing bad things creates negative karma. For example, stealing, lying, and making a person always feel unhappy, stressed, depressed, and defeated throughout life. Also, not every bad thing that happens can be considered karma; For example, if our body is sick, we cannot say that it is due to negative karma because our material body is sick. positive and negative karma does not mean the material body; Rather, it is the reality of the soul, feelings, attitudes, and actions.
