karma essay

Buddhism and Karma

Introduction to the Buddhist Understanding of Karma

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• Origins and Developments
• Figures and Texts
• Becoming A Buddhist
• Tibetan and Vajrayana Buddhism
• B.J., Journalism, University of Missouri

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. 

• Buddhism and Evil
• Rebirth and Reincarnation in Buddhism
• Bardo Thodol: The Tibetan Book of the Dead
• Buddhism: 11 Common Misunderstandings and Mistakes
• What Do Buddhists Mean by 'Enlightenment'?
• An Examination of Free Will and Buddhism
• The Five Niyamas
• The Four Seals of the Dharma
• Buddhism and Morality
• Buddhist Perspectives on the Abortion Debate
• The Second Precept of Buddhism: Not Stealing
• Buddhist Teachings on the Self
• The Search for Original Buddhism
• What Does "Samsara" Mean in Buddhism?
• What Does Buddha Dharma Mean?

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

At its core, karma is not about punishment or reward, but about learning and growth. It provides a framework for understanding how our actions impact the world around us and ourselves. Every action we take generates energy that affects our future experiences. This energy, whether positive or negative, ultimately returns to us, influencing our lives in ways that reflect our past actions.

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.

Buddhism, on the other hand, interprets karma not as a system of punishment or reward but as a means to understand the nature of reality. It emphasizes the role of intention behind actions and how it shapes our experiences.

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.

Moreover, karma encourages responsibility for one’s actions. It proposes that we are the architects of our destiny, shaping our future through our actions and intentions. This perspective empowers individuals to take charge of their lives and make ethical decisions.

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.

Karma, in its essence, is a philosophical tool for understanding the world and our place in it. It’s a reminder of our responsibility towards our actions and their consequences. Misunderstood as a system of punishment and reward, the true essence of karma lies in its portrayal of the intricate web of cause and effect that governs the universe. Whether viewed through a religious, philosophical, or scientific lens, the concept of karma offers profound insights into the nature of life and the universe.

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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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Home — Essay Samples — Religion — Karma — The Role Of Karma In The Mind And Actions

The Role of Karma in The Mind and Actions

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Critic’s Notebook

O.J. Was an Earthquake. We’re Still Living With His Aftershocks.

He tried to shed his Blackness, but his all-consuming murder trial put the historically lurid American psyche on full display.

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By Wesley Morris

When our Great Americans go, we know how to mourn them. Their lives were so grand, so architectural, infrastructural, awesome, admired, adventurous, outsize, so representative of some (or many) of this country’s ideals that the elegies come gushing. But there’s a Great American subset — where the adventure rocks the infrastructure and the life leaves a gash. Our Seismic Americans. That was O.J. Simpson. What’d he register? Almost a 9?

In some other realm, the football career and its showbiz afterlife, pitching rental cars and enlivening spoofery, would have warranted the plain-old Great American treatment. Let’s even include his distaste for race. That just complicates the greatness. But look at what became of that distaste: the gash. There was something hopeful about the iconoclast in O.J., for he dared to defy the limits placed on his Black self. Many Great Americans sought to shed the supposed stigma of their Blackness. They marched, they protested, they organized, they led. O.J. did as O.J. was famous for doing, and juked. He shed the Blackness itself, disowned it. His race was incompatible with his American dreams, with his O.J.-ness. Why couldn’t he have what white people had? Why couldn’t he live as they did? Indeed. Why couldn’t he?

Are we still in Great American territory? I think so. After all, folks knew what he meant. It can be a real burden, standing for, standing in for. Folks also knew that O.J. liked to run. That was him in 1977, galloping in Africa alongside LeVar Burton on night one of “Roots.” The man was not an intellectual — not in any conventional sense. He did exist as an idea, though, as a curious, compelling, perhaps glorious “what if?” What if a Black man were free to live as himself and never face a consequence for merely being? What if white people truly just saw him as he wished they would — as O.J.? He appeared to be living just that dream. In a place some call “La La Land,” no less. But it was more like a program the La Las once produced: “Fantasy Island.”

He found himself the nexus of a murder case in 1994, accused of stabbing to death his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman, beckoning the Richter scale. He was the defendant. Yet almost immediately it was evident that American history was on trial. Not anything you’d find indexed in a textbook. But the American historical psyche — the nasty, lurid stuff, the paranoia, the paradox, the farce, the terror, the truth . The cosmos of it all. Dare I say, the karma. There everything went — swirling, kicked up. For a television show that ran nonstop for two years. More “Roots.”

O.J.’s initial impulse? Flight. Ours? Follow. You still remember where you were for the Bronco chase, don’t you? How you didn’t move? I was in Philadelphia, on my way to the movies and stopped for a slice of pizza in a shop that should have had the Phillies on. I had just completed my first year of college. The movie was “Speed.” I missed the first 10 minutes. The rest was anticlimax. I’ll see Sandra Bullock driving that bus even now and think of Al Cowlings. Do you remember wondering whether the chase we were following might end through a wall or over a cliff?

I was a junior when the verdict came down. The living room floor seemed to split in half. The Black people on one side. Everybody else, over there. I was old enough to get that America had scarcely been Eden. Yet here we all were, cast out of some previously agreed-upon place. Call it reality. We knew what probably happened that evening in Brentwood. We also knew that justice had been as symbolic as O.J. had become under Johnnie Cochran’s sorcery. We knew the darkest comedy — that when this man could no longer run from , he found it convenient, redemptive, to stand for . So we knew — because we redeemed. A kind of justice had been served, and it reeked of brimstone.

I also remember this about that afternoon’s domestic and social rearrangement: The TV seemed fine.

One man did this. One man believed he could transcend the tale of this place. That he could reject what a life here has tended to entail if you’re Black. One man scrambled our common sense, seduced our better natures and rational selves. One man confirmed anew that a Black Icarus stands a reasonable chance of winding up Bigger Thomas. But the masterpiece that embodies the crises and dissonances of this man and his moments, that ruminates hard and rigorously on them, is actually about the man himself: Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made in America,” a documentary that at almost eight hours could have gone on far longer and proceeds with such a sorrowful investigative weight that, when it arrived in 2016, qualified as pre humous. It offered the most suitable manner to mourn a Seismic American, joltingly.

Wesley Morris is a Times critic who writes about art and popular culture. More about Wesley Morris