Karma

Derived from the Sanskrit word "karma," meaning "action," "deed," or "work." Its root is kṛ, meaning "to do" or "to make." The concept is fundamental across Indian religions, appearing in Vedic texts and becoming central to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

Physically, action: metaphysically, the L.vw of ReTRiBi'TiON, the Law of cause and effect or Ethical Causation. Nemesis, only in one sense, that of bad Karma. It is the eleventh Nidana in the concatenation of causes and effects in orthodox Buddhism ; yet it is the power that controls all things, the resultant of moral action, the metaphysical Sam.<ikdra, or the moral effect of an act committed for the attainment of something which gratifies a personal desire. There is the Karma of merit and the Karma of demerit. Karma neither punishes nor rewards, it is simply the ono Universal Law which guides unerringly, and, so to say, blindly, all other laws productive of certain effects along the grooves of their respective causations. When Buddhism teaches that "Karma is that moral kernel (of any being) which alone survives death and continues in transmigration" or reincarnation, it simply means that there remains nought after each Personality but the causes produced by it ; causes which are undying, i.e., which cannot be eliminated from the Universe until replaced by their legitimate effects, and wiped out by them, so to speak, and such causes — unless compensated during the life of the person who produced them with adequate effects, will follow the reincarnated Ego, and reach it in its subsequent reincarnation until a harmony between effects and causes is fully re-established. No "personality" — a mere bundle of material atoms and of instinctual and mental characteristics — can of course continue, as such, in the world of pure Spirit. Only that which is immortal in its very "ature and divine in its essence, namely, the Ego, can exist forever. 162 TllKOcSul'llh .U. Ami as it is that Epro whii-h cliooses tlie persoiiHlity it will inform, after cacli Dfvachaii. and which rrci-ivi'S tijroufjh these personalities the effects of the Karinie causes produced, it is therefore the hl^o, that self which is the "moral kernel" referred to and embodied karma, "which alone siirvivcs death.

The Sanskrit term "karma," often translated as "action," carries a weight far beyond mere physical deeds. It is the profound principle of ethical causation, the cosmic law that binds cause to effect, intention to consequence. As Mircea Eliade noted in The Myth of the Eternal Return, the concept of karma offers a framework for understanding history not as a linear progression but as a cyclical unfolding of consequences. It is the moral kernel, as Blavatsky suggests, that persists beyond the dissolution of the physical form, a potent echo of our volitions.

In the Hindu tradition, karma is inextricably woven with dharma, the concept of righteous duty. To act in accordance with one's dharma is to generate positive karma, while transgressions create negative karmic imprints. This intricate dance of action and reaction shapes the soul's journey through samsara, the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The ultimate aim is moksha, liberation from this cycle, achieved by understanding and ultimately transcending the karmic mechanism through wisdom and detachment.

Buddhism refines this understanding, emphasizing intention (cetana) as the crucial element in karmic formation. The Buddha taught that it is the intention behind an action that determines its karmic weight. This places a profound responsibility on the individual, highlighting the power of the mind in shaping reality. The Eightfold Path, with its emphasis on right understanding, right thought, and right action, is the practical guide to purifying one's karma and breaking free from the cycle of suffering.

For the modern seeker, karma offers a potent antidote to the modern malaise of victimhood and external blame. It is a call to radical self-responsibility, an invitation to recognize that our present circumstances are, in large part, the harvest of seeds we have sown. It suggests that the universe is not capricious but governed by an inherent, ethical order, where every act, however small, resonates. To understand karma is to understand that the power to shape our future resides not in external forces, but within the very fabric of our choices and intentions. It invites a conscious engagement with life, a mindful cultivation of actions that lead not to further entanglement, but to liberation.

RELATED_TERMS: Samsara, Dharma, Moksha, Reincarnation, Causality, Ethos, Volition, Merit