Understanding Karma

"Karma" is a Buddhist tenant regarding the law of moral causation.  The term is often used today without real knowledge of what karma is or where the belief stems from. Buddhanet explains, Usually, men of ordinary intellect cannot comprehend the actual reason or reasons (for Karma).  According to Buddhism, this inequality is due not only to heredity, environment, "nature and nurture", but also to Karma. In other words, it is the result of our own past actions and our own present doings. We ourselves are responsible for our own happiness and misery. We create our own Heaven. We create our own Hell. We are the architects of our own fate.


Part of the concept of Karma is very obvious to me, it is a simple scientific law of cause and effect.  If you touch a hot stove, you will be burned.  If you speed often enough, you're bound to get caught.  Part of it though, eluded me until I remembered the passage from my own Southern Baptist upbrining.  All religions teach about Karma, they just have different names for it.  The Bible refers to it in Jeremiah 14:20 but calls it "sins of the forefathers" having impact on our present lives. 

It is important to note the the Buddha did not assign everything that happens to us as a result of Karma.  For example, the family who is killed by a drunk driver isn't killed as a result of their own Karma being manifested.  The person who is abused did nothing to warrant the abuse, that is not their own Karma being manifested.  Remember that the Buddha allowed room for free will, whether it be good or bad, and did not espouse that pre-destination is the all to end all.


Quite simply, you reap what you sow (Galations 6).