Asking the Clergy: What is karma and how does it work?

Karma, the belief that actions in this current life along with those in past lives can affect a future reincarnation, is an important tenet of Eastern religions. This week’s commenters discuss karma from Buddhist, Hindu and Jain perspectives.

Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi

Buddhist scholar-monk, Chuang Yen Monastery, Carmel

Buddhism teaches that sentient beings are continually reborn, moving from birth to death, and from death to new birth. The factor that governs the process of rebirth is called karma. The word "karma" means volitional actions — deeds springing from intention. Such intention may remain purely internal or may be expressed through body or speech.

According to the Buddha, all karma has the capacity to produce results, or fruits. Karma produces its fruits in two ways. First, it connects our past deeds with the realm into which we are reborn. And second, it determines the quality of our experience within that realm, for better or for worse.

The law of karma is ethical in its operation, such that our deeds redound upon us in accordance with their moral quality. There is no higher being that oversees this process; rather, it occurs through the inherent potential of the deeds themselves. The basic principle is that bad deeds bring a lower rebirth and suffering, while good deeds lead to a superior rebirth and happiness. Thus, according to Buddhism, it is through our karma, our morally significant deeds, that we create our own destiny from one life to the next.

Anu Jain of Jericho

Member, Jain Organizations of New York

Karma is designed by our actions. Jains believe that our thoughts, emotions and desires dictate our karma, which will travel with our soul in its next life. The good or bad effects of karma in our life will continue until balance is restored. Our fate is among karma’s consequences, but that fate is not always what we expect it to be because of many contributing factors, including karma.

Nevertheless, Jainism teaches us that our choices and our actions (in other words, our karma) are vital in our current life and next life. We create our own karma in that what we reap is what we sow. This perspective allows us to have a chance to better ourselves for, not only this life, but for the next one. As one’s karma climbs into positive territory, we earn karmic merits. These karmic merits are earned over many lives.

Thus, instead of dwelling over what has already happened, Jains focus on bettering ourselves through our thoughts and actions. These factors decide our karma, and, in turn, our future.

Bhavani Srinivasan

Hindu representative, Long Island Multi-Faith Forum

Karma means action. One can think of it as a Newton’s spiritual law. The difference is that karma is an equal and similar reaction. Every action, whether physical, mental or emotional, causes an emission of karma, which will bear fruit at some point.

Hindus believe there are four types of karma. Sanchita karma is the accumulated debt from one’s past karmas. Until the sanchita karma is zeroed out, the soul keeps rebirthing. Prarabhda is the karma that you are working with beginning at birth. Kriyamana is karma from actions in your current life. Lastly, agami karma is the sum of the merits and demerits in this life that will be added to the sanchita karma.

Reincarnation gives the opportunity to correct karma. (Like retaking the SAT for a better score.) As another example of how karma works, imagine that you get into an accident while driving a car. The accident is a result of your prarabhda karma and your accumulated sanchita karma. If you go to the emergency room for medical attention, that is your kriyamana karma. If you then take a defensive driving course to develop better driving habits, that is your agami karma.