Definition

1. Noun:
   • The spiritual principle of cause and effect: In Hinduism and Buddhism, karma refers to the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. It is the universal law where good intent and good deeds contribute to good future outcomes, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to suffering.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • She believes her current difficulties are the result of bad karma from a past life.
  • In many Eastern philosophies, accumulating good karma is a primary goal of ethical living.
  • He tries to live a kind life, hoping to build positive karma.

Advanced Usage

• "Karma is a boomerang": A saying meaning that the energy you put out into the world will eventually return to you.

  • He was cruel to others for years, but now he's alone. It's true that karma is a boomerang.

• "Instant karma": Refers to the idea that the consequences of one's actions are experienced very quickly, often in this life.

  • He lied to his boss and was fired the same day—that's instant karma.

Variants and Related Words

• Karmic (adj): Relating to or characteristic of karma.
  • Many believe they have a karmic connection with certain people from their past.

Synonyms

• Destiny / Fate: Although destiny/fate can imply a preordained path, while karma emphasizes the path created by one's own actions.
• Retribution: A deserved punishment or consequence, often with a more immediate or judicial connotation than karma's spiritual cycle.

Related Phrases

• "What goes around comes around": An idiom closely related to the concept of karma, meaning that one's actions, good or bad, will eventually have consequences for them.

  • He cheated his partners, but now his own business is failing. What goes around comes around.

• "Reap what you sow": Another idiom expressing a similar cause-and-effect principle, often used in both spiritual and secular contexts.

  • If you spread kindness, you will reap kindness. You always reap what you sow.

Noun

1. (Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation