Karma is a central theme in eastern religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. In these religions, karma can be defined as “the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, which are seen as determining their destiny in future existence.”
according to Stephen Win Ph.D.a visiting assistant professor at the University of Colorado at Denver and an expert in religious studies, karma began to appear in religious text as early as the The Upanishadsa foundational text that laid the foundation for Hinduism around 800-200 B.C.
He adds that the text makes it clear that humans act according to their desires, and these actions are our karma. In other words, karma is a verb – for better or worse. So for those who believe in karma in this sense, he explains, “It is a matter of learning how to disconnect oneself from one’s desires—partly through renunciation, through self-control through the body, with meditative and ascetic practices we might call yoga. In the end, that was a way to shorten the karmic cycle.”
He adds that in the reincarnation cycle, karma is believed to transcend lifespan, and theoretically explain why bad things happen to good people – and vice versa.
The idea that our actions have consequences can be seen throughout Western religion as well, although the word “karma” may not necessarily be used. The idea of heaven and hell in Christianity, for example, can be seen as another explanation for how karma affects our lives.
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