What is Karma (因果)?
The law of cause and effect in Buddhist philosophy, where intentional actions — of body, speech, and mind — produce corresponding results in this life or future lives. The word karma literally means 'action' and does not imply fate or predestination. Rather, it describes a natural law of moral causation: wholesome actions lead to favorable outcomes, while unwholesome actions lead to suffering. Karma is not a system of reward and punishment administered by an external judge but an impersonal principle of conditionality. Understanding karma provides a framework for ethical responsibility and personal transformation.
All living beings are the owners of their karma, heirs to their karma.
— Buddhist karma tradition (Anguttara Nikaya)
Key Takeaways
- In Buddhism, karma is defined by intention (cetanā): the moral weight of an action lies in the mental state behind it, not just the outward deed.
- Karma is not fatalistic; it describes conditioning within samsara that the Eightfold Path aims to dissolve, not a cosmic ledger of rewards and punishments.
- Chinese: 因果 (Karma).
Understanding Karma
The Sanskrit word karma (kamma in Pali) literally means "action" or "deed." In the Buddhist teaching, what makes an action karmic is intention (cetanā), the mental volition that precedes the deed of body, speech, or mind — so the same outward act can carry different karmic weight depending on the motive behind it. Karma operates within samsara, the cycle of rebirth, as a law of conditionality rather than a system of divine reward and punishment. This contrasts with the Hindu view where karma is closely tied to the permanent self (atman) and caste; Buddhism rejects a permanent self yet retains karma as impersonal moral causation. Because karma is conditioned and changeable, the Buddha presents the Eightfold Path as the practical method to exhaust the unwholesome roots (greed, hatred, delusion) and bring the cycle to an end.
Related Concepts
- Samsara — Karma is the driving force that sustains the cycle of samsara
- Eightfold Path — The Eightfold Path provides the ethical framework for wholesome karma
- Four Noble Truths — The Four Noble Truths explain the nature of karma and its cessation
Further Reading
Related Guides
- What is Samsara? — Karma is the driving force that sustains the cycle of samsara
- What is Eightfold Path? — The Eightfold Path provides the ethical framework for wholesome karma
- What is Four Noble Truths? — The Four Noble Truths explain the nature of karma and its cessation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Karma in Buddhism?
Karma (kamma in Pali) means "action" or "deed," and in Buddhism it is the moral causation driven by intention (cetanā). It operates within samsara, the cycle of rebirth, as conditioning rather than fate: wholesome motives yield favorable conditions, unwholesome ones yield suffering, and the Buddha's Eightfold Path is the method to exhaust those unwholesome roots.
What does 因果 mean?
因果 (yīn-guǒ) is the Chinese compound for karma, combining 因 (yīn, cause) and 果 (guǒ, fruit or result). It renders the Sanskrit/Pali idea of action and consequence: the karmic act is the cause, and its ripening in this life or a future life is the fruit.
How is Karma related to Samsara, Eightfold Path, Four Noble Truths?
Karma is the mechanism that keeps samsara, the cycle of rebirth, turning: accumulated intentional actions condition future rebirths. The Four Noble Truths diagnose craving as the root of this cycle, and the Eightfold Path — right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration — is the practical training that erodes the greed, hatred, and delusion which generate new karma.
Why is Karma important?
Karma matters because it grounds Buddhist ethics in the agent's own intention: since the moral weight of an action lies in the mental state (cetanā) behind it, each person is responsible for the motives they cultivate. Precisely because karma is conditioned and not fated, the Buddha says it can be transformed — giving the Eightfold Path its leverage and the doctrine of non-self (anattā) its practical force.
Also Known As
Chinese: 因果. 因果, Kamma