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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Beliefs and Doctrine

Karma

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈkɑːmə/nounCore term

In religious studies & theology, karma means: In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, the principle that a person's intentional actions have consequences that shape their future, including future lives.

In Turkish: karma, eylem ve sonuç yasası

How it is used

The Sanskrit word means 'action'. Academic texts speak of the doctrine or law of karma, karma and rebirth, and good or bad karma. Each tradition understands it differently: Jain thought treats karma as a fine kind of matter, while Buddhism stresses intention.

Example sentences

  1. In Buddhist teaching, karma depends above all on the intention behind an action.

  2. The doctrine of karma explains why beings are reborn in different conditions.

Common collocations

  • law of karma
  • karma and rebirth
  • good karma
  • doctrine of karma
  • dharmaA key idea in Indian religions meaning duty, law and the right order of things; in Buddhism it also refers to the teaching of the Buddha.
  • reincarnationThe belief that after death a soul or self is born again in a new body, human or otherwise; it is found in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and other traditions.
  • HinduismA family of religious traditions that developed in South Asia, with no single founder, sharing scriptures such as the Vedas and ideas such as dharma, karma and rebirth.
  • BuddhismA religious and philosophical tradition based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived in northern India around the fifth century BCE.

More terms: Beliefs and Doctrine

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