Karma and Dharma
Understand karma and dharma — the Hindu and Buddhist concepts of moral causation and righteous duty that shape belief and behavior across South and East Asia.
Karma and dharma are two of the most fundamental concepts in Indian religious and philosophical thought, influencing Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism in different but related ways. Together, they provide a comprehensive ethical framework that has shaped the moral universe of hundreds of millions of people for over two and a half millennia.
Karma — literally 'action' — is the principle that every action has consequences that extend beyond the immediate moment. Good actions produce positive results; harmful actions produce suffering. In Hindu and Buddhist thought, karma operates across multiple lifetimes through the cycle of rebirth (samsara). Your current circumstances are shaped by past actions; your present choices shape future lives. This is not fatalism — karma emphasizes agency and responsibility. Every moment offers the opportunity to generate better karma through ethical behavior.
Dharma is a more complex concept with no single English equivalent. In Hinduism, it encompasses cosmic order, moral law, righteous duty, and one's proper role in society. Each person has a svadharma — a personal duty determined by their stage of life, social position, and individual nature. In Buddhism, dharma (or dhamma) refers to the Buddha's teachings and the nature of reality itself. The interplay between karma and dharma creates a moral universe in which personal ethics and cosmic order are inseparable.