Thoughts on karma
The word “karma” has now become part of our vocabulary. Francesco Gabbani won the 2017 Sanremo Music Festival with his song “Occidentali’s Karma,” and that same year, Fabio De Luigi and Elio Germano starred in the film “Questione di karma.”
But where does this word come from? The concept of karma was present in Indian society long before the time of Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, who lived around 500 B.C. I have often heard people say, “It’s karma’s fault,” when unfortunate or unpleasant circumstances arise. In this context, karma is given a meaning related to the inevitable consequences of a predetermined fate. This interpretation dates back to the period before the emergence of Buddhism and is permeated by a sense of helplessness and acceptance of what happens to us.
The concept of karma in Buddhist thought is broader and far less fatalistic. We could say that karma is the storehouse where the positive and negative causes of our words, thoughts, and actions accumulate. The following quote by Daisaku Ikeda, the third president of the Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International, sums up its meaning very well1.
If you want to understand the causes created in the past, look at the effects that manifest in the present. If you want to understand the effects that will manifest in the future, look at the causes being created in the present.
This phrase effectively illustrates the two sides of the karma coin. It is true that the causes we set in motion in our past influence our present, but this does not constitute a cage from which it is impossible to break free. At every moment, we have the opportunity to change our lives by setting the right causes in motion. The true meaning of the word “karma” is rooted in the power of personal responsibility, which allows us to change any situation—even the most negative one—and to develop our full potential.
The Sanskrit word karman कर्मन् means action, result, or cause that leads to certain effects. This meaning stands in contrast to the notion that we are powerless in the face of an unchangeable destiny. In Eastern tradition, this immediate consequence of cause and effect—whether positive or negative—is detached from any moral judgment. It is presented as a universal principle that does not require a supernatural being to judge and dispense rewards or punishments.
Positive karma is created by actions stemming from goodwill, kindness, and compassion. Negative karma is created by actions driven by greed, anger, and ignorance.2
The concept of karma and the Western view of Hell and Heaven share the idea that actions have consequences in both this life and the afterlife. Although the differences in thought between the two perspectives are evident, I would like to conclude by emphasizing the fact that both prescribe, more or less directly, actions aimed at respecting life and achieving the common good.
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Translated with DeepL.com (free version)