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What Does Karma Mean and is It Real?
by PL Chang
Energy Fanatics
Many people believe that they are experiencing a lot of pain and suffering because they created too much karma in their past lives. Are there some truths to this claim? Is karma even real? Before I answer these questions, let us explore the definition of karma.
What does karma mean?
To find out what karma means and if it is real, we need to explore some definitions of it. Here is a short excerpt from Hinduism.About.com about what it is.
The theory of karma harps on the Newtonian principle that every action produces an equal and opposite reaction. Every time we think or do something, we create a cause, which in time will bear its corresponding effects. And this cyclical cause and effect generates the concepts of samsara (or the world) and birth and reincarnation. It is the personality of a human being or the jivatman – with its positive and negative actions – that causes karma.
Here is another excerpt about karma from the perspective of Buddhism. As described at Buddhism.About.com.
Karma is a Sanskrit word that means “action.” Sometimes you might see the Pali spelling, kamma, which means the same thing. In Buddhism, karma has a more specific meaning, which is volitional or willful action. Things we choose to do or say or think set karma into motion. The law of karma is a law of cause and effect.Sometimes Westerners use the word karma to mean the result of karma. For example, someone might say John lost his job because “that’s his karma.” However, as Buddhists use the word, karma is the action, not the result. The effects of karma are spoken of as the “fruits” or the “result” of karma.
Source: http://www.riseearth.com/2014/04/what-does-karma-mean-and-is-it-real.html
