Karma, << KAHR muh, >> is an important concept in several Eastern religions, especially Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Followers of these religions believe that existence is a continuing cycle of death and rebirth. They teach that the form in which people will be reborn depends on their karma, the sum effect of all their past actions in previous lives. Similarly, people’s present actions add to their karma to determine their future destinies in this world, in heaven, or in hell.
According to the law of karma, good deeds lead to rebirth in a higher state, perhaps as a wealthy person, and evil deeds may lead to rebirth as a slave or even as an animal. Thus, beliefs about karma both encourage ethical behavior and explain what appear to be unfair conditions in society. Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains agree that the highest religious goal is to end all attachments to worldly things and so free oneself from the effects of karma. The person then achieves a higher level of experience, called moksha by Hindus and nirvana by Buddhists.
