Kamma (karma) is closely connected with intentional action through body, speech and mind. Choices have consequences, and repeated choices help shape habits.
Buddhist teachings place kamma within a wider account of causation, rebirth and liberation. It is not simply a promise that good people always receive immediate rewards.
It is also not a sound basis for blaming someone for illness, poverty or misfortune. In the Sīvaka Sutta, the Buddha rejects the claim that everything a person experiences is caused only by past action. Many conditions matter.
A practical place to begin is the intention available now: can this action be less greedy, less hostile and more clear-sighted?
Try it today
Before acting on a strong impulse, pause and identify the intention behind it.
A moment to reflect
What consequences might this choice have for you and for someone else?
Explore the sources
These are introductory summaries, not quotations or replacements for the original teachings.
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