Preview

Karma Essay

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1429 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Karma Essay
Karma Essay: Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism
Have you ever heard someone say “what goes around comes around?” Many religions believe in Karma. Karma means a deed or an act. The three major religions that believe in Karma are Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. These three religions share somewhat the same views and beliefs on Karma. These three religions believe that human beings spend their time in a cycle of birth, life, and rebirth. Every mainstream religion teaches us about the consequences of our actions. The explanations may differ, but does it really matter in the end whether the law of karma causes us trouble or God himself in his final judgment?
Sikhs believe that everything happens in Hukam. Hukam is a supreme command. In Sikhism there are two types of Karma, Dukrit Karma, and Sukrit Karma. Dukrit Karma is the thinking against Hukam. On the other hand Sukrit Karma is to walk in Hukam. A person may only think against Hukam, but could not act against it. The actions that are going around the world are all in Hukam, whether they are good or bad. As Guru Nanak Dev Ji has quote “Hukmey andar sab hai. Bahr Hukam na koye” (http://www.srigranth.org). This is the reason why Gurbani says there is no sin, no virtue. Sikhs do not believe in heaven or hell. The quality of each particular life depends on the law of Karma. Karma sets the quality of a life according to how well or badly an individual behaved in their previous life. The only way an individual can get out of this cycle is to achieve a total knowledge of and union with god. In the Sri Guru Granth Sahib states “Karam dharti sarir jug antar jo bovai so khat” (http://www.srigranth.org). This quote means the body is the field of Karma in this age, whatever you plant you shall harvest. The Karma of past actions, the role of this physical body is obtained, by his grace, the gate of liberation is found. Without doing good deeds a mortal will have to suffer and face the consequences of their actions. For every



Bibliography: Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/Hinduism>. "BuddhaNet - Worldwide Buddhist Information and Education Network." BuddhaNet - Worldwide Buddhist Information and Education Network. Web. 01 June 2012. <http://www.buddhanet.net/>. "Religion, World Religions, Comparative Religion - Just the Facts on the World 's Religions." Religion, World Religions, Comparative Religion - Just the Facts on the World 's Religions. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.religionfacts.com/>. "View on Buddhism: (Tibetan) Buddhist Practice and Philosophy." View on Buddhism: (Tibetan) Buddhist Practice and Philosophy. Web. 01 June 2012. <http://viewonbuddhism.org/>. Web. 31 May 2012. <http://www.srigranth.org/>.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Module 3 Chapters 13 15

    • 1933 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Karma can be explained as reaping what you sow. According to multiple religions karma is…

    • 1933 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Relgion 133 Version 3

    • 29552 Words
    • 119 Pages

    When the continuing-education division of an American university organized a one-day Buddhist retreat, more than a hundred students signed up within a few hours. What is the appeal of Buddhism, especially Buddhist meditation, for Westerners? Why do people who still identify themselves as Christians or Jews flock to Buddhist meditation sessions? What is it that has attracted so many Hollywood celebrities to Buddhism? To attempt to answer these questions, we need to review the 2,500-year history of Buddhism, its varieties, and its spread—first throughout Asia, then throughout the world.…

    • 29552 Words
    • 119 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Religions Matrix

    • 811 Words
    • 3 Pages

    | The central belief of Hinduism is karma, which is if you do good, good things will come to you, If you do bad things, bad things will happen. The ultimate goal is to achieve moksha or liberation from the cycle of reincarnation through realization of the immortal Absolute.…

    • 811 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Karvana Case Study

    • 1579 Words
    • 7 Pages

    We know karma to be a chain of causes and necessary consequences in the world of human actions. Karma is the urge we have of doing something based on our previous actions or behavior. I believe the world has negative and positive energy. For example; an individual soul consists of negative and positive energy, which for a normal person, is balanced out. Therefore, what goes around comes around. In life we choose whether to listen and act upon certain urges or ignore it. I do not believe karma predetermine our future. Karma is the reason why things occur in our lives, based on the actions we have done. Karma is not built upon a distinct action but the accumulation of our conduct and actions.…

    • 1579 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As the culture develops and modernizes, particular issues arise in regards to religions. When challenges arise, it is important to study and understand how each religion will resist or change to the pressure. This paper will examine the similarities of Buddhism to other religions to find common themes or characteristics. Then, different ways the Buddhism is responding to the changing needs of the modern world will be explained. Finally, women’s roles in Buddhism and how they have changed will be explored.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reincarnation is a common belief in the eastern part of the world, with Buddhism as well as Hinduism, supporting the idea of rebirth. In Hinduism each person has an essential self which is called the Atman, and is eternal and seeks unity with God. At physical death, the Atman leaves the body and enters another at birth. The physical body is gone but the Atman remains the same. The status of the body that the Atman re-enters is depended on whether in the previous life the person was morally good or bad, if good it will be in a higher status body, and if bad will be in a lower status body. This cycle of rebirth, birth and death is called Karma which Buddhism also follows, except they do not believe in a soul, but instead the five skandhas which are woven together and make a person attract karma. These two religions are heavily followed in the eastern part of the world and so therefore it may be argued that because it is an accepted belief it is therefore normal to believe in such an idea, however in the western part of the world where religions such as Christianity are followed it is not as accepted. Some would also question the fairness of suffering in this life for something in a past life which they cannot remember and that punishment doesn’t have a value unless you understand what it is for; it needs to be associated with something. However, Hindus would argue that karma is not seen as a punishment; it is just bearing out the karmic fruits…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    REL 133 Zen Buddhism

    • 984 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Buddhism has grown from the flowing of a single man in his path to nirvana to a religion that spans the globe and has shaped many cultures. This paper will first present the history of Buddhism and the life of the man known as Buddha. Then, the fundamental teachings of Buddhism will be discussed. Finally, the unique aspects of Zen Buddhism will be examined.…

    • 984 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Steeped in culture, rules, and traditions that go back for thousands of years, both Judaism and Buddhism provide a way of life and spiritual path for their follows. The comparison of these seemingly vastly different religions is important for numerous reasons. The main reason being that these two faiths are two of four major world religions. We also live in a very global society these days and the more we can understand and find common ground with people who initially seem different than us can really effect both world and personal relations. Judaism’s members follow their faith as a way to bring them closer to the one and only God. Buddhism, commonly referred to as the world’s oldest living religion, is a religion based on the philosophical study of nature and oneself. Two drastically differing religions that have the exact same goal: Live your life in a way that makes you deserving of the reward that waits for you after this life. What a simple idea, yet confusing. The same goal with two distinct ways in which each believe they will attain it. This paper will highlight the differences as well as similarities concerning the values each religion lives by, their idea of freedom and what it means, and what both religions feel their purpose is here on Earth.…

    • 1413 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Hinduism, it is believed that an enduring soul survives after death, spends a variable amount of time in another realm, and then becomes associated with a new body. Rebirth into the opposite sex or, under certain circumstances, into a nonhuman animal form is considered possible. Hinduism includes the concept of karma, the idea that the conditions into which one is born are determined by one’s conduct in various previous lives. The law of karma works neutrally and it inexorably metes out the results of one’s actions, rebirth after rebirth, known as samsara. There are countless living beings and countless levels of rebirth from those in the hells to plants, animals, humans, and gods. It is believed that evil karma may bring rebirth at lower levels, and good karma may bring rebirth at higher human levels or even as a god or goddess. After much spiritual practice, and a person finally realizes his or her own divine nature, all desire for the pleasures of the world will vanish, and the person will cease to be reborn. The person is said to have attained moksha, or salvation from samsara. It is essentially when they “wake up” to the nature of reality.…

    • 1126 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hinduism is a diverse body of religion, philosophy, and cultural practice native to and predominant in India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being of many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils (GodWeb, n.d.). In this paper I will further explore what the Hindu religion is encompassed of. And delve into what makes the religion of Hinduism vital to the region it is originated in.…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Part One: Hindu Worldview

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages

    5. The Question of Destiny – In a Hindu Worldview one would believe that one’s karma determines how you will return in the next life. If a person has good Karma they will reach a higher level upon rebirth. If one has bad Karma they will return to a lower level, or as an animal upon rebirth. The goal is to reach Nirvana.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hinduism and Buddhism are both eastern traditions with much to say about the human condition as well as the reason human beings exist at all. In some ways they are different while also being similar in other ways. In this essay, those differences will be discussed and the similarities examined for their message. In conclusion, we will examine what these two faiths offer to the human beings of the twenty-first century.…

    • 977 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    How Buddhism Has Changed

    • 1650 Words
    • 7 Pages

    5. Robinson, R.H. and Johnson, W.L., Buddhist Religions: A Historical Introduction (fifth edition) (Wadsworth, 2005…

    • 1650 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The belief in reincarnation provided as a form of social control by forcing people to want to be reborn into a higher class, therefore keeping the people willing to obey. In the Hinduism culture, those who were higher in the caste system were supposedly able to be enlightened in their lifetime. People in lower parts of the caste system had to wait to be reborn into a higher caste. The way to be reborn into a higher caste is to have good karma. The actions in one's lifetime determine the type of karma is given to the soul;…

    • 98 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    How Buddhism Differs from Other Major Religions — American Institute of Buddhist Thought. (n.d.). American Institute of Buddhist Thought — A Guide of Buddhism for America. Retrieved June 5, 2013, from http://www.buddhistteaching.org/guide-on-buddhism/how-buddhism-differs-from-other-major-religions/…

    • 1668 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics