Karma In Hinduism Vs. Jainism

In Hinduism, karma is the concept referring to the rebirth of a soul as either a lesser or greater being depending on how they chose to behave in their former life (Molloy, 2009). People can choose to live their lives in a moral manner by doing good deeds for others, giving to the needy, acting selflessly, and committing as few sins as possible in order to achieve a higher life form in their later life. However, should a person choose to behave in the opposite manner and not live their lives in a way which is considered to be productive and righteous, they may then be reborn as a lower life form such as a dog or ant. Karma basically refers to reaping what one sows in their prior life form. If they do good, they will be rewarded in the next life by moving up in the world. If they do bad, they will move down the foodchain. In Hinduism, the idea of karma helps to motivate those practicing this religion to live their lives to the fullest by doing
In Jainism, a person may live their lives in such a way that they will be eternally saved and no longer be a prisoner of karma for future lives. By escaping this idea of a constant cycle, those who practice Jainism are able to focus on living their lives righteously without the fear that they may pay for past sins in their next life.

Karma is essential to the Hindu tradition in that it helps to encourage positive behavior of its followers through the belief that karma may in fact dictate the course of their future lives. It is a great motivator for positive behavior while also being a deterrent against sinful lifestyles. To those who practice Hinduism, they may raise their loved ones to respect the idea of karma and thus hold them accountable for their actions in order to help them live more righteous lives and have a greater chance of becoming a higher life form in their next