We’ve all heard the phrase karma thrown about. People talk about having good karma and bad karma. But exactly what is karma? Well there really are a few different definitions. In its most simple form karma can be thought of as spiritual consequences. This means that good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds are punished. 

In its most basic form karma is just an action. It doesn’t hold spiritual weight in and of itself. Instead it’s the intent of the wielder who determines whether an act is for good or ill. 

The four basic types of Karmic actions are:

•  The words we speak
• The thoughts we have
• The actions we take for ourselves
• The actions we take for others.

 If you look at these four items its easy to see how any one of them can influence for good or evil. Bad thoughts and speech towards another will often result in animosity towards the speaker of those words.

In more new age thinking Karma is often expressed as a compounding influence known as threefold return. This means that for every deed you do you can expect the same returned to you at 3 times the weight. So good is rewarded with greater good and ill is punished with greater ill. 

Several different religions use Karma in their teachings including:

• Buddhism
• Hinduism
• Neo Paganism
• Sikhism 

The biggest idea that separates Karma from other religions is its practicality. Karma is an assumed consequence. It does not matter whether a person is a believer or has faith in a god. The actions of the individual will be accountable to the individual. 

A few short paragraphs aren’t nearly enough to delve into the different religious and social implications of Karma. Instead it’s meant to be a brief overview.

If you simply remembers that Karma is a matter of cause and effect then you are well on their your to inner peace.