kamma

Kamma, often rendered kamma in Pali or karma in Sanskrit, is a central concept in Buddhist ethics and soteriology. It denotes intentional action—physical, verbal, or mental—that generates consequences. Because kamma is defined by volition (cetana), it carries moral weight. The results, or vipāka, may ripen in the present life or in future lives, shaping experiences and even rebirth.

Actions are categorized as wholesome (kusala) or unwholesome (akusala), with a third category sometimes described as neutral kamma. The balance of kamma across lifetimes, together with conditions and mental states, yields karma’s fruits. Terms such as puñña (merit) and pāpa (demerit) are used to describe favorable and unfavorable kamma results, respectively.

In practice, kamma provides a framework for ethical accountability and personal transformation. It is not a simple one-to-one guarantee or fatalism; it operates within the broader teaching of dependent origination. Practitioners cultivate wholesome kamma through ethical conduct, generosity, and meditation, and aim to understand and transform their mental states to reduce negative outcomes. Different Buddhist traditions emphasize various aspects of kamma, but they generally agree that intent and action—rather than sheer fate—shape future experiences.