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Karma,
the Law of Action Followed by Reaction
Definition
Karma -from the root kri, "to do"- is the means by which you become the architect of your own destiny. The word karma literally means deed, but implies the entire cycle of cause and its effects. According to the law of karma, every human action -in thought, word, or deed- inevitably leads to results or consequences, good or bad, depending upon the quality of the action.
Karma deals with causality. A specific action leads to a specific result. A positive act will lead to a result of a positive nature, hence, to the experience of positive events, may it be in this life or in future ones. On the other hand, negative acts will unavoidably sooner or later lead to suffering. This happens of itself because the result will unavoidably correspond to the nature of the cause. For example, if you plant a seed, a certain kind of plant will grow from this. From a bean seed, a bean plant will grow; from an apple seed an apple tree will grow and not any other kind. The effects of a deed, word or