Karma (gõ 業) is our intentional actions; i.e., a movement of the mind that occurs each time we think, speak, or act - not action and reaction as is commonly assumed. Karma is equated with the law of cause and effect that governs existence. Causes and their appropriate effects are inextricably bound to each other.

By being mindful of this process, we come to understand how intentions lead to recurrent patterns of behaviour, which in turn affect the quality of our experience. In contrast to the view often taught, the Buddha denied that karma alone is sufficient to explain the origin of individual experience.

“It is choice or intention that I call karma, mental work,
for having chosen, a man acts by body, speech and mind.”
- The Buddha

Karma is quite often misunderstood as some force of fate or a kind of pay-back for bad behaviour. Karma, however, is simply action with intention, and not the result of an action. There is intention - either good or bad - in everything we do. Typically, we ignore, are unaware of, or are deluded about the intentions behind our actions.

Every effect comes forth because of some cause. If we carry out an act of goodness, it will have a good effect, and if we carry out an evil act, it will have an evil effect. This is referred to as “good cause good effect” and “bad cause bad effect.” Therefore, Buddhism promotes goodness and avoids evil.

Often the results of our actions may not be immediately seen or understood but they are there - or will be there - although they have nothing to do with judgement, punishment, or reward.

What we do yields both immediate and future results. We cannot change the past, but we can affect the future through careful and considered choice of actions. It is our actions here and now, not the circumstances of our birth, that affect our present and our future.

Cause is something that we bring about by ourselves and the result is something we receive ourselves.