Kamma

Action and its consequences. Kamma (Pāli, equivalent to karma in Sanskrit) is the law of ethical causation: every intentional action produces proportional results.

The key is intention (cetanā): the Buddha taught that it is intention that constitutes kamma, not the external act. Acting with a greedy mind produces different results than acting with a generous mind, even if the visible action is the same.

Kamma is not fate or cosmic punishment. It is the natural law that similar causes produce similar effects:

• Skillful actions (kusala kamma) → favorable results
• Unskillful actions (akusala kamma) → unfavorable results

In the Dhammapada: na hi verena verāni — hatred does not cease with hatred. The skillful response to harm is not more harm, but understanding and non-resentment.

In classical yoga, karma follows the same logic: impressions (saṃskāra) that condition tendencies (vāsanā) that generate actions that leave new impressions. Yogic practice seeks to interrupt this cycle at its root: identification with the doer.