One of the basics beliefs of Buddhism is the law of Karma.
The word Karma is a word that is pretty common in our world. I haven't looked it up in the dictionary recently to see whether it made its way into the discourse of the dictionary, but certainly is in the discourse of our culture. But what does it really mean for Buddhists?
To really understand this doctrine and what it really means for Buddhists, and for Hindus as well, we need to look first at one basic premise of Indian religious life. That is the doctrine of reincarnation, known in India as Samsara.
Samsara is the cycle of deaths and rebirths in which every living being is "trapped". The word Samsara means to "wander". We are wanderers and we don't know where we came from or where we are heading. Indians see this process as a burdensome one, as we have lived and will live millions and millions of lives, without a visible end. The goal of Indian religions is to end this cycle. This is what Buddhism seeks, freedom from Samsara.
Karma is the law of retribution that governs and drives the cycle of Samsara.You probably know what it means to say that somebody has bad karma. It means something like bad luck, that probably springs from something they have done in the past, either in this life or in a previous life.
In India, the word Karma simply means "action". So bad karma is a bad action. Good karma a good action. So the cycle of death and rebirth, the cycle of Samsara, is driven by an inexorable law: What you do now, will produce some result in a future life. You have to find some way to work with this law in order to permit some positive solution to the problem of Samsara.
You may ask, as we talk about the law of Karma: Where Karma can lead you? What are the possible realms of rebirth? You can be born as a god, as a demigod or a lesser category of gods sometimes referred as demons, as a human being, as a ghost, as an animal, or as a spirit in hell. Sometimes people are surprised when they hear that hell is an important concept in Buddhism or Indian religion more generally.
So, you have to work with this law to have a good rebirth in a future life. What do you do to have good karma? Do your duty. Each person in India is assigned to a group. You maybe are born in the princely cast. Maybe you are a Brahmin. Each group has his duties. If you do well what you have to do, you will have a good rebirth.
But, is this really a solution to the problem of Samsara? Buddists say no. They have another approach to this problem. The solution to the problem of Samsara is Nirvana.
