karma
Fate from deeds
At its core, karma means “the result of past action.” It is usually misconstrued to mean moral causation: bad things happen (bad karma) as a result of wrong, harmful, or immoral action; good things happen (good karma) as a result of virtuous action.
This concept has a corollary in Christianity’s “as you sow, so shall you reap.” In religions that place an emphasis on karma, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, the belief in the cycle of rebirth means that karma may play out over many lifetimes.
Soul's rebirth after death
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- transmigrationSoul passing into another body
- wheelRotating circular frame
- birthComing into the world
death · existence · soul · liberation · moksha · nirvana · enlightenment · past-life
Ancient Indian spiritual tradition
- BuddhismEnlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
- JainismIndian religion emphasizing nonviolence
- VedasHindu canonical texts
- UpanishadsVedic philosophical scriptures
Bhagavad-Gita · yoga · meditation · ahimsa · Sanskrit · guru · Theravada · Mahayana
Punishment for wrongdoing
- paybackRetaliation for wrongs
- outcomeFinal result of events
- comeuppanceDeserved punishment or rebuke
- resultWhat follows a cause
repercussion · backlash · justice · reward · punishment · fate · reckoning · desserts
reincarnation
Soul's rebirth after death
- rebirthSpiritual or physical regeneration
- transmigrationSoul passing into another body
- wheelRotating circular frame
birth · death · existence · soul · liberation · moksha · nirvana · enlightenment · past-life · accumulation
Hinduism
Ancient Indian spiritual tradition
- BuddhismEnlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
- JainismIndian religion emphasizing nonviolence
- VedasHindu canonical texts
Upanishads · Bhagavad-Gita · yoga · meditation · ahimsa · Sanskrit · guru · Theravada · Mahayana · causality
retribution
Punishment for wrongdoing
- paybackRetaliation for wrongs
- outcomeFinal result of events
- comeuppanceDeserved punishment or rebuke
result · repercussion · backlash · justice · reward · punishment · fate · reckoning · desserts · reaping
merit
Deserved praise-worthiness
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- sinViolation of divine law
- righteousnessMoral correctness or virtue
intention · action · deed · conduct · ethics · purity · impurity · good · evil · wholesome
vibes
Informal term for atmosphere
- spiritualitysacred, enlightened, divine, holy, spiritual growth
- borrowed wordschic, naive, passe, avant-garde, faux
- life wisdomcarpe diem, seize the day, live and learn, this too shall pass, know thyself
- BuddhismBuddha, Four Noble Truths, nirvana, Mahayana, Siddhartha Gautama
- Dharmic Traditionsmoksha, atman, Brahman, nirvana, Hinduism
- Hindu spiritualityatman, moksha, yoga, mantra, om
- bad karmaAccumulated spiritual consequences
- instant karmaImmediate consequence for actions
- karmic justiceEarned moral consequence
- karmic cycleCause-effect across rebirths
- karmic debtOwed for past actions
- karmic retributionFate repaying past deeds