Every living entity most certainly has to die at some point or the other and yet there is very little we know about death, our soul, and what will happen to it after we die. The spiritual writings of almost every religion teach the followers about to how to prepare for death. The continuity of the soul is the underlying philosophy of these spiritual writings, and the inform human beings of which actions, behaviors, and deeds may lead their soul to heaven or hell after they die. In all the Eastern Indian religions, especially Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, this central concept is known as Karma. Karma is a Sanskrit word that springs from another Sanskrit word Kri, and in simple words Karma means “action” ("metaphysicalultrasound.tumblr.com"). Karma is not merely a religious concept but even a philosophy, wherein every action leads to a consequence depending on the nature of the action. However, the concept of Karma takes on a broader perspective in the three mentioned religions, encompassing the soul and what happens to it after death. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the concept of the soul and Karma, and how Karma affects the outcome of the soul in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Buddhism
Unlike classical Indian understanding, the concept of the soul or the self and Karma in Buddhism is subtly different because according to Buddhist beliefs, there is no such thing as a soul. The idea of the self in Buddhism is nothing but an illusion, which is denoted by the term Anatta ("buddhanet.net"). According to Buddhist doctrine, everything in the human existence changes, nothing is fixed or permanent, including the body and mind. Thus, Buddhists believe there is no soul because the soul is supposed to be eternal all mental activities come to an end when the mortal body dies.
Karma became an integral element of Buddhist doctrine ever since the time of Siddhartha Gautama, or “Buddha.” The concept of Karma is quite similar in Buddhism and Hinduism, but there are no distinct types of Karma in Buddhism. The concept of Karma in Buddhism does not refer to the concept of fate that is predetermined. In Buddhism, the good or bad actions that are taken by human beings during their lifetime are collectively known as their karma. In the long run, the consequences of good actions are also good, and similarly, the consequences of bad actions are bad.
However, the Buddhist concept of karma does not stop with consequences but also plays out in the cycle of rebirth, which should not be mistaken with reincarnation. Although Buddhists do not believe in the self or the soul, but they do believe that human beings are reborn into specific realms, three of which are fortunate and other three are unfortunate, depending on their Karma. Buddhists consider it precious to be born in the realm of men or humans because they can achieve Nirvana, or enlightenment. Till today, Buddhists consider themselves accountable for their wholesome and unwholesome actions, and do their best to ensure that karma is carrying only the weight of wholesome actions so that they can be reborn as human beings again ("zenguide.com").
Hinduism
Unlike Buddhist beliefs, there is a concept of the self or the soul in Hinduism. The Hindus believe that the soul is the eternal identity of a human being, and they refer to it as the Atma ("world-religions-professor.com"). The atma or the soul is the non-material or real self of a human being, and is different from the external body and the mind because it does not change and is eternal. Hindus believe that without the presence of the soul, the body cannot work, and that those who do not understand the nature of their eternal self only manage to perceive their body but do not realize the significance of their soul within.
The concept of karma first emerged in Hinduism, and the term first appeared I n the ancient Hindu spiritual text, the Rig Veda. Like Buddhism, Hindus believe that positive actions accumulate in the form of good karma, and wrong actions accumulate as bad karma. The difference is that there are three types of karmas in Hinduism, the karma humans sow in their present life, the karma they experience in their present life and the karma that is yet to reach fruition (Das). Unlike Buddhists, the Hindus of today do their best to minimize bad karma not just to achieve a better rebirth but also to live a fortunate life.
Jainism
In Jainism, the Sanskrit term jiva ("bbc.co.uk") is used to refer to the self or the soul. This term is quite different from the term atma that is used to refer to the soul in Hinduism. This also means that the concept of the soul is Jainism is also different from that in Hinduism, yet unlike Buddhists, Jains do believe in the soul. Various characters of the soul in Jainism are different from the characteristics that are associated with the soul in Hinduism. In Jainism, the soul is regarded as an individual and independent being and it is responsible for its own destiny. While the soul is as eternal in Jainism as it is in Hinduism, but in Jainism the soul or jiva is considered changeable and can apparently have varying dimensions. The Jains believe that not just human beings but every living being in this world has a soul.
Just like Jains have a distinct concept of the self or the soul, the concept of karma in Jainism is also quite unique. In Jainism, karma is not merely the consequence or accumulation of good or bad actions that are taken by human beings during their lifetime. Instead, they believe that karma is an actual dark substance, a dark flowing mass of energy or a dark subtle matter that enters into human beings depending on the nature of the actions they take ("dragonintuitive.com"). According to Jain belief, when human beings take a positive action, a lighter karma enters them and if they take a wrong action, a denser karma enters them. This further suggests the changeable state of the soul in Jainism, and moreover, Jains believe that the soul can expand and contract according the human being’s actions. Thus, for the Jains of today, the basic goal of life is block karma from entering their body by taking good actions so they can liberate themselves.
This paper compared and contrasted the concept of the self or the soul and the karma in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, and how the outcome of the soul is affected by karma. It is surprising that Buddhists do not believe in the soul, while Hindus have a somewhat similar concept of the soul as Western religions, and as for Jains, their concept of the soul as an independent being is quite unique. The concept of karma seems to have similarities in all three religions, yet while Buddhists and Hindus believe karma as the consequence of actions, and that there can be both good and bad karma, Jains seem to believe only in bad karma, which is some physical matter that can corrupt their body by entering it if they take wrong actions. From a personal perspective, regardless of the beliefs in these religions, the very basic concept that one can learn is that there is a soul inside our body, and we are accountable for our actions. If do good things, then are life in this world will be fruitful and the outcome of our soul will be good as well.
Works Cited
"Anatta or soul-lessness." buddhanet.net. Buddha Dharma Education Association. Web. 10 Dec 2012.
"Atman & Brahman." world-religions-professor.com. World Religions Professor. Web. 10 Dec 2012.
"Jain beliefs about the soul." bbc.co.uk. BBC. Web. 10 Dec 2012.
"Karma & Reincarnation." zenguide.com. Zen Guide. Web. 10 Dec 2012.
"Karma and Liberation in Jainism." dragonintuitive.com. Dragon Intuitive. Web. 10 Dec 2012.
"The word Karma."metaphysicalultrasound.tumblr.com. Tumblr. Web. 10 Dec 2012.
Das, Subhamoy. "What Is Karma?." hinduism.about.com. About.com. Web. 10 Dec 2012.
