Introductory Text Karma

According to the Buddhist view, karma is not  synonymous with fate, but the basis for personal freedom and responsible, meaningful action.

The term "karma" literally means "action, deed or activity" and refers to the law of cause and effect. According to Buddha, neither a creator god, a force of destiny, nor an external cause are responsible for our experiences. Past actions, words and thoughts became our present world. We are constantly sowing the seeds for our future.
The explanations about cause and effect offer a basis to shape one's life in a self-responsible and meaningful way. One learns to understand connections and applies the insight that one can consciously decide in everyday life.

According to Buddha, the experience of the world arises from one's own mind. 
Through "basic ignorance" one considers to be real the idea of an independently existing "I" and an external world separate from it. One is not aware that words, thoughts and actions lead to corresponding experiences with the same feeling content in one's own stream of consciousness. Instead, one experiences oneself as separate from the world around one and thinks one's experiences are caused  from the outside. This is called the dualistic view in Buddhism. The result of these misconceptions are disturbing feelings and actions that cause suffering.

Buddha explained that everything we do, think and say is stored in the mind, and how patterns of speech and action subsequently arise from the impressions stored in the mind, i.e. mental habits. Positive actions produce positive results, negative actions produce negative results.
The simple example of the seed shows that the seed turns into a seedling and the fruit ripens based on the information stored in the seed and in turn forms new seeds. An apple seed becomes an apple tree when the necessary conditions such as warmth, nutrients and moisture come together in sufficient quantities. Comparably, karmic causes come to maturity as an effect under appropriate conditions. 

Because the effects can often show themselves even in a longer period of time, the connections of cause and effect are not always immediately recognizable. Karma can extend over many lifetimes. After death, the body dissolves, but not the mind with the impressions stored in it. The stream of consciousness continues from birth to birth as one "digests" and dissolves old impressions and places new impressions in the mind's memory in each life situation. Strong habit patterns are formed. However, there is usually some room to change these habits. Therefore, a good understanding of karma brings more freedom.

According to Buddha, the karmic impression is strongest when these four conditions come together. This is true for both positive and negative actions:

• One grasps the situation clearly
• One wishes to change something
• One does it or has it done by others
• Afterwards, one is satisfied with the result

If one is aware of these four factors, one can specifically strengthen the effect of positive actions.

If one has acted in a way that causes suffering, one can also counteract it. This is done through four stages of attitude.

• One recognizes that one has brought suffering
• One wishes to remove what is disturbing
• One makes a firm resolution not to do it again
• One consciously acts positively.

To train awareness, meditation is an important Buddhist method. Here, one removes the seeds of constricting and sorrowful experiences stored in one's mind before they come to maturity. One gets the necessary distance to disturbing feelings and gains clarity. In this way, meditation frees one from compulsive and unconscious entanglement and confusion.

If one understands these connections, one does not let oneself be discouraged by difficult situations, but uses them as learning processes. And one gains the insight that it is always worthwhile to put positive impressions into the mind by developing good habits. One can make a conscious decision to do this.