karma
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karma
A spiritual concept from Hinduism and Buddhism according to which every action inevitably has a consequence that affects one's present or a future life. Good deeds lead to good karma, bad deeds to bad karma.
Er glaubt fest daran, dass sein Pech eine Folge von schlechtem Karma ist.
He firmly believes that his bad luck is a result of bad karma.
karma
In colloquial language, a kind of fate or balancing justice in which good or bad deeds have a direct effect on life. It describes the immediate consequence of one's own behavior.
Ich habe dem Mann geholfen und kurz darauf einen Parkplatz gefunden – das muss gutes Karma sein!
I helped the man and shortly afterward found a parking spot—that must be good karma!
'Karma' is almost always combined with the adjectives 'gut' (good) or 'schlecht' (bad) to describe the quality of actions and their consequences. People often talk about 'gutes Karma' (good karma) as something you have or collect.
Wenn du anderen hilfst, sammelst du gutes Karma.
If you help others, you collect good karma.
'Karma' is a loanword from Sanskrit, the ancient Indian scholarly language. Knowing its origin in Hinduism and Buddhism helps you understand the original spiritual meaning.
Das Konzept des Karma spielt in vielen östlichen Religionen eine zentrale Rolle.
The concept of karma plays a central role in many Eastern religions.
In everyday language, 'Karma' is often used for immediate, balancing justice. It describes a quick, often ironic consequence of a good or bad deed.
Er hat sich im Bus vorgedrängelt und dann seine Bahn verpasst – das ist Karma!
He pushed ahead in line on the bus and then missed his train—that's karma!
fate
Schicksal and Karma can both explain what happens to a person in life. Karma, however, connects the outcome with the person’s own good or bad actions, whereas Schicksal can also occur independently of their behavior. Karma is therefore the better choice for a consequence of one’s own actions.
Nach seinen vielen Lügen glaubte er, dass ihn nun sein schlechtes Karma einholte.
After all his lies, he believed that his bad karma had finally caught up with him.
Nach dem plötzlichen Unfall fragte sich die Familie, welches Schicksal sie getroffen hatte.
After the sudden accident, the family wondered what fate had in store for them.
