Intention is the core of karma
Outwardly identical actions can differ in quality because their motives differ. Helping with kindness differs from helping to control, gain a reputation, or make someone feel indebted to us.
Kamma
What Is Karma? Intention, Action, and Responsibility
Pāli: kamma · Sanskrit: karman · Vietnamese: Nghiệp
Karma, or kamma, is intentional action through body, speech, and mind. In AN 6.63, the Buddha states that intention is karma: having intended, one acts through body, speech, or mind. Karma is therefore not only what has happened to us, nor a label for judging another person's fate. A lie, an act of help, or a thought that nurtures ill will each plants conditions for habits, relationships, and consequences. Karma can bear fruit through many conditions; we should not mechanically explain every event as arising from a single cause. Understanding karma correctly helps us take responsibility for what we can do: stop harm, speak truthfully, cultivate wholesome intentions, make amends, and create conditions for a life with less suffering.
A guide by Inti Foundation · updated
Responsibility is not self-condemnation
Seeing karma does not mean sinking into guilt. Proper responsibility means recognizing what needs to stop, what needs repair, and what goodness to cultivate starting today.
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Practice today
- 1.Before saying something difficult, recognize whether your intention is to understand, win, or hurt.
- 2.Choose one action of body, speech, or mind today to turn from harmful to wholesome.
- 3.If you have made a mistake, write down one concrete step to make amends instead of merely blaming yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is karma fate?
No. Karma is intentional action and the conditions created by that action; there is still the possibility of changing direction in the present.
Do bad thoughts create karma?
The mind is part of karma. A passing thought differs from deliberately nurturing ill will and allowing it to guide action.
How can karma be transformed?
By stopping harmful behavior, accepting responsibility, observing precepts, cultivating wholesome intentions, and building repeated wholesome habits.
Sources for deeper reading
AN 6.63 — Nibbedhika Sutta
AN 6.63 presents intention as karma and karma as expressed through body, speech, and mind.