Buddha Quotes on Karma

Karma is the law of cause and effect. It is the belief that our actions have consequences.

If we do good deeds, we will receive good karma. If we do bad deeds, we will receive bad karma.

Karma is said to determine our destiny. What we put out into the world will come back to us.

What did Buddha mean by karma?

When Buddha was asked what karma was, he replied that it was “the law of cause and effect.” In other words, our actions have consequences. This simple yet profound statement is at the heart of Buddhist teaching.

Buddha taught that our thoughts, words, and actions create our future experiences. Positive thoughts, words, and actions will lead to positive experiences, while negative thoughts, words, and actions will lead to negative experiences.

The following Buddha quotes on karma help to highlight the concept of intentional karma further:

“If you knew what I know about the power of giving, you would not let a single meal pass without sharing it in some way.” Buddha

“I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that I will fall heir.” Buddha

“If with a pure mind a person speaks, or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.” Buddha

“When watching after yourself, you watch after others. When watching after others, you watch after yourself.” Buddha

“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” Buddha

“If we fail to look after others when they need help, who will look after us?” Buddha

“Once you know the nature of anger and joy is empty and you let them go, you free yourself from karma.” Buddha

“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.” Buddha

“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” Buddha

“Karma grows from our hearts. Karma terminates from our hearts.” Buddha

“Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.” Buddha

“Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.” Buddha

“Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again, and you will be filled with joy.” Buddha

“Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.” Buddha

“When action comes out of nothing it creates no karma.” Buddha

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought; what we think we become.” Buddha

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Buddha

“Just as one can make a lot of garlands from a heap of flowers, so man, subject to birth and death as he is, should make himself a lot of good karma.” Buddha

“Surely if living creatures saw the results of all their evil deeds, they would turn away from them in disgust. But selfhood blinds them, and they cling to their obnoxious desires. They crave pleasure for themselves, and they cause pain to others; when death destroys their individuality, they find no peace; their thirst for existence abides and their selfhood reappears in new births. Thus they continue to move in the coil and can find no escape from the hell of their own making.” Buddha

“One who previously made bad karma, but who reforms and creates good karma, brightens the world like the moon appearing from behind a cloud.” Buddha

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” Buddha

“Everything is based on mind, is led by mind, is fashioned by mind. If you speak and act with a polluted mind, suffering will follow you, as the wheels of the oxcart follow the footsteps of the ox.” Buddha

“To be selfish, greedy and unwilling to help the needy gives rise to future starvation and cloth lessness.” Buddha

Buddha taught that the way to create positive experiences in the future is to cultivate positive thoughts, words, and actions in the present. This is the practice of mindfulness, or being aware of our thoughts, words, and actions in each moment. For more inspirational life quotes by Buddha, be sure to check out:

Buddha Quotes on Karma – Simple Yet Wise

What did Buddha mean by karma?