Karma in different religions

Karma is a concept of action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the
term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called
the principle of karma, wherein individuals' intent and actions (cause) influence their future (effect):
Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad
deeds contribute to bad karma and bad rebirths. In some scriptures, however, there is no link
between rebirth and karma. Karma is often misunderstood as fate, destiny, or predetermination.

In Hinduism
The concept of karma in Hinduism developed and evolved over centuries. The
earliest Upanishads began with the questions about how and why man is born, and what happens
after death. As answers to the latter, the early theories in these ancient Sanskrit documents
include pancagni vidya (the five fire doctrine), pitryana (the cyclic path of fathers), and devayana (the
cycle-transcending, path of the gods). Those who perform superficial rituals and seek material gain,
claimed these ancient scholars, travel the way of their fathers and recycle back into another life;
those who renounce these, go into the forest and pursue spiritual knowledge, were claimed to climb
into the higher path of the gods. It is these who break the cycle and are not reborn. With the
composition of the Epics – the common man's introduction to dharma in Hinduism – the ideas of
causality and essential elements of the theory of karma were being recited in folk stories. For
example:
As a man himself sows, so he himself reaps; no man inherits the good or evil act of another man.
The fruit is of the same quality as the action.
— Mahabharata, xii.291.22
The 6th chapter of the Anushasana Parva (the Teaching Book), the 13th book of the Mahabharata,
opens with Yudhishthira asking Bhishma: "Is the course of a person's life already destined, or can
human effort shape one's life?" The future, replies Bhishma, is both a function of current human
effort derived from free will and past human actions that set the circumstances. Over and over again,
the chapters of Mahabharata recite the key postulates of karma theory. That is: intent and action
(karma) has consequences; karma lingers and doesn't disappear; and, all positive or negative
experiences in life require effort and intent. For example:
Happiness comes due to good actions, suffering results from evil actions,
by actions, all things are obtained, by inaction, nothing whatsoever is enjoyed.
If one's action bore no fruit, then everything would be of no avail,
if the world worked from fate alone, it would be neutralized.

In Buddhism
Karma and karmaphala are fundamental concepts in Buddhism, which explain how our intentional
actions keep us tied to rebirth in samsara, whereas the Buddhist path, as exemplified in the Noble
Eightfold Path, shows us the way out of samsara.
The cycle of rebirth is determined by karma, literally 'action' Karmaphala (wherein phala means 'fruit,
result') refers to the 'effect' or 'result' of karma.[82][69] The similar
term karmavipaka (wherein vipāka means 'ripening') refers to the 'maturation, ripening' of karma.
In the Buddhist tradition, karma refers to actions driven by intention (cetanā), a deed done
deliberately through body, speech or mind, which leads to future consequences. The Nibbedhika
Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya 6.63:
Intention (cetana) I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, &
intellect
How these intentional actions lead to rebirth, and how the idea of rebirth is to be reconciled with the
doctrines of impermanence and no-self, is a matter of philosophical inquiry in the Buddhist traditions,
for which several solutions have been proposed. In early Buddhism no explicit theory of rebirth and
karma is worked out, and "the karma doctrine may have been incidental to early Buddhist
soteriology." In early Buddhism, rebirth is ascribed to craving or ignorance. Unlike that of Jains,
Buddha's teaching of karma is not strictly deterministic, but incorporated circumstantial factors such
as other Niyamas. It is not a rigid and mechanical process, but a flexible, fluid and dynamic process.
There is no set linear relationship between a particular action and its results. The karmic effect of a
deed is not determined solely by the deed itself, but also by the nature of the person who commits
the deed, and by the circumstances in which it is committed. Karmaphala is not a "judgement"
enforced by a God, Deity or other supernatural being that controls the affairs of the Cosmos.
Rather, karmaphala is the outcome of a natural process of cause and effect. Within Buddhism, the
real importance of the doctrine of karma and its fruits lies in the recognition of the urgency to put a
stop to the whole process. The Acintita Sutta warns that "the results of kamma" is one of the four
incomprehensible subjects (or acinteyya), subjects that are beyond all conceptualization, and cannot
be understood with logical thought or reason.

In Jainism
In Jainism, karma conveys a totally different meaning from that commonly understood in Hindu
philosophy and western civilization. Jain philosophy is one of the oldest Indian philosophy that
completely separates body (matter) from the soul (pure consciousness). In Jainism, karma is
referred to as karmic dirt, as it consists of very subtle particles of matter that pervade the entire
universe. Karmas are attracted to the karmic field of a soul due to vibrations created by activities of
mind, speech, and body as well as various mental dispositions. Hence the karmas are the subtle
matter surrounding the consciousness of a soul. When these two components (consciousness and
karma) interact, we experience the life we know at present. Jain texts expound that
seven tattvas (truths or fundamentals) constitute reality. These are:

1. Jīva: the soul which is characterized by consciousness

2. Ajīva: the non-soul
3. Āsrava: inflow of auspicious and evil karmic matter into the soul.
4. Bandha (bondage): mutual intermingling of the soul and karmas.
5. Samvara (stoppage): obstruction of the inflow of karmic matter into the soul.
6. Nirjara (gradual dissociation): separation or falling off of part of karmic matter from the soul.
7. Mokṣha (liberation): complete annihilation of all karmic matter (bound with any particular
soul).

Taoism
Karma is an important concept in Taoism. Every deed is tracked by deities and spirits. Appropriate
rewards or retribution follow karma, just like a shadow follows a person.
The karma doctrine of Taoism developed in three stages. In the first stage, causality between
actions and consequences was adopted, with supernatural beings keeping track of everyone's
karma and assigning fate (ming). In the second phase, transferability of karma ideas from Chinese
Buddhism were expanded, and a transfer or inheritance of Karmic fate from ancestors to one's
current life was introduced. In the third stage of karma doctrine development, ideas of rebirth based
on karma were added. One could be reborn either as another human being or another animal,
according to this belief. In the third stage, additional ideas were introduced; for example, rituals,
repentance and offerings at Taoist temples were encouraged as it could alleviate Karmic burden.

infinite loop of karma

Karma’ means action, to do something. Here, action refers to
not only physical activity but also includes any mental
actions. We can say that Karma happens through actions,
words, and even thoughts.
Considering the principle of cause and effect, any action
performed through whichever means will have an impact. It is
justified that good deeds must yield good results and evil
deeds yield wrong results, and Karma theory follows the
same.
Now, how do we classify any action as good or bad? This
topic is again very relative. Everyone has a different view of
good and bad deeds. Broadly we can say good karma brings
around positive impact and bad karma bring around negative
implications.
Be it good or bad karma; the karma cycle is responsible for
placing a soul into endless loops of birth and death. The
expectations of rewards attached to good deeds are like a
trap connecting one to people, places, and events. These
expectations, whether fulfilled or not, in turn, generates more
karma.

Thus, this goes into an endless loop.

Death is like dropping the physical sheath, which remains
attached to the soul in the physical plane.
However, the mental, astral, and causal bodies continue to
exist along with lifetimes' impressions, feelings, and
memories.