Difference Between Dharma and Karma

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Dharma vs Karma

No matter what religious tradition you follow, you will be asked to live a moral life by the tenets of
that religion. The terminology varies from east to west and north to south, but the basic message of
all major religions is: ‘be kind to your fellow men and you will eventually receive an award.’ The
indigenous religions of India ‘“ Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism ‘“ all ask their believers to
following the concepts of dharma and karma to improve not only this life, but their ensuing ones as
well.

Definition of Dharma and Karma

Dharma ‘“ refers to one’s duty in this life. You dharma varies according to your class, your family,
and the time of your life.
Karma – refers to the actions that one does in relation to one’s dharma.
In a sense, dharma could be seen as one’s lifelong task and karma the steps that one has to take to
complete the task.

Applying Dharma and Karma to Your Life

Dharma ‘“ can either be a comforting or an unsettling concept. On the one hand, you may believe
that if you follow the traditions of your family and community you will be completing your dharma.
That means that as long as you uphold the status quo you are being a moral person. However, some
people may question their personal dharma and search for its true meaning outside the confines of
their community. In that case, the quest for dharma is life-long and can cause considerable stress if
you feel you are not properly following it.
Karma ‘“ can be thought of as a cosmic tally book. All the actions you do, good and bad, are
recorded. Some people believe that if your good actions outweigh your bad then you will move to
higher level on your next rebirth and if your bad actions outweigh your good then you will move to a
lower level on your next rebirth. Others believe that every action needs a balance. If you something
good for someone, in this life or the next he will repay your favor. The same is true for debts.

Your dharma determines what type of karma your actions will bring. Going off to war to defend
one’s country may fulfill the dharma of one man, but cause bad karma to incur in another man who
was supposed to stay home to take care of his children.

Summary:
1.Dharma and karma are Sanskrit concepts that have been codified through the practice of
indigenous Indian religions.
2.Dharma refers to one’s lifelong duty whereas karma refers to someone’s day to day actions and
the negative or positive obligations these actions bring about.
3.Dharma is something one must spend a lifetime achieving whereas karma changes from moment
to moment.
4.Your dharma influences the type of karma that you actions will bring about.