Lachlan Brown
What karma really means (and what we get wrong about it)
Karma is one of those ideas that’s been tossed around so much, it’s lost most of its meaning.
Someone cuts in line? “Karma will get them.” Your ex starts dating someone awful? “That’s karma.” You spill coffee on yourself right after gossiping? “Instant karma!”
But here’s the thing: karma isn’t about cosmic punishment or justice.
It’s not a vending machine where you press the “good deed” button and wait for your reward to fall into your lap.
If you’ve ever felt like life isn’t “fair,” or wondered why some people get away with bad behavior while good folks struggle, then you’ve probably questioned karma too.
I’ve been there.
And over the years studying Buddhism, applying it to my own choices, and making plenty of mistakes—I’ve come to a completely different understanding of karma.
One that’s far more empowering and less superstitious than how we usually think about it.
In this article, I want to help you make that same shift.
We’ll explore:
- Why the popular view of karma is misleading
- What a Buddhist master really meant when he explained karma to me
- A short but powerful parable that brings it all together
- And how “right effort” can transform your daily decisions
Let’s dive in.
The confusion: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
Let’s be honest: most of us don’t think about karma when things are going well.
We think about it when things don’t go our way.
You give generously, stay loyal, work hard… but your ungrateful colleague gets the promotion. Or your kind friend can’t catch a break while others cheat and win.
It’s frustrating. Even heartbreaking.
That’s when karma feels like a lie.
But this is where the challenge lies: we’ve misunderstood karma as a kind of cosmic scoreboard, like the universe is supposed to tally up our actions and deliver outcomes accordingly.
Here’s the truth I’ve learned: karma is not a reward or punishment system.
It’s not external at all.
It’s internal.
What karma actually is: cause and effect in motion
A Buddhist master once told me this:
“Karma is not about what happens to you. Karma is how you shape who you become.”
That landed hard.
In Pali, the original language of early Buddhist texts, “karma” simply means “action.”
It’s not fate. It’s not justice. It’s the momentum of your choices.
When you act with anger, your mind becomes conditioned to respond with irritation.
When you act with compassion, your heart becomes more open.
When you cut corners, you reinforce a habit of avoidance.
Every choice, every intention, creates a groove in your mind.
Over time, those grooves become paths you follow automatically.
So when you snap at someone out of stress, karma isn’t waiting to punish you later.
You’ve already paid—by reinforcing stress, impatience, and guilt as your default responses.
That’s the real weight of karma.
A teaching story that reframes everything
Let me share a short parable that helped me shift from blame to responsibility.
The story of the farmer and the horse
A farmer’s horse runs away. The neighbors say, “What bad luck!”
The farmer simply replies, “Maybe.”
The next day, the horse returns, bringing three wild horses with it.
The neighbors say, “How lucky!”
The farmer says again, “Maybe.”
Later, the farmer’s son tries to tame one of the wild horses but breaks his leg. “How unlucky,” say the neighbors.
The farmer answers, “Maybe.”
Then, the army comes through the village, conscripting all able-bodied young men. But they leave the farmer’s son behind.
The point?
We rush to judge outcomes as “good” or “bad,” thinking we understand karma. But we often don’t see the full picture.
Karma isn’t a final score.
It’s a constant unfolding—a dynamic process shaped by intention, attention, and response.
The solution: practice right effort, not perfect outcomes
So if karma is about action—not judgment—how do we live wisely?
That’s where the Buddhist principle of right effort comes in.
Right effort means putting your energy into what truly matters: cultivating intentions that align with awareness, kindness, and growth.
It’s not about controlling every result. It’s about showing up fully for the process.
1. Start with clarity
Before you act, pause. Ask: What’s really driving this choice?
Is it fear? Pride? Wanting to impress? Or is it alignment, curiosity, compassion?
When I began doing this consistently, I realized how many of my choices were reactions—not responses.
Clarity helped me slow down and choose differently.
2. Focus on the inner shift
Right effort isn’t about fixing others. It’s about transforming yourself.
If someone wrongs you, karma doesn’t mean “they’ll get what’s coming.”
It means: What do I do with this pain? How can I respond in a way that doesn’t poison my own peace?
The effort is internal. That’s where karma lives.
3. Replace blame with responsibility
I used to replay situations in my head where I felt wronged, mentally assigning “bad karma” to people who hurt me.
It didn’t help.
Eventually, I started asking: What energy am I contributing right now? Am I adding resentment, or am I choosing peace?
That shift felt like liberation.
4. Commit to daily alignment
Karma is cumulative. It’s not about grand gestures—it’s about the tiny choices repeated every day.
Kind tone vs. sarcastic jab. Stretching vs. scrolling. Forgiving vs. brooding.
Right effort is not heroic. It’s consistent.
A mindfulness reflection to deepen your understanding
Here’s a short practice I use when I catch myself getting stuck in “karma confusion”:
- Sit quietly for a few moments and recall a recent moment that frustrated you.
- Instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” ask, “What intention did I bring into that situation?”
- Then ask, “What intention do I want to bring next time?”
This is where karma becomes alive: in the intention you nurture before the action even begins.
Final thoughts: Karma isn’t watching you. You are watching you.
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this, it’s this:
Karma is not cosmic punishment. It’s conscious participation.
It’s not about waiting for life to get even.
It’s about living with intention, because your thoughts, your energy, and your actions are already shaping who you become.
So the next time something “unfair” happens, try this:
Don’t look for proof of karma. Look for an opportunity to practice right effort.
That’s where the real transformation begins.
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