ཀརྨ་ / Karma

Language: Tibetan
Contributors: Ayesha Fuentes
Also known as: བྱིན་ལས་, byin las

Description

The word karma – used in Tibetan along with ‘jinley’ – and derived from the Sanskrit verb kṛ meaning ‘to make, do or create’. It describes the accumulated effort, intention and activities of an individual and the influence of these actions on their potential liberation and rebirth. It can be used to describe any type of work or activity including the commission, construction, repair, conservation, maintenance or restoration of religious and cultural objects, sites and monuments. Both the renovation and preservation of heritage sites and objects can be considered beneficial for an individual’s karma as an opportunity to cultivate merit and act positively for the benefit of other sentient beings. Harming other beings and actions that work against Buddhist values – e.g. killing insects or rodents in pest management, damaging sacred sites – can have a negative effect on one’s karma. Karma exists and accumulates regardless of whether an individual is a Buddhist practitioner or not and its effects can be used to explain life events, natural disasters, social affiliations and access to resources.

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Date of entry: November 2, 2026
Cleaning, commissioning, repairing or replacing material heritage are all opportunities to cultivate merit and have a positive effect on one’s karma. A government conservator cleans up damage to a temple after an earthquake. Bhutan, 2014.
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