Karma

Karma: what does it mean? Fate: where does it lead? Karma and fate are synonyms, which really gives a sense of their relationship as two words and the closeness of their meanings.

Karma has had different meanings throughout religious history, but one thing that they have in common is their relationship to certain fates -- whether they be afterlives, reincarnations, or otherwise. The public uses this relationship with fate to give themselves, today, a sense of hope for present and future. Without realizing it, people use karma as a tool for guidance. This is observed in the common phrase "treat others as you want to be treated", meaning that the manner with which one does his dealings will ultimately determine, in some way, the manner that he is dealt with in return.

So, keeping fate in mind, people continue to live their lives the best that they can. They act favorably towards others, trying not to "tempt fate", but do charity work and donations guarantee a happily ever after? Yes and no: it's a matter of perception. Life will always balance itself out; it depends on an individual's outlook to decide whether or not karma has been fair to them and, ultimately, whether or not they have been given a positive fate.