1. First, what is karma?
Karma is a core concept in Buddhism.
It means intentional actions of body, speech, or mind. These actions leave imprints on our mindstream, and over time, they ripen into results—just like a seed eventually produces a fruit.
The Certainty of Karma is one of the four key principles in Buddhism.
It means:
If you do a virtuous action, the result will definitely be happiness. If you do a non-virtuous action, the result will definitely be suffering.
It’s not random or decided by a god—karma is simply cause and effect, like gravity.
2. What is “happiness” and “suffering” in this context?
In Buddhism, these don’t just refer to feelings.
- Happiness refers to pleasant experiences—like success, comfort, peace of mind—caused by good karma (generosity, kindness, honesty, etc.).
- Suffering refers to unpleasant experiences—like pain, stress, failure—caused by bad karma (harming others, lying, anger, etc.).
So when something difficult happens, it could be a result of a past negative action—but it’s not always obvious or linear.
3. So… is retrenchment bad karma?
Losing a job certainly feels painful and uncertain. It might be the ripening of a past negative karma related to livelihood—maybe something done in this life, or even long ago. But that’s not the whole story.
Buddhism also teaches that what matters more is how we respond:
- If your friend becomes bitter or gives up, they may plant more seeds of suffering.
- But if they respond with patience, humility, or use this as a chance to grow or serve others, they create good karma—even amidst hardship.
Sometimes what looks like misfortune becomes the turning point for something meaningful. The suffering itself might be the purification of past karma, and the way we deal with it creates the causes for future happiness.