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A translation of the Sanskrit word karman. It was originally a noun derived from the verb kuru (to do), and therefore indicates an action. However, an action does not occur without a cause, and once an action has occurred, it will always leave some result, which will greatly affect the next action. The collective term for this cause, action, result, and effect (which continues indefinitely) is karma. It first appeared in its simplest form in the early Upanishad thought of Indian philosophy, along with the idea of ​​reincarnation, and was later adopted by Buddhism, becoming an important term that governs human actions and serves as the axis of the reincarnation of living beings. In other words, the sequence of good causes leading to good results, bad causes leading to bad results, and even good causes leading to happy results and bad causes leading to painful results is supported by karma, and it is believed that karma leads not only to the improvement of one's character but also to enlightenment, and the reach of karma was further expanded to extend from previous lives to the next. However, we may think of it as meaning that one will take responsibility for one's current actions in the future. Although it is true that actions themselves are impermanent and cannot last forever, actions once performed cannot be erased, and there is a kind of "discontinuous continuity" here, which is carried out by karma, and is sometimes referred to as "non-disruptive dharma." In Buddhism, karma is said to be the three actions of body, speech, and mind, and the body, speech, and mind are always in agreement and appear in actions. In early Buddhism, karma was directly linked solely to the actions of individuals, but in time, karma expanded socially and came to be considered as shared karma among many individuals, which was called common karma, and karma belonging to a single individual was called non-common karma. In addition, because the three karmas of body, speech, and mind are extremely diverse and complex, karma was actively analyzed as Buddhist doctrine developed and was established, and the detailed and precise theory of karma based on this analysis is one of the central issues in so-called Buddhist philosophy.

[Mitsunori Saegusa]

"Study of Karma" by Funahashi Kazuya (1954, Hozokan)" ▽ "Study of Karma Thought" edited by the Otani University Buddhist Studies Association (1975, Bun'eido Shoten)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

サンスクリット語のカルマンkarmanの訳語。もともとクルk（為(な)す）という動詞からつくられた名詞であり、したがって行為を示す。しかし一つの行為は、原因がなければおこらないし、また、いったんおこった行為は、かならずなにかの結果を残し、さらにその結果は次の行為に大きく影響する。その原因・行為・結果・影響（この系列はどこまでも続く）を総称して、業という。それはまず素朴な形で、いわゆる輪廻(りんね)思想とともに、インド哲学の初期ウパニシャッド思想に生まれ、のち仏教にも取り入れられて、人間の行為を律し、また生あるものの輪廻の軸となる重要な術語となった。すなわち、善因善果・悪因悪果、さらには善因楽果・悪因苦果の系列は業によって支えられ、人格の向上はもとより、悟りも業が導くとされ、さらに業の届く範囲はいっそう拡大されて、前世から来世にまで延長された。しかしわれわれは、現在の行為の責任を将来自ら引き受ける、という意味に考えてよいであろう。確かに行為そのものは無常であり、永続することはありえないけれども、いったんなした行為は消すことができず、ここに一種の「非連続の連続」があって、それを業が担うところから、「不失法」と術語される例もある。なお仏教では、身(しん)・口(く)・意(い)の三業といい、身体とことばと心とはつねに一致して行為に現れる、とした。また初期の仏教は、業をもっぱら個人の行為に直結しているが、やがては社会的に拡大して多くの個人が共有する業を考えるようになって、これを共(ぐう)業とよび、個人ひとりのものは不共業と名づける。また身・口・意の三業はきわめて多岐にわたり複雑を極めるので、仏教の教理の進展や確立とともに、業の分析が盛んに行われて、それに基づく詳細で精密な業説が、いわゆる仏教哲学の中心問題の一つを占める。

［三枝充悳］

『舟橋一哉著『業の研究』（1954・法蔵館）』▽『大谷大学仏教学会編『業思想の研究』（1975・文栄堂書店）』

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