How Does Karma Work?

Karma is often misunderstood as fate or predestination. When someone is injured or loses a lot of money, people might say, “Well, tough luck, that’s their karma.” This is akin to the idea of God’s will – something we can’t understand or have any control over. That’s not the Buddhist idea of karma at all. Karma refers to the mental impulses that either make us yell at someone when they annoy us, or wait patiently until we’re calm enough to address the problem.