Guess What — not everyone believes in KARMA.

Why do we think that everyone believes in Karma? Even not all spiritual people believe in Karma.

Karma is an ancient philosophical and religious concept from India that translates literally to “action,” “work,” or “deed”. In both Hinduism and Buddhism, it refers to the universal principle of cause and effect: a person’s intentional actions, thoughts, and words create causes that dictate their future consequences.

In some magickal way we believe that the Universe has a way of noticing that we have done a bad thing and it will eventually punish us for it.

I actually don’t see too much of that happening in our world right now — do you?

For those who believe in karma, these statements may feel comforting.

The karma bus is coming.

Karma will get them.

Leave it to karma.

It’s a wonderful idea of balancing out the evil done through some sort of divine punishment.

But what happens when the person you’re saying this to doesn’t believe in karma?

Could your belief in karma actually make things worse for them?

One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming their beliefs are universal. They are not. Some people believe in karma. Some believe in God. Some believe in fate. Some believe in luck. Some believe in personal responsibility. Some believe life is random. And some are still figuring it all out.

None of these people are necessarily wrong.

They simply view reality through different lenses. The problem begins when we assume that our explanation of the world should automatically comfort everyone else when it often doesn’t.

Imagine someone has been seriously harmed. Perhaps they have been betrayed by a partner. Perhaps they have lost money through deception. Perhaps they have been bullied, harassed, or abused. They are hurting. They are angry. They are looking for support. Instead of listening, someone says: “Don’t worry. Karma will get them.”

For a believer in karma, this may sound reassuring. For someone who doesn’t believe in karma, it may sound dismissive. It can feel as though their pain has been brushed aside. Instead of acknowledging what happened, the conversation suddenly becomes about a spiritual belief that they may not share.

The Hidden Problem With Karma Advice There is another issue. Even among people who believe in karma, there is enormous disagreement about how it works.

I am supposed to wait that sometime in this life or the next this person will be punished for something that he did to me? That is one very strong belief system to adhere to and I salute those who are willing to wait.

The difficulty is that waiting for karma can discourage practical action. A person may be told: “Leave it to karma.” But what if the situation requires action? What if they need legal advice? What if they need to report abuse? What if they need to establish boundaries? What if they need counseling?

Waiting for a cosmic system to solve a real-world problem may not always be the healthiest option. It builds even more guilt on the person who has been wronged. You feel guilty for wanting to taker personal responsibility for making the perpetrator accountable. So it’s better to let karma take care of it.

Some interpretations of karma suggest that everything happening in a person’s life is somehow connected to their past actions. Taken to extremes, this can become harmful. Imagine telling someone who has suffered greatly: “This happened because of your karma.” Whether intended or not, the message can sound like: “You deserved this.” Something you did in a past life has now come back to create a lesson you need to learn.

Oh how spiritual that is!

How about you made some wrong decisions.

You should not have lashed out in anger.

You need to pay for damaging my car or cheating on me or whatever the issue currently is.

One reason people struggle with karma is that reality often seems to contradict it. Good people sometimes suffer. Cruel people sometimes prosper. Dishonest people sometimes become wealthy. Kind people sometimes experience tragedy. If karma operates as a simple reward-and-punishment system, reality can seem confusing. Why does it seem that the rich never have to pay the consequences of their actions? How long do we have to wait for karma to bite them in their ar$es?

When someone is suffering, they often need something much simpler than an explanation. They need to be heard. They need their experience acknowledged. They need support. They need compassion. Compassion crosses belief systems.

And being able to say to someone, “That sucks! You don’t deserve to go through that.”

Not everyone believes in karma. Not everyone finds reassurance in the idea of cosmic justice. Some people prefer practical solutions. Some prefer emotional support. Some prefer evidence. Some prefer faith. And that is perfectly okay. A truly compassionate response does not require agreement about karma, fate, destiny, religion, or spirituality. It requires something much simpler. Listening. Because whether karma exists or not, most people would rather be understood than explained to.

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