karma

This term carries a dual identity, shifting between a formal spiritual doctrine and a casual social observation. In its religious sense, it describes a cosmic ledger of moral debts and credits that span multiple incarnations, suggesting a deterministic cycle of rebirth.

In common modern parlance, the word is frequently used to describe poetic justice or immediate retribution. It often implies a sense of irony when someone experiences a negative outcome that mirrors their own previous bad behavior, though it can occasionally refer to positive rewards for good deeds.