業(梵語:कर्मन्,羅馬化:karman,巴利語:kamma,漢語音译作羯磨或羯摩等),或稱果報、業力、業報、報應,意為行動、作用或功業[1]。對相信存在靈性的人來説,該術語也指因果關係的靈性原則,通常被描述為業力原則(英語:principle of karma),其中個人(原因)的意圖和行為會影響該個人的未來(效果)[2]:好意圖和出於善念的行動有助於好的業和更快樂的轉世,而惡念和惡行則有助於惡業和壞的轉世[3][4]。
Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, New York, pp 679–680, Article on Karma; Quote – "Karma meaning deed or action; in addition, it also has philosophical and technical meaning, denoting a person's deeds as determining his future lot."
The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Robert Ellwood & Gregory Alles, ISBN978-0-8160-6141-9, pp 253; Quote – "Karma: Sanskrit word meaning action and the consequences of action."
Hans Torwesten (1994), Vedanta: Heart of Hinduism, ISBN978-0-8021-3262-8, Grove Press New York, pp 97; Quote – "In the Vedas the word karma (work, deed or action, and its resulting effect) referred mainly to..."
^Langer: "When I was searching the Sanskrit texts for material, two things become apparent: first, rebirth, central as it is to Indian philosophy, is not found in the earliest texts; and second, rebirth and karman do not appear to be linked together from the beginning. In fact, originally karman seems to have been only one of several concepts connected with rebirth, but in the course of time it proved to be more popular than others. One of these ‘other concepts’ linked with rebirth is a curious notion of ‘rebirth according to one’s wish’, sometimes referred to in the texts as kAmacAra. The wish — variously referred to in the texts as kAma or kratu — is directed to a particular form or place of rebirth and can be spontaneous (at the time of death) or cultivated for a long time. This understanding seems to have some affinity with the Buddhist notion that a mental effort, a positive state of mind, can bring about a good rebirth."(参见:Langer 2007,第26頁 harvnb模板錯誤: 無指向目標: CITEREFLanger2007 (幫助))