When something undesirable or unexpected happens, people say: "That's your karma!"

Karma seems to explain everything and is a popular term. It follows the law of cause and effect. Good deeds bring good results and bad deeds, bad results. It answers the question, "Why did this happen to me?"

In ancient times it arose from a quest for justice among Indians and Asians in general. The punishment should fit the crime. They believed that there is a moral law governing the universe which clarifies why the wicked prosper or the innocent suffer. It explained why people were born with deformities and disabilities at birth. (See Gospel of John 9.) The theory is that you get a return on your investment in a previous life.

It occurs in various teachings of salvation, but it is not salvation itself. For people in the cultures where it is a fundamental belief, it is a burden and to be transcended. However, the theory appeals to our egoistic, acquisitive nature to seek benefit and avoid misfortune.

The theory became a major point in Buddhist thought from its earliest traditions. Nevertheless, Buddhist teaching continued to develop into the Mahayana (great vehicle) tradition whose educational theory distinguishes various levels of insight. It is similar to our idea of a graded educational system. We do not teach calculus to first-graders who are learning 2+2=4.

Mahayana teaching uses the doctrine of karma for those people on the elementary level who require a system of reward and punishments in order to motivate spiritual concern. This is how we approach our children when we teach them about Onis, Santa Claus or the bogeyman.

However, Mahayana tradition evolved further. As the bodhisattva (a Buddha-to-be) develops his spiritual insight and rises above ego interests, the motivation for compassionate behavior shifts. Here the issue is not "What can I get for myself?" but "What can I give to others (dana)?" The bodhisattva is not concerned for his own welfare and when he reaches the highest levels of spirituality, he turns back to the suffering world to offer himself, rather than go into the bliss of Nirvana. He does not ask, "What is the meaning of my life," but "How can I be meaningful to others?"

Consequently, the bodhisattva is not concerned to calculate karmic rewards, but how effective is the good that he does for others. Whatever karma comes to fruition, he accepts as a step in the fulfillment of his intention to serve others.

The Mahayana view of reality transcends the moralistic theory of karma through its concept of emptiness or voidness. Here all concepts, theories and teachings are essentially empty; they are constructs created out of our egoistic delusions. When this understanding is applied to karma, it means that that teaching is not the highest truth of reality, but a compassionate means offered by the Buddha to guide people to a higher life where truly selfless giving becomes the motivation for action.

The Rev. Alfred Bloom is a University of Hawai'i professor emeritus of religion.