Sin and Karma

A comparison of sin in the Bible and karma (業) in Buddhist scripture. We explore the teachings of both traditions on the origin of evil, its consequences, and the path to purification.

The Origin of Evil

Bible

וַתֵּרֶא הָאִשָּׁה כִּי טוֹב הָעֵץ לְמַאֲכָל וְכִי תַאֲוָה הוּא לָעֵינַיִם וְנֶחְמָד הָעֵץ לְהַשְׂכִּיל וַתִּקַּח מִפִּרְיוֹ וַתֹּאכַל וַתִּתֵּן גַּם לְאִישָׁהּ עִמָּהּ וַיֹּאכַל

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

Sutra

心為法本，心尊心使，中心念惡，即言即行，罪苦自追，車轢于轍

“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. Mind is chief; all things are mind-made. If one speaks or acts with an evil mind, suffering follows as the wheel follows the hoof of an ox.”

Comparison

The Christian doctrine of original sin and the Dhammapada's mind-origin theory view the source of evil differently. Christianity locates the origin of sin in a historical event — the first humans violating God's command — and holds that this sin is transmitted to all humanity. Buddhism locates the origin of evil in each individual's mind, seeing the three poisons (貪瞋癡 — greed, hatred, and delusion) as the root of all evil acts. However, both traditions acknowledge that evil does not come from outside but arises from within the human heart.

The Consequences of Action

Bible

Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, θεὸς οὐ μυκτηρίζεται· ὃ γὰρ ἐὰν σπείρῃ ἄνθρωπος, τοῦτο καὶ θερίσει· ὅτι ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίσει φθοράν, ὁ δὲ σπείρων εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος θερίσει ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

Sutra

莫輕小惡，以為無殃，水滴雖微，漸盈大器，凡夫充惡，少作亦成

“Do not underestimate small evils, thinking they carry no harm. Water drops, though tiny, gradually fill a large vessel. Likewise, a fool accumulates evil little by little until it becomes full.”

Comparison

Galatians' 'you reap what you sow' and the Dhammapada's 'water drops fill the vessel' both teach an inevitable connection between action and consequence. In Christianity, this principle operates within God's moral order; in Buddhism, it operates as the universal law of cause and effect (karma). Christianity offers the possibility of transcending this causality through grace, while Buddhism offers escape from the cycle of karma through enlightenment. Both traditions demand moral seriousness about present actions.

Atonement and Purification

Bible

ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος, ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Sutra

摩訶般若，照見五蘊皆空，一切業障，海深亦乾

“By the great prajna, illuminating that the five aggregates are all empty, even the deepest ocean of karmic obstacles will dry up.”

Comparison

Christian 'atonement' and Buddhist 'dissolution of karmic obstacles' both offer a path away from the negative consequences of past actions. In Christianity, forgiveness of sin is given by God's grace, and humans receive it through repentance and confession. In Buddhism, the dissolution of karmic obstacles is a process of self-purification through wisdom (prajna). Christianity emphasizes other-powered (他力的) salvation, while Buddhism emphasizes self-powered (自力的) liberation. Yet both traditions convey the hope that the karma of the past does not permanently bind the future.