<p>While habits are part of the workings of karma, it is not reasonable to say that what you described (habit to fight leads to beating) is Buddhist notion of karma. It may be correct other way around, though—some unwholesome karma is ripening while you exercise habit to fight.</p>

<p>Karma <em>is</em> similar to idiom "<em>you reap what you sow</em>" <strong>but</strong> with some added complexity. What you will reap is not need to be <em>the same</em> or <em>feel the same</em> as what you sow. In Buddhist concept of karma, unwholesome actions, when sown, will certainly reap into unwholesome fruits. What will be reaped is not <em>mirror</em> of what is sown, but it is <em>consequence</em> of what was sown. So when you sow action that <em>should</em> result in suffering, you will reap suffering for sure.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-29T09:11:31.380Z
2014-06-29T09:11:31.380Z
catpnosis
<p>If I get into a habit of fighting to defend "my self" is it reasonable to say that getting into a fight and getting beat up is karma? </p>

<p>How similar is karma to the idiom "you reap what you sow"?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-29T08:39:20.107Z
How closely related your question in the title with question details?
catpnosis
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-29T08:52:44.343Z
They are related in that they are all an attempt to enlighten myself to the notion of karma. On the other hand you make a good point, the details do not necessarily elaborate on the title question.
user70
<karma><conditionality>
How closely related are the concepts of Karma and Pavlovian conditioning?
# How closely related are the concepts of Karma and Pavlovian conditioning?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-06-29)

If I get into a habit of fighting to defend "my self" is it reasonable to say that getting into a fight and getting beat up is karma?

How similar is karma to the idiom "you reap what you sow"?

**Tags:** karma, conditionality

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: How closely related your question in the title with question details?  
> **username_0**: They are related in that they are all an attempt to enlighten myself to the notion of karma. On the other hand you make a good point, the details do not necessarily elaborate on the title question.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-06-29. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

While habits are part of the workings of karma, it is not reasonable to say that what you described (habit to fight leads to beating) is Buddhist notion of karma. It may be correct other way around, though—some unwholesome karma is ripening while you exercise habit to fight.

Karma *is* similar to idiom "*you reap what you sow*" **but** with some added complexity. What you will reap is not need to be *the same* or *feel the same* as what you sow. In Buddhist concept of karma, unwholesome actions, when sown, will certainly reap into unwholesome fruits. What will be reaped is not *mirror* of what is sown, but it is *consequence* of what was sown. So when you sow action that *should* result in suffering, you will reap suffering for sure.


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