In Our Time: Religion · BBC Radio 4

Karma

July 18, 2024·51 min·4 clips
Jessica Frazier explains how ancient Indians saw humans rising to the moon and returning as worms or tigers in a cosmic cycle.
This episode of In Our Time explores the doctrine of karma across Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, tracing its origins in ancient Indian texts like the Vedas and Upanishads. Experts discuss how karma explains moral responsibility, social inequalities, and rebirth, while highlighting philosophical debates on intention, free will, and the self.

As heard by us

A careful, patient study of karma that makes a difficult idea feel clear.

Karma is treated as a doctrine with a long history, not a slogan. The discussion begins in early South Asia and moves through rebirth, transmigration, intention, free will, and the different ways Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions answer the same question: what follows from…

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Press play if you want karma unpacked with historical care.

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