What is karma and what is sin?

Simply put, karma is the law of cause and effect. Our past does not vanish; it exists, and we are connected to it. Furthermore, it influences our present and future. Karma is a concept of Indian philosophy, encompassing not only the law of cause and effect but also the concept of the 'Akashic Records'.

Vedic philosophy speaks of a world ether in which all events are recorded. This includes the history of each person's fate. Thus, everything a person has ever done inevitably impacts their today and tomorrow; experiences do not disappear. This is what is meant by the concept of karma.

In Abrahamic religions and Christian denominations, the issue of karma is generally avoided, as understanding it requires clairvoyance, enlightenment, divine revelation.

The knowledge acquired by our civilization more than five thousand years ago, reflected in Indian philosophy, was harder for the European consciousness to grasp because the concepts of karma and the reincarnation of the soul weakened human interest in life.

Here, the science of dialectics played a role: in Eastern culture, attention is focused on the inner world, while in Western culture, it's focused on the external world. Accordingly, by the law of unity and conflict of opposites, this division yielded its results.

The Eastern concept of 'karma' entered European culture as the concept of 'sin'. If you think about it, the concept of sin is essentially the concept of karma, and if a person commits a bad act, it does not pass unnoticed, and sooner or later, he will receive retribution for his sins. However, unlike Eastern religions, in Abrahamic religions, it is the Creator, the Almighty, who punishes people for unrighteous deeds. This is mentioned in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Interestingly, in India, the concept of karma exists, but it is individual for each person. If you have sinned in past lives, you will pay for it in this life.

Does parents' behavior affect the fate of their children?

Indian experts answer this question negatively, which is why, to this day in India, thousands of mothers douse their sons' wives in gasoline and set them on fire so that, upon becoming widows, they can find a more suitable match. Mothers do this to avoid tarnishing their sons' karma, as there is no concept of family karma in India. However, it does exist in the Old Testament, the Holy Scripture of Judaism and Christianity. It directly states that the sins of the parents fall on the shoulders of the children, and children suffer, fall ill, and die because their father or mother once sinned. It is said that God punishes sins up to the third and fourth generation, and more serious sins up to the tenth generation. By the way, the Old Testament reads that the Almighty said: 'I make a covenant (agreement) with you, with the people of Israel.' It is very important what this agreement starts with, and it begins with God's command: 'On the 8th day, circumcision should be performed.'

Why is circumcision necessary?

The purpose of this procedure is to reduce human desire. It's like a sacrifice of sexual energy, a sacrifice of pleasure and sensuality. If a person cannot restrain their animal desires and instincts, they forget about the Creator, their soul begins to weaken gradually, and since the soul is primary, the spirit and the body, which is directly related to physical health, begin to weaken as well.

Thus, the Bible says that the soul is primary, while modern science asserts that the body is primary, and moreover, science essentially ignores the very concept of 'soul'. Meanwhile, the concept of the soul is closely related to such concepts as morality, dignity, mercy, love. All this is ultimately implied by the word 'soul', and as a religious concept, the soul cannot exist without love for God, without faith in Him.

S. N. Lazarev, «Human Health. The Meeting of Science and Religion»