Karma, Merit, and Worth

BY NICOLE LAU

Series: Locus and Spirituality - Worth in Transcendence (Part 6 of 7)

"Your karma determines your worth."

"Good deeds earn merit. Bad deeds create demerit."

"You get what you deserve."

These are teachings from Eastern spiritual traditions. And they can create transactional worth—the belief that worth is earned through actions.

But karma and merit can also be reinterpreted through the locus lens, revealing deeper truths about cause and effect, responsibility, and grace.

This article explores Eastern concepts of conditional worth, the theological debate between earning and grace, and how to hold karma without losing inherent worth.

Karma: The Law of Cause and Effect

What Is Karma?

Karma, from Sanskrit, means "action" or "deed." In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, karma is the law of cause and effect:

Actions have consequences. Good actions lead to positive results. Bad actions lead to negative results.

Karma as Conditional Worth

In some interpretations, karma becomes a system of worth accounting:

• Good karma = higher worth, better rebirth, spiritual advancement
• Bad karma = lower worth, worse rebirth, spiritual regression

The locus pattern: "I am valuable if my karma is good. I am worthless if my karma is bad."

This is transactional worth. You earn worth through good deeds. You lose worth through bad deeds.

The Problem with Karmic Worth

1. Worth Becomes Transactional

You are constantly monitoring your karma balance. Every action is evaluated: Does this earn merit or create demerit?

Result: Spiritual accounting. Anxiety. Never enough good karma.

2. Suffering Becomes Deserved

"You are suffering because of your bad karma. You deserve this."

Result: Victim-blaming. Lack of compassion. Justification of injustice.

3. Hierarchy of Worth

People with good karma are more valuable than people with bad karma. The spiritually advanced are more worthy than the spiritually ignorant.

Result: Spiritual elitism. Caste systems. Dehumanization.

4. Endless Striving

You must constantly accumulate good karma to be worthy. There is no rest.

Result: Spiritual exhaustion. Worth is never secure.

Merit: Earning Spiritual Worth

What Is Merit?

In Buddhism, merit (puñña in Pali) is spiritual credit earned through good deeds—generosity, ethical conduct, meditation, devotion.

Merit is believed to lead to better rebirths, spiritual progress, and eventually enlightenment.

Merit as External Locus

When merit becomes worth, the pattern is:

• "I am valuable if I accumulate merit"
• "I must perform good deeds to earn worth"
• "If I do not have merit, I am worthless"

This is spiritual external locus. Worth depends on spiritual performance.

Merit-Making Practices

In some Buddhist cultures, merit-making becomes central:

• Donating to monks or temples
• Performing rituals
• Chanting or meditating
• Releasing animals

These practices can be beautiful expressions of devotion. But when they become worth transactions, they reinforce external locus.

"I donate to earn merit. I meditate to accumulate spiritual credit. I am valuable if I have merit."

Reinterpreting Karma Through Locus Lens

Karma as Cause and Effect, Not Worth

Transactional interpretation: "Good karma = worthy. Bad karma = worthless."

Locus reinterpretation: "Actions have consequences. But consequences do not determine worth. I am valuable whether my karma is good or bad."

The Shift

Karma describes cause and effect, not worth.

• If you act with kindness, kindness returns (cause and effect)
• If you act with harm, harm returns (cause and effect)
• But your worth is not determined by your karma. You are valuable simply because you exist.

This separates behavior from worth. You can take responsibility for your actions without tying your worth to them.

Karma as Responsibility, Not Blame

Victim-blaming interpretation: "You are suffering because you deserve it. Your bad karma caused this."

Locus reinterpretation: "Some suffering is caused by actions (karma). Some suffering is caused by circumstances beyond control (not karma). Discernment is needed. And suffering does not mean worthlessness."

This allows for compassion. People who suffer are not necessarily being punished. They may be experiencing the effects of actions, or they may be experiencing injustice, trauma, or illness—none of which make them worthless.

Grace vs Earning: The Theological Debate

Two Views on Worth

View 1: Worth Is Earned (Karma/Merit)

"You earn worth through good deeds, spiritual practice, or moral behavior. Worth is transactional."

Traditions: Some interpretations of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam (emphasis on submission and good deeds).

Locus pattern: External locus. Worth depends on performance.

View 2: Worth Is Given (Grace)

"Worth is freely given. You do not earn it. You receive it. Grace is unconditional."

Traditions: Christian mysticism (grace through faith, not works), Bhakti (divine love is unconditional), Sufism (already one with Allah).

Locus pattern: Internal locus. Worth is inherent.

The Debate

This is one of the deepest theological debates:

• Do we earn salvation/enlightenment/worth through our actions?
• Or is it freely given, and we simply receive it?

From a locus perspective, the answer is clear:

Worth is inherent. It is not earned. It is recognized.

But actions still matter. Not because they earn worth, but because they express worth, create consequences, and shape our experience.

Holding Karma Without Losing Inherent Worth

The Integration

You can hold both:

1. Actions have consequences (karma) - You are responsible for your behavior
2. Worth is inherent (grace) - You are valuable whether your actions are good or bad

This is responsibility without worthlessness.

How to Practice

1. Separate Behavior from Worth

"I made a mistake. That was a harmful action. I take responsibility. But I am not worthless. My worth is inherent."

2. Act from Love, Not Fear

"I act with kindness not to earn merit, but because I love. I act ethically not to avoid bad karma, but because it aligns with my values."

3. Accept Consequences Without Shame

"My actions have consequences. I accept them. But consequences do not determine my worth."

4. Offer Compassion to Yourself and Others

"I am learning. I am human. I make mistakes. I am still valuable. Others are also learning. They are also valuable."

5. Practice Without Transaction

"I meditate, donate, or serve not to earn merit, but to express devotion. I am valuable whether I accumulate merit or not."

Case Example: From Karmic Anxiety to Inherent Worth

Priya's Story

Background: Priya, 39, grew up in a Hindu family. She was taught that karma determines worth. She lived in constant anxiety about accumulating good karma and avoiding bad karma.

Karmic anxiety: Priya monitored every action. "Is this earning merit? Is this creating bad karma?" She felt guilty constantly. She believed her suffering was deserved punishment for past bad karma.

Crisis: Priya experienced a health crisis. She thought: I deserve this. My karma is bad. I am being punished. She felt worthless.

Shift: Priya encountered Advaita Vedanta teachings: "You are already Brahman. You are already whole. Karma describes cause and effect, not worth."

Integration: Priya learned to separate karma from worth. She took responsibility for her actions but did not tie her worth to them. She knew she was valuable whether her karma was good or bad.

Outcome: After 18 months, Priya's anxiety decreased. She still acted ethically, but not out of fear. She acted from love. She knew she was inherently worthy.

Priya: "I spent my life trying to earn worth through good karma. I was exhausted and anxious. Now I know: I am already worthy. Karma is cause and effect, not worth. That truth freed me."

Practice: Karma and Inherent Worth

Reflection Questions

1. Do I believe my worth depends on my karma or merit?
2. Do I act ethically out of love or out of fear of bad karma?
3. Do I believe suffering is deserved punishment?
4. Can I take responsibility for my actions without feeling worthless?

Integration Practices

1. Separate Karma from Worth

"Actions have consequences. But consequences do not determine worth. I am valuable whether my karma is good or bad."

2. Act from Love

"I act with kindness because I love, not to earn merit. I act ethically because it aligns with my values, not to avoid punishment."

3. Accept Consequences with Compassion

"I made a mistake. I accept the consequences. But I am not worthless. I am learning."

4. Offer Compassion to Others

"Their suffering does not mean they are being punished. They are valuable. I offer compassion."

5. Practice Without Transaction

"I practice spirituality to express devotion, not to earn worth. I am valuable whether I accumulate merit or not."

What Comes Next

We have explored karma, merit, and worth. The final article in this series is Sacred Worth: The Spiritual Foundation of Internal Locus—the culmination of everything we have learned about locus in spirituality.

This article will integrate all the concepts and present the vision: You are sacred simply because you exist. This is the spiritual foundation of internal locus.