There is effectively little difference, in normal parlance, between the Buddhist word “karma” and the Christian word “sin”. Karma is always followed by revenge, curses, and suffering. Sin is always followed by suffering and death. “The wages of sin is death.” “The soul that sins it shall die.” When a Buddhist dies, in Thai Buddhists say he “reached his karma” (dai terng gai gum), which means “karma has caught up to him.”

How shall we escape karma or sin? Many Buddhists believe that by doing merits (tam boon), their good can eventually outweigh their bad, or they may even succeed in erasing their karma permanently, but this belief is against Buddha’s own teaching.

Buddha said, “Good is on one account, bad is on another account, the two can never cancel each other” (boon suan boon, baab suan baab). This is ethical, logical, and legal. If I mistreat my wife, I cannot fix my wrong by dropping a coin in a pauper’s basket. They are on separate accounts. The Bible agrees that once sin is committed, it cannot be covered up by a later good deed. Every single sin must be punished or else there would be no justice to the victims. Indeed, Buddha and the Bible never make light of karma.

Buddha taught it is the goal of life to escape karma. When we study the New Testament, we find some remarkable truths: Jesus is the only Person who had no karma and He offered to absorb all the revenge of karma upon Himself. A proper understanding of karma will instantly make one respect and appreciate who Jesus is and what He has done.