n.
In Indian philosophy, the influence of an individual's past actions on his future lives or reincarnations .
It is based on the conviction that the present life is only one in a chain of lives (see samsara ). The accumulated moral energy of a person's life determines his or her character, class status, and disposition in the next life. The process is automatic, and no interference by the gods is possible. In the course of a chain of lives, people can perfect themselves and reach the level of Brahma , or they can degrade themselves to the extent that they return to life as animals. The concept of karma, basic to Hinduism, was also incorporated into Buddhism and Jainism.