In Cambodian religious life, the idea of karma is inherited from Hindu thought yet thoroughly reframed through a Theravāda Buddhist vision. Karma is understood as intentional action that naturally bears fruit, an impersonal law of cause and effect rather than a system of divine reward or punishment. Good actions—such as generosity, moral restraint, and respect for elders and monastics—are believed to bring favorable conditions and happiness, while harmful actions lead to suffering. This dynamic is closely tied to the cycle of rebirth, so that present circumstances and future destinies are seen as shaped by past and present deeds. At the same time, the ultimate spiritual horizon is defined by Buddhist teachings on suffering, rebirth in various realms, and the possibility of nirvāṇa, rather than by Hindu notions of fixed caste duty or union with a personal deity.

In everyday practice, this karmic vision is most visible in the centrality of merit-making, often referred to as *bun*. Acts such as donating to monks, sponsoring rituals, observing moral precepts, and caring for parents are all understood as ways of generating wholesome karma that benefits both this life and future rebirths. Merit is also thought to be shareable or dedicable, especially to deceased relatives, so that karmic practice becomes a bridge between the living and the dead. Festivals and ceremonies that honor ancestors thus combine Buddhist merit-making with older Brahmanical sensibilities about continuity across generations. Through these practices, karma becomes not only a doctrine but a lived ethic that shapes family obligations and communal solidarity.

Cambodian understandings of karma also intersect with social and political order. Differences in wealth, status, and power are frequently interpreted as the ripening of past actions, which lends a karmic logic to hierarchy while still affirming that present effort can alter one’s trajectory. The monarchy and other social structures may be viewed as outcomes of long-standing karmic conditions, yet Buddhist teaching continues to stress that liberation remains open to all who cultivate virtue, meditation, and wisdom. In this way, karma explains why beings find themselves where they are, without closing the door on transformation.

Finally, the Cambodian landscape of practice reveals a subtle synthesis of Buddhist karma with Brahmanical ritual and local spirit beliefs. Brahman priests may be invited to perform rites for protection, prosperity, or good fortune, and these are often understood as working within the broader field of karmic conditions rather than overriding them. Misfortune can be attributed both to the unfolding of past karma and to the influence of displeased spirits, prompting a combination of Buddhist and Brahmanical responses. The result is a religious culture in which the Hindu legacy of karma is neither simply preserved nor discarded, but reinterpreted so that it serves a distinctly Buddhist path oriented toward the cessation of suffering.