The belief in Karma and Samsara are at the roots of Hinduism's religious view. It has been an innermost concern to Hinduism for thousands of years. As a result, a major focus by Hinduism's philosophical thinkers of today are directed towards understanding Karma and Samsara. The ideas of Karma and Samsara are evident in almost all of the great Hindu scriptures. It is touched on in the Veda's, but more solidly introduced in the Upanishads. When the idea of Samsara was first instituted it inspired many believers to seek liberation through the practice of austerity, or meditation or both. To be released form this life the Hindu's needed to remove the effects of their past actions or Karma. It is this set of beliefs that has formed the background of many of Hinduism's religious movements and beliefs. .
Karma is the byproduct of human actions. It has been described as minute particles that are produced when good or bad deeds are done. These particles accumulate in the consciousness of the person. It is believed that karma can change; if good behavior turns bad, thus generating bad Karma then the consciousness born of good Karma can fade, and visa versa. The product or sum of Karma in a persons life can be a major factor in determining a person's future life, based on ones past and present actions. Every action, bodily, intellectual or ethical, good or bad, large, small will effect this prognosis. The effects of earlier actions determines the present state of affairs, and the present actions determine the future circumstances. .
The law of Karma allows no room for chance, or divine intervention as everything is inevitably determined by it. The Brhardaranyaka Upanishad simply sates "By good actions one becomes good, by bad actions one becomes bad" (Koller 1982: 59). Intertwined with belief in Karma is the idea of Samsara. Samsara is the cycle of repeated births and deaths that subjects an individual to not merely one death, but to innumerable deaths (Koller 1982:9).