For millennia human beings have turned to religion to better understand themselves and their fellow human beings. Central to the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is the story of Adam and Eve, which when viewed symbolically offers profound insight into the human condition. The story recounts how the first human beings move from a state of relative harmony with God, each other, and the natural world, to finding conflict, judgement, and pain being an inescapable part of human life. Join us in this multi-part series which seeks to uncover what we can learn about the human condition from the stories of Genesis.

The common understanding of karma is as a concept tied to the consequences of one's actions, where good deeds lead to positive outcomes and vice versa. Drawing from Hinduism and Buddhism, a deeper reading reveals that the word's meaning lies in the belief of reincarnation and the cycle of rebirth driven by unresolved karma. Contrary to the simplistic notion of good actions attracting favourable circumstances, karma can be seen as a reflection a of deep misunderstanding about the nature of reality. In this context, good karma is defined as actions that release one from the illusion of individuality, while bad karma reinforces a sense of separation. The example of winning the lottery is used to illustrate how an apparent stroke of good fortune may, in fact, be detrimental in perpetuating individualism. Ultimately, this leads to a nuanced reflection on the nature of desires and their alignment with what is genuinely beneficial.