Editing Karma (section)

===Taoism===
{{Taoism}}
Karma is an important concept in [[Taoism]]. Every deed is tracked by deities and spirits. Appropriate rewards or retribution follow karma, just like a shadow follows a person.<ref name="evawong" />

The karma doctrine of Taoism developed in three stages.<ref name="lkohn">{{cite journal |author=Livia Kohn |date=1998 |url=http://www.languages.ufl.edu/EMC/subscribers/vol4/vol4kohn.pdf |title=Steal holy food and come back as a Viper: Conceptions of Karma and Rebirth in Medieval Daoism |journal=Early Medieval China|volume=4|pages=1–48|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109063052/http://www.languages.ufl.edu/EMC/subscribers/vol4/vol4kohn.pdf |archive-date=9 January 2014 }}</ref> In the first stage, causality between actions and consequences was adopted, with supernatural beings keeping track of everyone's karma and assigning fate (''ming''). In the second phase, transferability of karma ideas from Chinese Buddhism were expanded, and a transfer or inheritance of Karmic fate from ancestors to one's current life was introduced. In the third stage of karma doctrine development, ideas of rebirth based on karma were added. One could be reborn either as another human being or another animal, according to this belief. In the third stage, additional ideas were introduced; for example, rituals, repentance and offerings at Taoist temples were encouraged as it could alleviate Karmic burden.<ref name="lkohn"/><ref>Erik Zurcher (1980), Buddhist influence on early Taoism, T'oung Pao, Vol. 66, pp 84–147</ref>