What belief system emphasizes karma as a guiding principle?

The belief system that emphasizes karma as a guiding principle is Hinduism. In Hindu philosophy, karma refers to the law of cause and effect, where an individual's actions in this life or past lives influence their future experiences and outcomes. This concept is integral to the Hindu understanding of morality, ethics, and the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara). Each action—good or bad—will have consequences that affect not just the current life but future lives as well, reinforcing ethical behavior in followers.

While Buddhism, which also incorporates karma, focuses more on the cessation of suffering and the Four Noble Truths, its interpretation of karma is somewhat different from that in Hinduism. Judaism and Islam have distinct theological frameworks that do not center around the concept of karma in the same way; they focus more on ethical behavior and divine command without the reincarnation aspect central to the karma narrative in Hinduism.