Shukugō
/ɕɯkɯɡoː/noun
A Buddhist concept referring to karma or consequences carried over from previous existence or past actions.
Did you know?Shukugō combines 宿, “to lodge” or “remain from the past,” with 業, a Buddhist term for karmic action, making destiny sound like something stored inside you.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient India
Sanskrit
karman
“Action, deed, or the moral consequence produced by an action in Indian religious thought.”
Early Buddhist Chinese
Chinese
業
“A translation of Sanskrit karman, meaning action, deed, or karmic activity.”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
宿業
“Past karma or karmic consequences accumulated from earlier actions or existences.”
Nara–Heian period
Japanese
宿業（しゅくごう）
“A Sino-Japanese Buddhist term for karma inherited from the past, often associated with one’s fate or circumstances.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
宿業（しゅくごう）
“Past karma, destiny, or an inescapable consequence believed to arise from previous actions.”