This post is structured around some Chinese words and phrases associated with the concept of Karma. We will reflect on karma through the story of Miss Baek, the 2018 Korean movie. If you haven’t seen the movie, you will need a basic understanding. Read the official description below.

“Small but tough Baek Sang Ah, known as Miss Baek, comes across a young girl, Ji Eun, a victim of domestic violence by her game-junkie father and his girlfriend. A lifetime of abandonment, abuse, and prejudice has taught Miss Baek how to shut others out, but she slowly opens up to Ji Eun. She sees as a mirror of herself. When Ji Eun finally runs away from despairing violence, Miss Baek, whose sense of helplessness was pushing her to let Ji Eun go, vows to fight for Ji Eun, even if it meant risking her own life.”

Chinese Words for Karma

业 [業] (yè) — Karma: Refers to actions and their consequences, particularly in the context of Buddhism and Hinduism.

This is an interesting Chinese character because it also has a general meaning of “work” or “action”. In other contexts it can be used to talk about a job or homework.

Miss Baek was a survivor of child abuse, so is Ji Eun’s father. When confronted, the father uses the fact that he himself was abused as an excuse. The action of abuse has consequences to the next generation.

因果 (yīn guǒ) — Literally means “cause and effect”. It is often used to describe the concept of karma, especially in a general sense.

So here are two ordinary words that both mean karma: “action” and “cause and effect”. Not just one specific action and its effects. Karma, good or bad, can build up. Can be individual and collective.

In the movie there is intergenerational trauma in the families, but there is also the system that supports abuse within families. For example, Ji Eun goes to the police with obvious physical signs of abuse, but they just send her home. Society doesn’t want to judge how parents raise their children. Additionally, if you are not (blood) family, it’s none of your business.

報應 (bào yìng) is a concept in Chinese folk religion that refers to cosmic and moral retribution—the idea that good and evil actions inevitably bring corresponding consequences.

There is a sense of good and evil in Karma. Whereas Christianity may have a God who personally judges, with karma the universe makes sure that bad karma results in the evil person getting what they deserve. Like-wise good karma accumulates to blessing.

In this movie, I wwanted the abusive father and his girlfriend to be judged and to get what they deserved. “Retribution” sounds kinda strong, but they shouldn’t be allowed to abuse Ji Eun.

现世报 (xiànshì bào)” is a Chinese idiom that refers to immediate retribution or karmic consequence in this lifetime—as opposed to waiting for justice in the afterlife or future reincarnations.

The need for “immediate retribution” lines up with the biblical witness of those who say, “how long, O Lord” before God acts to stop the evil, to make wrongs right? Faith might help us hold on until the next life, but the Chinese idiom reflects our very human need to see some of right consequences in this life.

In K-dramas the story is frequently resolved with allusions to the next life, or epilogues from the future. Miss Baek’s epilogue was “one year” later. I was surprised by it and will reflect on it in the next section.

Spoiler Alert and Thoughts on the Ending

If you are intrigued by the movie and want to watch it, and you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading right now!

By the end of the story, the abusers do get karmic retribution. But you expected that, didn’t you?

In the epilogue, the daughter who was locked up in the bathroom for most of her childhood is shown going to school, learning and playing with friends. She is happy.

This would not have happened if Miss Baek had not gotten involved. The movie begins with her hesitating to get involved, even though she knew the girl was being abused. Because Miss Baek does get involved—good karma happens.

Miss Baek’s life is also changed for the good. At one year later, how much redemption could there be? The movie shows Ji Eun happy at school, but the final scene with Miss Baek is mixed.

Before we get to final scene where Baek Sang Ah picks up Ji Eun from school, let’s go to the scene where Ji Eun is preparing to go to school. She is living with Sang Ah’s (boy)friend and the friend’s mother. They look like a family. Ji Eun gets out of bed, dresses and eats breakfast with her “family”, but Sang Ah is not there. We are left wondering why, but we will not get an answer.

Sang Ah had declared early in the movie to her friend, who wanted to be her boyfriend, that she would never marry—because of her childhood. She had also declared that she would not have children—because of her childhood. “Can someone like me be a wife or a mother?” By the end of the story, she is not smiling. She is squatting on the sidewalk, face away from the school, with the guard telling her that she can’t smoke there.

Personally, I like that ending. Sang Ah’s intention and action, though she is initially relutant to get involved, has good karmic effect. Ji Eun’s life is changed for the good. Sang Ah’s life is also better but she has a ways to go. Did she get married? Does she live in that house? The story leaves that open, but it has done its job. Sang Ah’s action definitely made a difference. Her good karma turned the tide of bad karma in Ji Eun’s life.

Epilogue to this Musing

I had originally intended for this to be an “interfaith dialog” as I am Christian, but I decided to just try to understand karma first. I intend to muse some more on karma in a future post.