The traditional and non-traditional understanding of karma

Karma can be understood traditionally as the belief in reincarnation and the influence of past actions on future lives. In a non-traditional sense, karma is viewed as the accumulation of one's actions shaping the world even after death. Whether positive or negative, the karma accumulated is believed to impact the world in a beneficial or detrimental manner, akin to perfuming or imbuing the world with its influence.