My sense of Karma is that it is directly related to Dharma. Dharma is the Plan; Karma is the result. Yes, cause and effect work well with this concept. The Plan is what I am supposed to be doing with my time, space and energy here on earth. Karma is the result that I get from how well/or not that I follow the Plan. This works for me. If I do not like the results/effect, I align more closely to the Plan/cause. By the way, the Plan works with respect to one's thoughts, feelings, words and actions -- a total embracing. PaPaPaul