Karma is a Sanskrit word which means action or deed. Most of us associate it with the cycle of cause and effect where we expect to get results based on what we do. In Hindu, God's involvement in the cycle of karma is attributed to his fairness in giving people exactly what they deserve. This means reaping the benefits of our good deeds or suffering through the consequences of the bad.
There are some people who believe that a person who is presently being wronged by a spouse through infidelity may have done the same act or acts in an earlier life. In essence, if a person cheats on his/her spouse today, he/she will me made to suffer the same fate in a future life when reincarnated. This view of course is very subjective since not all of us believe in past lives or future lives different from the life which we are living now.
In the Western world, the saying most often used that is closest to the principle of karma is "What goes around comes around". This is simply saying that what you do eventually comes back to you. The cheating karma can be considered poetic justice for the cheated ones as they get to exact revenge without lifting a finger, whether they like to or not.
Believers in the existence of bad karma say that the vicious cycle can be stopped by forgiveness. A cheated person who is presumed to have been the cheater in an earlier life can take the opportunity not to add any more bad feelings and actions that would allow the bad karma to fester. By being able to forgive and recommit to the relationship, the cheated person elevates himself/herself to a higher spiritual level.
People need not be believers in karma to realize that betrayal of spousal trust cannot produce positive results. Cheated spouses will lose faith in other people. Cheaters themselves will be unable to have peace of mind knowing that what they did can easily be done to them by their new lovers. Unless properly resolved, infidelity will have long-term effects.
