The word 报应 is formed by combining two conceptually linked characters: 报, which carries the sense of "retribution" or "repayment", and 应, meaning "response" or "answer". Together, they create a profound philosophical concept rooted in the idea of cosmic or moral cause and effect, where one's actions, good or bad, inevitably trigger a corresponding and fitting consequence. This formation synthesizes the belief in a universal principle of justice, where deeds are not isolated events but seeds that must bear a matching fruit, encapsulating a holistic view of action and inevitable reaction within a moral universe.