Several parts combine into one character.

Pictograph: a large wooden frame for hanging ceremonial bells — a substantial structure that anchored ancient ritual music. The character's meaning generalized from "frame for great undertakings" to "great work / occupation / industry". Three forms: 繁體 業 / 新字体 業 / 简体 业 (Mainland China simplified by removing the bottom 木 component).

業 covers occupational and industrial vocabulary across CJK languages. Crucially, it ALSO carries the Buddhist concept of karma (Sanskrit: karma) — the accumulation of past actions that shape future fate.

Mandarin: yè, falling 4th tone (simplified 业). 工业 (gōngyè, industry), 企业 (qǐyè, enterprise / company), 农业 (nóngyè, agriculture), 商业 (shāngyè, commerce), 职业 (zhíyè, occupation), 失业 (shīyè, unemployed), 毕业 (bìyè, to graduate — "completing the work"), 作业 (zuòyè, homework — "doing-work"). 毕业 and 作业 are foundational student vocabulary; every Chinese student internalizes these.

Japanese: TWO on-readings split by domain. ギョウ (gyō) is dominant for everyday/professional senses — 授業 (jugyō, class / lesson — used by every Japanese student daily), 職業 (shokugyō, occupation), 企業 (kigyō, business enterprise), 業界 (gyōkai, industry / business sector), 工業 (kōgyō, industry), 農業 (nōgyō, agriculture). ゴウ (gō) is reserved for the Buddhist "karma" sense — 業 (gō, karma), 業火 (gōka, hellfire of karma), 因果応報 (inga ōhō, "cause and effect karmic retribution"). Kun-reading わざ (waza, skill / craft) — 神業 (kamiwaza, divine craft / superhuman skill), 仕業 (shiwaza, the doing of). The same character covers occupation, industry, AND karmic destiny — a uniquely Buddhist-flavored layering.

The Japanese 授業 (jugyō, class) and 卒業 (sotsugyō, graduation — same as Mandarin 毕业) anchor every student's schedule and life milestones.

Memory aid: an ancient bell-frame becomes "great work" → industry, occupation, and the Buddhist weight of accumulated action.