Know What Creates Negative Karma
Many different religions and cultures contain the idea of karma, with slight differences in the exact meaning. The common idea is that your actions will affect others, either positively or negatively, and that eventually this energy will eventually return to you.
While it is easy to recognize actions that cause "good karma", it can be difficult to recognize what can cause "negative karma". Read on to learn more about what causes negative karma.
Steps
- Recognize that nobody is perfect and everyone is affected by their current situation. Admittedly, "doing the right thing" sometimes seems all but impossible for many due to the forces of personal fate. People will behave in accordance with their level of awareness, usually without thinking about karmic consequences.
- Understand that intent often counts as much as your actual actions.
- Learn which actions will almost certainly generate negative karma:
- murder, even if you are not caught, unless it's in self defense
- stealing, even if you are not caught and no matter how you justify it
- telling a lie that hurts someone else in any way, even if you are not caught and even if you believe your own lie
- intentionally hurting someone in any way
- not doing the "right thing," subsequently causing someone else to suffer in any way
- resenting someone; your anger may cause you to be confronted with similar circumstances in the future until you learn to forgive and if applicable, take responsibility for your part of the conflict
- incurring addiction, if it hurts you or anyone around you
- disrespecting yourself to the point of personal harm (such as being a martyr); while you can gain good karma by helping others through martyrdom, but you still may have to balance a lack of self-respect
- Recognize situations that are often believed to produce negative karma, but usually do not:
- making, or otherwise acquiring a lot of money, as long as you do so honestly
- having a lot of money and not giving a lot away to charities; the world is not your responsibility, even if contributing would create positive karma
- lying to protect someone, as long as you're not hurting someone else in the process, or helping the person you're protecting to dodge taking responsibility for their actions
- divorce or breaking up with a partner, as long as you are not intentionally doing anything to hurt them in the process
- having sex without being married, as long as you do not intentionally hurt anyone (or yourself) in the process - sexual misconduct is one the worst possible sins and accrues bad karma that lasts lifetimes and is almost impossible to absolve
- practicing non-monogamy, as long as you are honest with everyone involved, are acting responsibly, and do not intentionally hurt anyone in the process
- accidentally hurting someone in any way, but any guilt could cause you to experience a reaction in the future if you don't let go of it
- prostitution, as long as it's between two consenting adults and you are not intentionally hurting anyone in the process
- exceeding the speed limit, although any associated guilt may create karmic ties
- having a few drinks, although if done regularly enough in excess, you're disrespecting and hurting yourself, therefore incurring negative karma
- being a single parent or having a child outside of marriage, as long as you provide for the child and be the best parent you can be
- refusing to give in to others' "shoulds" ("you should do this or that"); it's your life and you know what's best for your highest good; as long as you're not hurting yourself or anyone else you're free to live your life as you desire
Tips
- Confessing to a priest or praying for forgiveness will not excuse you from any negative karma you've created. Also, it's debatable whether or not practicing self-forgiveness will reduce negative karma, since your future karmic circumstances are determined by your soul, not your personality.
Warnings
- Please remember that Karma does indeed exist. Those people who deny it are in fact escaping from the reality; maybe to get peace of mind after hurting others around them.
Related Articles
- Boost Your Karma
- Practice Random Acts of Kindness
- Become a Buddhist
- Live Intentionally
