Many people fail to get the difference between good karma and bad karma, everybody gives a different opinion and view about their understanding of the good karma and bad karma. Below is detailed information on karma among the Hindus.
After a series of research, it’s proven that there three types of karma in the history and religion of the Hindu people, these include:
1. Good karma
This is also referred to as positive or good actions. Good karma is subject to good deeds, good karma is simply the thoughts and actions that result in positive aspects in our day to day lives, and they are commonly referred to as sakarma among the Sanskrit.
2. Bad karma
This is also referred to as negative or bad actions. Bad karma is subject to bad deeds, bad karma is simply the thoughts and actions that are subject to negative aspects in our day to day life and they are commonly referred to as vikarma among the Sanskrit.
3. Spiritual karma
This is also named as spiritual actions. This involves illusion, these are thoughts and actions that result in no material reaction instead it’s the subject to spiritual reaction with spiritual benefits. Spiritual karma is known as akrma among the Sanskrit.
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Examples of good karma and bad karma
Karma simply means action, work, or deed. Karma can also be explained by the spiritual principle of cause and effect that results in intents and actions that determine the future and influence of a person.
People tend to fail to distinguish between good karma and bad karma. Below are examples of good karma and bad karma:
Examples and benefits of good karma
Good karma is simply good thoughts and actions that result in positive aspects in ones’ life. Below are examples of good karma;
- Doing community work to help build the society.
- Abiding by rules and regulation governing the society.
- Spreading the message of peace and love.
- Leading others the right way.
- Having etiquette while communicating with others, using words like welcome, thank you.
- Learning to forgive those who wrong you and also learning to ask for forgiveness when you wrong others.
When one does good to others and to the society he/she is awarded, below are benefits of good karma:
- It increases your level of concentration.
- Heal’s one’s soul/spirit, commonly referred to as Atma among the Hindu community.
- Makes one wiser, earns you wisdom.
- Makes the impossible possible.
- Helps one control his/her anger and ignorance
- It provides divine protection from bad luck, diseases among other negativities.
- Keeps you enlightened at all times
Examples of bad karma
Bad karma is simply bad thoughts and actions that result in negative outcomes in one’s life. Below are examples of bad karma:
- Looking down upon others
- Misuse of power/authority
- Oppressing the poor
- Forcefully taking what is not yours.
- Cheating and hurting others.
- Accusing other people falsely.
- Stealing what is not yours.
- Taking another person’s kindness for granted.
Karma in Hinduism
Karma among the Hindu people is regarded as a concept that explains causality through a system where good is earned from good thoughts and actions and harmful effects encountered from bad thoughts and actions, creating a system of actions and reactions throughout the souls, commonly refers to as Atman, reincarnated lives forming a cycle of rebirth.
The word karma first come to exist among the Hindu people in Rigveda. The word Karman also appears significantly in Vedas. According to the Brahmana, the scriptures quote ”as his wife man is born to the world he has made” , one is placed in a balance on the other world to determine one’s good deeds and also bad deeds. The scriptures also state that as a man is granted his desires, his soul is born in the other world in relation to these.
Research shows that the first existence and formulation of the karma doctrine occurred in Brhadaranyaka Upanisad. In this context, karma simply means actions or the universal principles of cause and effect, action and reactions that are believed to control all consciousness.
The Hindu scriptures divide karma into three kinds, and these are:
- Sanchita
This is the accumulated karma. This kind of Karma involves or uses the concept of services, it states that a handful is taken out to serve one lifetime and the same handful of actions will bear fruits and get exhausted after the fruits have been enjoyed. - Prarabdha
This is regarded as the fruit-bearing Karma. It’s the portion of accumulated karma that is presented as a problem in the present life. It’s simply the result of your actions and thoughts. - Kriyamana
This is regarded as the outcome of our present life. This karma is believed to flow into the sanchita karma and desirably shape one’s future. It’s the karma that gives humans the ability to change their future destiny.
How to reverse a bad karma
Bad karma as we defined is simply the bad actions and thoughts that have a negative impact on your life. Many at times you might feel like you have bad karma and you wish to overcome it, below are ways in which one can resolve his/her bad karma;
1. Apologize
On some occasions you may have done wrong, or wrongly mistreated someone and you feel guilty, the act of self-judgment is haunting you. In this situation the best thing to do is be sincere with yourself on the mistakes that you have done, learn from your mistakes. Make an effort of finding the person you wronged, mistreated or offended and apologize to them. You are advised to use words like; “I am very sorry about my mistake” or “I apologize for sounding rude to you”.
2. Write down your transgression
On some occasions you feel like you have done wrong but you don’t have the correct reason for what you did wrong. In this situation you are advised to write down everything you felt you didn’t write, stating the specific time and place that it occurred.
This will lay a foundation or starting point on how you can resolve your bad karma. You advised thinking of things like; “did I offend someone?” or “did I lie about something?”
3. Meditation
At times we get to know what we have done to get bad karma but fail to understand the negativity of your actions, the bad impact it brings to you and also those around you. In this situation, you are advised to meditate or reflect on your actions. There are different ways of meditating, these include:
- Breathing meditation
This type of meditation lies in the control of your breathing. When one gets control of his/her breathing it creates a calm environment for mind thus creating an inner peace that gives you a chance to think and have a clear understanding of your actions thus finding the root cause and effects of your actions. - Transforming meditation
This involves training your body not to worry about mental or physical discomforts thus allowing you to gain and have the inner peace that calms your mind. This type of meditation is earned by studying and considering the philosophy that drives your morality.
Laws of karma
Karma is simply the actions and thoughts that have either a positive or negative impact on ones’ life. The impacts as a result of your karma are not meant to be a punishment but instead a way that will make learn or get educated from your thoughts and action. There are laws that guide one’s karma, these laws are referred to as the Karmic laws. They include:
1. The great law
It states “whatever you sow, so shall you reap”. This simply means our actions are the true reflection of what we get in return.
If we want to be loved then we must first love others.
2. The law of creation
The law guides on the following:
- Life requires our participation for it to happen.
- We are part of the universe both inside and outside the universe.
- Be real or true with yourself and surround yourself with what you want to have in your present life.
3. The law of humility
It says “what you refuse to accept will continue for you”. This simply means what we see or think is negative then we won’t focus on a higher level of existence.
4. The law of growth
The law states that “wherever you go, there you are”. It simply means change starts with you yourself. We have given control over ourselves.
5. The law of responsibility
The law states “whenever there is something wrong in my life, there is something wrong in me”. This simply means we are the mirror of what surrounds us, what surrounds you is mirrored by oneself.
6. The law of connection
This law explains our interconnection to the universe. How our actions and thoughts are consequentially connected to the universe.
Each step results in the next step. Actions and thoughts are interconnected.
