Jul 17 2008
How To Erase Bad Karma
Lately, I’ve been getting questions such as “How did I get such bad karma?” or “Why is my karma so rotten?” This is the wrong way to look at karma, my friends. In Sanskrit, karma means “action.” We retain bad karma because of something that we have done or something we did not do. Only a handful of people in the world have no bad karma, but they do walk among us — not that I have met one, nor would I know if I had.
Karma is not the same as sin or luck. The more I think about it, I don’t think luck even exists, and I don’t subscribe to the concept of sin. I don’t believe in sin because sin has no utility as a rational descriptor in an objective test, and guilt is a fruitless emotion. (This is a good post to read if you are burdened by guilt.) Sin and bad karma are similar — just as good deeds and good karma are similar — but it really would be better if you completely discarded every previous misconception about karma.
One’s karma is the aggregate of all the past actions in which one has partaken, all the present actions in which one is partaking, and all future actions in which a person intends to partake. Karma is easily transferred too, so one could easily inherit good and bad karma from a loved one (just as easily as one could from a stranger on the street).
This is an extreme vulgarization, but I sometimes think of karma as a credit card that the Universe issued me when I was born. As soon as I started to exhibit free will, I began accumulating a debt of bad karma by acting selfishly toward others (as is the case with most young people). Eventually, as my conscience and sense of life purpose started evolving, I began behaving more selflessly toward others, and my karma started to improve.
Despite a supportive and loving family, I spent many years alone and unhappy because my debt to the Universe was substantial. Through the diligent employment of the Noble Eightfold Path, I became able to improve my life many times over. Today, I am a happily married man to a gorgeous, intelligent, and kind-hearted woman who reciprocates my devotion to her. I love the life that I am living today, and I have my good karma to thank for it.
Specifically, to improve your karma:
1) Replace all of your negative thoughts with good, non-violent thoughts, but don’t beat yourself up if a negative thought enters your mind (this takes practice, so go easy on yourself but keep at it);
2) Participate in more selfless activities and fewer selfish activities, and never partake in any kind of violence toward yourself or any other living being (this includes emotional and physical violence);
3) Speak well of others or don’t say anything, and always speak honestly but courteously; and
4) Make a living by benefiting other people — or at the very least, stop making a living by hurting others. (Note: this one is the hardest. It is so easy to make a good living by creating disharmony in the world, and often the jobs that help people don’t provide much fiscal revenue. I am sorry, but that is the price of a real happiness that will last you the rest of your life.)
The four steps mentioned above constitute the Ethical Conduct branch of the Noble Eightfold Path (i.e. Loving Thought, Loving Action, Loving Speech, and Loving Livelihood). Truly ethical conduct is the best and only way to improve one’s karma. The four other steps of the Noble Eightfold Path help Buddhists start and continue to maintain the Middle Way, or the path to true liberation.
Be good to yourselves, my friends. Life is too short. I hope you’re able to find happiness in whatever way works for you, as long as you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else in the process.
