Good Karma Bad Karma
Have you ever wondered why some people are poor, some are rich, some are healthy, and some are sick; some are lucky, fortunate and happy while others appear unfortunate, unlucky and sad? The answer to all these questions lies in the Karma we have accumulated.
What is Karma?
The word Karma in Sanskrit means ‘deed’ or ‘action’ or ‘work’. Whatever the deed we do, whatever the work we do, whether good or bad, it comes back to us in some form or the other. It is like a cycle of cause and effect. You do good deeds; you will get good things. You do bad things. You get bad things in return. These returns could be immediate within a day, week, month, year or decade, or they could also be as late as the next birth.
For example: If you are disrespectful to your parents, your children will not respect you. If you hurt your friend, you will get hurt by somebody else for some other reason immediately or in your next birth.
Thus everyone is born with some amount of good Karma and bad Karma in their account. They live life according to that account. If you have accumulated more good Karma, you lead a happy life. You will have wealthy parents who can provide the best, get good friends, earn a good job etc. If you have accumulated more bad Karma, you are bound to suffer accordingly. Hence everybody has their share of happiness and sadness in life.
It is incredible how God maintains the account of each and everything we do. We can never cheat him because he is everywhere, watching everything we do. He also notes what we did when we had a good life, how we treated others, whether we were disrespectful to our parents and elders, unkind to the poor and needy or cruel to the plants and animals. We did what we were going through a hard time because of our bad Karma; whether we were unreasonable and troublesome for our parents when we were ill. All these things add up to the bad Karma account.
How do we get rid of bad Karma?
Every living being has bad Karma in its account. That is why it is born on this earth. When it suffers without cursing anyone with patience, its bad karma burns away. It is carried forward to the next birth as heavy baggage, which has to burn in its next birth. Thus in a way, the people, who suffer, are fortunate because they are burning away their bad Karma.
How to accumulate good Karma?
Along with burning away the bad Karma, one has to accumulate good Karma. Accumulating good Karma is essential not because I am telling you or your parents are telling you. It is required because it is for your own long-lasting happiness.
You can increase your good Karma by:
1. Helping parents, friends, teachers, neighbours, poor people, people in need, sick and physically challenged.
2. Being polite to parents, elders, teachers, friends, neighbours,
3. Being kind to children younger than you, and the animals and plants
4. Taking care of animals and plants when they are hungry and sick
5. Sharing what you have got with the poor and needy.
6. Doing what is good for many people, even when it is uncomfortable for you
7. Sparing some time with the older adults and sick.
8. Forgiving the wrongs done by others and not carrying the grudges.
9. Practicing equanimity and face the difficulties of life. This gives you the strength to burn out your bad Karma.
My dear children, I wish all of you to be happy, healthy, wealthy, lucky, and peaceful by accumulating more good Karma and burning away the bad Karma.
Happy childhood!