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Positive vs. Negative Karma

MindGateMindGate United States Veteran
edited February 2011 in Buddhism Basics
In Buddhism, I always thought that nothing was positive nor negative, good nor bad. I could be wrong with that idea, but I'm pretty sure thats how many see it to be.

If that is true... is there negative and positive karma? How can this be? Is one action more negative than another? I just thought that actions were skillful or unskillful? Care to explain karma to me?

Comments

  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited February 2011
    There's skillful and unskillful karma leading to wholesome or unwholesome results. They are relative to the goal, which is liberation (and leading an "enlightened" life in harmony with others), rather than "good" or "bad".
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    Here's one take on karma: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/karma.html
  • JoshuaJoshua Veteran
    edited February 2011
    I think a good feature on this forum would be a 'like' link like on Facebook. I would 'like' Cloud's comment.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    nothing is absolute good or bad. But in a context things can be good or bad. At the same time I see where you are confused because the discursive thoughts "I am a loser" "I am too fat" and so forth are just thoughts that you let come and go.

    But that doesn't mean there is no good and bad whether you should murder someone or not. That is called shunyata (emptiness) poison by Trungpa Rinpoche.
  • Inji-gyoInji-gyo
    Cloud put it well, though as I understand Karma is just action and consequence. For instance yelling at your neighbor is the action, raising your blood pressure is the consequence.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited February 2011
    @Inji-gyo, To my understanding karma is the intentional/volitional action alone (thought, speech, or physical action); there's another term for result, and the result isn't necessarily immediate. Karma causes change to our mental trends, leading either toward or away from an awakened state; seeds can be planted and ripen at a later time, in a manner of speaking (setting up the potential for change in the future).
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    Did you search the site for other threads on karma before starting this one?

    :(
  • taiyakitaiyaki Veteran
    karma is cause and effect. clap your hands, where is your karma right now? Lol
  • Inji-gyoInji-gyo
    @Cloud I don't know if you can completely remove the result from the Karma, I've always seen it as the relation. (Though I've been wrong before)
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited February 2011
    @Inji-gyo, Karma is the "cause" in "cause and effect", but it deals only with our intentional thoughts, speech and actions that directly or indirectly lead to wholesome or unwholesome "effects" or results. At least that's the way that it's taught, to my understanding. We all of course see things different ways personally. :)

    The understanding of karma lets us see that we can indeed, through skillful actions, cultivate wholesome conditions for awakening.
  • Inji-gyoInji-gyo
    Ah, I see what you mean Cloud. We're on the same page, we just have different translations.
  • pegembarapegembara Veteran
    Karma is expressed in these 2 verses.

    1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.

    2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.
  • DaozenDaozen Veteran
    Also important to remember: karma is only one part of the overall cause-and-effect system. For example, not everything that happens to us is because of our past actions. Natural disasters and so on fit this category i believe.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    And 'positive' and 'negative' are sometimes inflections and perceptions, or judgements, we impose on others or ourselves, to either justify or condemn what is happening in that moment.
    If we practice seeing things simply as they are, and react to the neutral in an unambiguous and benign way, it won't be as angst-laden....
  • DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
    In Buddhism, I always thought that nothing was positive nor negative, good nor bad. I could be wrong with that idea, but I'm pretty sure thats how many see it to be.

    If that is true... is there negative and positive karma? How can this be? Is one action more negative than another? I just thought that actions were skillful or unskillful? Care to explain karma to me?
    Is that the same concept as good and evil being the same thing?
    I know that "Tao Te Ching," mentions that good and evil is the same thing.
    It is how one approaches it or sees it? Perception perhaps?
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    its kind of like existentialism. We see something as good. We see it as evil. Depending on how confused we are we have more or less accurate discernment. For example you might look back on a mistake you made 5 years ago and see that it was bad. Or see something that you didn't want at the time and see that it is good for you.

    Mindgate I was curious about the absence of good and evil at one time. Looking back on it what I really wanted was to have MY OWN opinion of good and evil and not be force fed it by my parents, teachers, the media, and culture.
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