Can bad kamma be... neutralized? No, but...

Re: Can bad kamma be... neutralized?

Post by frank k » Fri Jun 09, 2023 7:45 am

Kidet0 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 3:33 pm...Re: Can bad kamma be... neutralized?

No.
But you can dilute it, by doing way more good deeds than bad over your lifetime.
See AN 3.100, link to sutta here along with many related passages on karma

https://lucid24.org/tped/k/kamma/book/index.html

Realizing what you did wrong in the past and resolving not to do again is important, which you've already done.

Once you've done all of these things:
1. Realizing what you did wrong in the past
2. resolving not to do again
3. Making reparations where it makes sense in whatever way you can is good.
4. following AN 3.100 to dilute bad karma, by doing way more good karma than bad over your lifetime

Then you can rejoice (mudita as part of 7 awakening factors (pīti and pamojja) and as one of the 4 brahmavihāras.
You can rejoice long and frequently, in doing skillful Dharmas that lead to the end of suffering,
and there's no more reason to feel remorse, guilt, negative emotions.

Remorse is only for those who haven't done those 4 things.
It's a totally unproductive waste of energy.

One thing I do every single day, as part of my morning chanting sessions:

1. I pardon and forgive all beings for any past, present, future deeds they've done to wrong me in any way, no matter how heinous the crime.
2. I ask for forgiveness from any deeds towards any beings in the past I've ever done.
Why do I deserve their forgiveness?
See list of 4 things above.
I know what I did was wrong, I haven't done it again since (to the best of my ability).
I've now dedicated my life to Dharma, and I share all the merits of all the good I do with all the beings.
If they were to kill me and take revenge on me now, how would that do any good for the world?
As a way to make reparations for any unresolved karmic debt any being feels I owe them,
I invite them to visit me (if they're a ghost, deva, demon, whatever) in my meditation or in my dreams to
specify what kind of reparation they'd like.
Perhaps they have a friend or relative in my present human state I can help in some way.

I sleep well every night.
I don't have any guilt over wrong things I've done in the past.
I never have bad dreams.

This sutta based techique works, for many many years now I can attest to.

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