Different ways of adding karma and Tips for preventing it!
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare krishna prabhu ji, There are many things we do in our daily lives that generate a huge amount of karma. HH bhakti vikas swami Maharaj says that whenever we switch on the button of bulb or fan in our homes, we get the karma of those thousands of labours in coal mine who are working hard to mine coal in hazardous conditions to generate electricity for this ultra comfortable society, they often die early due to getting cancer or other problems, So we get karma of them and their family’s sufferings. Same Internet towers kill Birds in wholesale due to strong 5g Signals. So we should stop using electricity as much as possible and shift to farms , as per varnashrama project happening under his guidance. But this simply seems impractical and creates anxiety. Whole society and economy is running on electricity and computers and industry machines. Similarly, A large no. of students and offices use paper, which is made by cutting trees, this also incur karma. We eat packed food, oil, and spices that contain preservatives that mostly contain meat only, but companies never tellit and we can never be sure of it. So the question was that there are so many things like this which we don’t even know and have to use and consume due to societal and practical reasons. But laws of karma are non-living and they may punish us for these unknowing sins also whether we know or not. So what could be the ultimate result of this Society in terms of these heavy karmas and how they will be balanced in future lives? we are practically forced to indulge in them. Is chanting hare Krsna, and using paper, electricity only for Krsna’s service, preaching and printing books only ways to avoid them? Thank you.”
REPLY:
Oh, you are thinking more, it seems. But, they are genuine doubts only.
However, whatever you have written adds karma for everyone of us. There are different ways of adding karma!
And you yourself have the solution as mentioned in the message.
But, whatever you have written are forgivable karma that can be forgiven just by chanting a round or two of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.
Only the planned and willful sins add to our karma account.
(Will the investors get Negative Karma for Company’s wrong acts? READ HERE!)
Let us see the karmic effects of the activities you have mentioned:
(1) HH bhakti vikas swami Maharaj says that whenever we switch on the button of bulb or fan in our homes, we get the karma of those thousands of labours in coal mine who are working hard to mine coal in hazardous conditions to generate electricity for this ultra comfortable society, they often die early due to getting cancer or other problems, So we get karma of them and their family’s sufferings.
This is a forgivable karma thru chanting, because we are not willfully and directly doing it.
Producing the electricity involves karma. It is shared by the labourers, owners and the users.
Among them, the labourers work after getting their salary.
They are compensated by their owners for their labour. And, those labourers work under their boss willfully.
If the owner pays them very less and enjoying huge profits, then, that owner adds karma of getting extra labour and paying less salary.
The common people will be forgiven from the severity of karma because they did not employ the labourers.
When a devotee uses that electricity to lead his life dedicated to serve Krishna, we will not add karma.
Any act done for the benefit of ourselves add karma. Any act done for Krishna does not add karma.
(Is taking disciplinary action on employees & Students adds Karma? READ HERE!)
(2) Same Internet towers kill Birds in wholesale due to strong 5g Signals. So we should stop using electricity as much as possible and shift to farms , as per varnashrama project happening under his guidance. But this simply seems impractical and creates anxiety. Whole society and economy is running on electricity and computers and industry machines.
When we live for Krishna, using electricity to serve Krishna better will not add karma to you.
The karma added for using electricity and internet for material purposes will be less because the 5G towers are used by the companies after getting the license from the government. We are nothing to do with that.
The farmers die because of hot sun while working. Will we be punished for being part of their death because we consume the grains produced by them by giving their life?
Yes, eating the grains add some karma of the farmers, rice mill workers, rice seller, etc. So, we offer that food to Krishna and hence that food is purified from the karma.
Similarly, when we live to serve Krishna and use electricity and 5G or any G for serving Krishna, our usage is freed from karma.
Even using a part of our earnings for the service of Krishna, our earnings will be purified from karma it involves.
So, the solution is: Live for Krishna.
(3) Similarly, A large no. of students and offices use paper, which is made by cutting trees, this also incur karma.
Srila Prabhupada’s BBT publishes crores of sheets of paper. Since they use tons of paper for preaching Krishna Consciousness and spreading literatures, such a usage is not karmic.
Similarly, live for Krishna and use paper for Krishna. Forget about karma.
(If a devotee votes and selects wrong rulers, will it add karma to him? READ HERE!)
(4) We eat packed food, oil, and spices that contain preservatives that mostly contain meat only, but companies never tell it and we can never be sure of it. So the question was that there are so many things like this which we don’t even know and have to use and consume due to societal and practical reasons. But laws of karma are non-living and they may punish us for these unknowing sins also whether we know or not.
So what could be the ultimate result of this Society in terms of these heavy karmas and how they will be balanced in future lives? we are practically forced to indulge in them.
Use only the food materials that are clearly vegetarian. Don’t buy frozen foods with preservatives.
Buying as spicy powders, we ourselves can buiy individual items, mgrind and prepare spice powders.
If you buy readymade idly-dosa mix, the producers might have used Yeast. So, buy rice, grind it and prepare idly-dosa.
Instead of buying readymade pickles, buy lemons, chillies, oil, etc and prepare pickles at home for short term use.
Thus, we can live without using readymade frozen foods. Instead of preparing the foods at home, if we buy readymade foods from the shops and hotels, we add karma willingly.
So, prepare everything at home, offer to Krishna and honour it. This will not add karma, but will purify you and will take you closer to Krishna.
(Does Scolding the ailing Patients add karma though scolded helplessly? READ HERE!)
So, the ultimate truth is:
We will always be safe if we carefully choose and use the materials in the service of Krishna, because we will not add karma, but will add abundant mercy of Krishna.
Live for Krishna means, should we not marry?
Not so. The marriage should be to serve the Lord together with the spouse and children.
Whether you marry or not, your life should be lived for Krishna either alone or along with the spouse and children. That’s all.
Keep serving the Lord. Forget about the karma of any form.
Karma is a material phenomena.
Hope you are clear about different ways of adding karma and preventing it!
(Does freely using Pirated Softwares & Games add karma to us? READ HERE!)