Is Doing Good Karma expecting a Good life accepted as Good Karma?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
Hare Krishna Guruji. I hope you are doing well. I am a college student and I have come to know that doing good karmas ensures good birth in the next life. If someone does good karma with the intention to get a good life , will that karma be considered good?
REPLY:
Yes, Sure.
The terms “Good and or Karma” itself means, performing any action with expectation only.
Doing Good karma WITH EXPECTATION is possible and accepted as Good karma only.
(Why double rewards in heavens and next birth for Good karma? READ HERE!)
If you help someone in an intention of adding good karma and get good next birth, it is also good karma because your activity has done good for the beneficiary.
Any activity with attachment to results and fame, is called karma.
If it is a good activity, it is good karma.
If it is a bad activity, it is bad karma.
If you help a poor boy to pay his school fees expecting the praise from him and his parents and others, still it is good karma only.
But, it will lead to rebirth and you will be rewarded with good material life in the next birth.
However, if you help the same boy secretly without expecting any returns or benefits or praise, it is called Nishkam karma, ie, karma without expectations.
This Nishkam karma is also good karma without any reactions but it will take you closer to the God.
(Is karma the cause for being a good or bad person? READ HERE!)
Why?
Because you helped him without expectations and hence you need not get attached and hence you need not take rebirth to face the reactions of that good karma.
So, Good karma with expectation gives rebirth to face the good reactions of that good karma.
Bad karma too has expectations.
For example, someone may kill someone expecting to get the wealth of the deceased person.
This is one angle.
There is another angle also.
If one performs his assigned duties that are not prohibited duties, it won’t add karma for the performer.
(DO WE NEED GOOD KARMA TO CHANT EFFECTIVELY? READ HERE!)
For example, if a soldier kill another soldier in the war field, he won’t incur negative karma as it is his assigned duty.
But, if the same soldier kills another soldier at his home, ie, outside the war field, he adds negative karma because it is not his assigned duty.
Therefore, we should know the following:
(i) Both Good and Bad Karma involves expectation of some benefits or fame that add Good and Bad reactions.
(ii) If a karma does not involve expectations, it is Nishkam karma that does not add any reactions. Such Nishkam karma is recommended for the devotees of Krishna.
(iii) If you do any karma for the pleasure of the Lord Krishna, it is not a karma at all, but it is a service to Krishna that will give Krishna Himself.
Hope you are now very clear that even doing Good Karma expecting a Good life is also accepted as Good Karma.
(Is Good karma nullifying Bad Karma possible? READ HERE!)