Will we get Bad Karma if our help hurts someone unexpectedly?
Niveditha Krishna asked like this:
“Hare Krishna prabhu. I have a doubt in this regard, A deed done with a good intention of helping a person in distress is actually hurting that person. So do I acquire negative Karma for this action?”
REPLY:
Both helping and hurting involves positive and negative karma if done expecting atleast some appreciation or praise.
It is a general recommendation to help someone only when he specifically asks for a help from you.
(What is the karma for killing animals as a habitual enjoyment? READ HERE!)
For example, if a father arranges the marriage for his daughter, he should ensure that
(i) he has verified the background of the groom;
(ii) he has ensured that his daughter has sufficiently got convinced about that groom without any force.
(iii) his daughter does not have her own choice of groom. If she has chosen a good boy, he should choose him as his son in law. If she has chosen a wrong guy, he should convince her about the real face of her choice.
The above way of performing duties adds good karma.
If the father does not do his duties properly and gives her daughter in marriage to a cheater, that means he has failed to perform his duties properly that adds negative karma for him.
At the same time, if the boy pretends as if he is a good guy and deceives that father and hence that father decides to give his daughter to that guy that leads to the suffering of his daughter later, he will not add negative karma. Because it is the karma of his daughter to suffer in marriage life, and it reduces the negative karma of both the father and daughter. That is why, her father has been made to be cheated by that guy.
(Does Scolding the ailing Patients add karma though scolded with inability? READ HERE!)
Now, see the above cases:
(i) If the father performs his duties as per the recommended practices that gives his daughter a happy life, he gets positive karma.
(ii) If he fails to verify properly because of negligence of duties, that makes his daughter suffer, he acquires negative karma; At the same time, because of that suffering, the negative karma of that daughter comes down;
(iii) If he does his best to verify that guy, but, was cheated by that guy by pretending to be a good guy, that means that father and daughter have also been cheated. This reduces the negative karma of both the father and daughter.
This analysis clearly shows that –
(i) Performing our duties PROPERLY gives positive (good) karma;
(ii) Negligence of duties or abandoning the duties add negative karma.
(iii) Performing the duties as properly as possible, but, it hurts someone means, it reduces the negative karma of both the father and suffering daughter for getting cheated.
(What is the Right way of facing the Punishments by Krishna thru Karma? READ HERE!)
Let us now analyse your question based on the above explanation:
If you help someone with real good intention that gives good life to a person, it adds good karma for you.
If you help someone with real good intention but that hurts that person unexpectedly, it does not add negative karma to you.
If you hurt someone willingly, knowing that your act will hurt him, it gives negative karma to you.
So, as a result –
Only intentionally causing the suffering to someone will be added in your negative karma basket.
Unintentionally giving sufferings will be forgiven though it hurts someone and you will not be punished.
If you still have some fear and want to get convinced, for your satisfaction, you may seek pardon of that person to whom you helped and if possible, prove your good intentions.
This will nullify any trace of karma you add by hurting someone when you tried to help him.
(Can black tongue persons transfer their karma to others through Curse? READ HERE!)
Another recommendation is that we should help someone only when he seeks our help. We should try to avoid helping someone without being asked.
For example, your son compels you to buy a bike for him.
If you buy and give him even before he becomes fully experienced and qualified in driving, it adds negative karma for you if he dies or suffers in an accident while using the bike. If you give a bike after he becomes qualified and experienced in driving, it won’t add negative karma to you even if he dies or is injured in any accident.
Therefore, perform your duties as properly as possible without moral and legal violations to avoid adding negative karma.
If you accept a duty, do it properly.
This will avoid negative karma for you.
NOTE:
If you help someone with no expectations including fame, you will not add either good karma or bad karma. Karma comes into the picture only when we perform something for our benefit or for getting praised.
In a nutshell, expectation of something from an action gives negative or positive karma.
Action without expectations, ie, Nishkam activities do not add karma.
Hope you are clear whether we get Bad Karma if our help hurts someone unexpectedly.
(Why our problems continue even after initiation if guru accepts our karma? READ HERE!)