Are Bad thoughts also sinful though I do not do them in action?
Actual Question:
how to avoid creating bad and sinful Karmas through thoughts and imagination…. is these kinds of karma creates as dreadful results as sin created through actions…. I usually think and imagine which I should not …. it has just become a habit of me…. I want to get rid of it….. please hide my name
REPLY:
Definitely. Even Bad thoughts also sinful though we do not do them in action.
Just thinking of sinful acts also adds to karma.
Because he is called as pretender by Krishna in Bhagavad Gita.
(20 POWERFUL TIPS TO CONTROL THOUGHTS ON OPPOSITE GENDER AND GO CLOSER TO KRISHNA! READ HERE!)
In Chapter-3, Sloka-6, the Lord Says:
“One who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.”
What does this mean?
It is not sufficient to just abandon the sinful actions done practically through the senses. He should also not think of bad thoughts within mind. Otherwise, he is a pretender. That means, he is showing himself as a disciplined person, but, he is doing sinful acts within mind.
Why Bad thoughts are also sinful?
Because, such persons will one day fall down by committing such sins even by physical means.
(How to engage our mind, thoughts and actions for Krishna? READ HERE!)
Let a boy is always thinking of having pleasures with the girls within mind but does not disturb them. Because of this domination of bad thoughts, he will become restless whenever he sees girls. His mind will keep on inducing his senses to implement these bad thoughts in actions.
He will control the mind and senses forcibly. Since the mind and the senses are in induced state, his mind will not actively involve in productive acts such as studies, job goal, etc.
The nature of mind is that it will give more importance for the thoughts of temporary pleasures that are more attractive. That is why, we see a T.V Program or movie very eagerly and we forget our surroundings while watching them.
(I FEEL GUILTY OF MAKING SHOW AS DEVOTEE. HOW TO CORRECT? READ HERE!)
Since the studies need more efforts and the thoughts of girls are very powerful with no limits, his mind will naturally think of girls only even when he sees a text book.
Thus, he will not do well in studies though he has all the talents.
The serious aspect of thinking of bad thoughts is, THE MIND WILL NOT STOP INDUCING YOUR SENSES UNTIL YOU DO THAT ACT IN ACTION.
Therefore, when an opportunity comes for us to remain with a girl in privacy, the mind will induce us to talk to her to know her readiness to involve in physical interaction.
If she is also in an induced condition because she was also dreaming of boys, then, the interaction happens as they are weak to avoid it. The senses are that much powerful to involve us in all kinds of sinful acts.
(I, an initiated male devotee committed sexual violation with my co-staff, violating guru. What to do? READ HERE!)
One may be willing to enjoy the properties of his father now itself since his father’s life is going long. He will first demand the share of his properties from his father again and again. When the father refuses to share the properties, the mind of that son reminds him the thoughts of a movie in which a son killed his father for his properties. These thoughts get strongly recorded in his mind. However, he will not dare to kill his father because of his some good nature also.
When the property issue becomes serious between that son and the father, the mind again induces that son to make use of this opportunity to finish his father. Since the son will be very angry after the arguments, he will suddenly take something available and attack his father to death.
Why this happened? Because he allowed such thoughts in his mind. The mind did its work perfectly by reminding and inducing him. So, he commits a great sin of killing his father himself.
Now, I hope you have understood why Krishna has advised us not to allow sinful and bad thoughts because the mind will always be looking for an opportunity to make us commit that sinful act in action.
(Is it sinful to kill insects like cockroaches, mosquitos, snakes, ants, etc? READ HERE!)
Therefore, engage your mind in higher thoughts like Self realization, God realization, studies, coming up in life, etc. Avoid longing for anything seriously and adopt the nature of giving up the desire when something is not achievable by you, etc.
Develop a ‘duty bound’ nature and concentrate in performing your duties without any desire of benefits. Just take efforts for a good cause. Leave the results to the Lord. Whatever you get, accept it as Krishna’s Prasadam.
Always engaged in some useful thoughts and actions including chanting, reading about Krishna, etc.
This will protect you from Bad thoughts that are also sinful though we do not do them in action.
Hope you are clear now.
(Also read this: Memories of my past sins disturb my present life. What to do? READ HERE!)