By: Anthony Strano
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/2762/the-daily-guardian/15
Dated: July 26th, 2025

Karma is the silent and invisible thread of justice running through life. Everyone weaves their own thread over many lives and in interactions with many others. The tapestry of life is made up of the karmic interactions of the eternal actors on this eternal stage of action.

What creates negative karma?

Lack of respect for others, but especially the misuse of something, like money, or the senses, incurs karmic debts.

There are five ways through which negative karma is created: mind, body, relationships, money, and time.

MIND

When caught in the consciousness of "I", "my", "mine", or in conflict with others, the mind creates wasteful and negative thoughts that drain the soul of strength, peace and happiness.

BODY

Misuse of the senses and any organ of the body eventually leads to illnesses and various types of disease. Eating the wrong food, smoking, drinking, all prove very detrimental to health. 

RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships are the cause of both our highest happiness and our deepest sorrow.  However, if the soul misuses others because of selfish desires and motives, then it eventually comes into a state of existence where it feels empty, lonely, dissatisfied. It will not be able to relate to others and, when it does, there will always be some conflict or dissatisfaction. Also, when a person lacks self-respect and a sense of identity, it attaches itself to others, believing that other people will fulfil them. So the slogan we hear nowadays is, "I want, I want, I want" and "I need, I need, I need."  This is the cry of personal emptiness.

MONEY

In itself there is nothing wrong with money, but when people become attached to it, making it the goal of their lives, then problems begin. Self-respect and a sense of purpose in life cannot come from anything external; it is only possible with a consciousness based on spiritual values and criteria. Money is misused not only on a personal level, but countries also use money negatively. When so many billions are used to buy, invent, or use weapons of war, for example, what kind of karma can that create?  Most countries produce much more than for mere defensive purposes because, as with individuals, the condition of fear creates great insecurities which people and countries try to solve in various materialistic ways; inevitably, a materialistic solution is short-term and leaves a void.

TIME

Time is precious. It is said, never leave for tomorrow what you can do today. People who waste time and put things off do not value the opportunity that time is constantly offering so that improvement and development can be made for the self. The constant use of such words as "tomorrow", "perhaps", "maybe", "in the next life", all indicate the reluctance of a person to face himself and their responsibilities.

One thing that one can never get back is time that has passed. The person who understands the power of the "now" (the present) has the ability to change any negative consequences of the past and, with confidence and faith, sees a good future.

3. What creates good karma?

When a person is selfless - free of egocentric desires and ambitions - he is able to create good karma. Selfless action is the basis of personal peace and happiness and good relationships with others.

A person who is spiritually independent - free of materialistic needs and values - is also full of love and respect for the self and others. A soul who is not dependent on the praise or appreciation of what is done, finds his happiness and contentment come from the simple fact that an action is being done in the right way at the right time. A closeness to God, spiritual values and personal experience shows such a soul what "the right" is.

4. Where is karma recorded?

Our accounts, our debts, are recorded in the soul. These recordings then determine where and to whom we are born in every life, what talents we are born with, what handicaps we have, either emotional, mental or physical. This process, of balancing our accounts with others, works automatically, with no interference or direction from God.

5. How is negative karma removed?

Negative karma is cancelled when a soul performs pure action, that is, selfless action. However, at this period in time such selfless action is just about impossible without the co-operation of God. When the soul works with God as an instrument in spiritual service, then such actions are called selfless. When we have yoga with God, the Supreme Soul, then we experience Him as the absolute Purifier, who through His power burns away the many many layers of negative accounts that are stored in the ‘sanskars’. Divine energy directly from the Supreme, together with spiritual service of others, removes our karmic debt. Spiritual service of others means to help others find lasting happiness and peace through realising their own spiritual selves and their eternal relationship with the Supreme. This relationship enables souls to claim their imperishable right to God's qualities - peace, truth, purity, love, and happiness.

 late Anthony Strano was an author 
and Rajyoga teacher with the Brahma Kumaris.