karma due to infractions of legal code?

[nathanielfirst]

hello all,
I had a quick question about karma in buddhism and was only wondering if perhaps one accrues negative karma by violating the local laws of the area, like hinduism does -the Laws of Manu - this idea seems mundane and unBuddhist to me but it could be my mistake

 

[LuisDantas]

Karma has nothing to do with law. And it is not really "negative" or "positive". It just is.

 

[Engyo]

hello all,
I had a quick question about karma in buddhism and was only wondering if perhaps one accrues negative karma by violating the local laws of the area, like hinduism does -the Laws of Manu - this idea seems mundane and unBuddhist to me but it could be my mistake

Hi, Nathaniel -

Basically one accrues karma for EVERYTHING one does. As Luis says, karma is not negative or positive. WE put that spin on it, depending on whether we like the effects generated by our karmic causes, our choices of actions and words.

So, doing something that is against local laws WILL generate karma, including the karma of potentially being ticketed or arrested. It's up to you if you consider the karmic effects of your causes negative or positive, but most people I know would consider tickets or arrest to be negative. However, YOU made the causes, so you really can't complain about the effects, since they ARE of your choice and your making.

Ultimately, you are responsible for your life and your happiness, which includes understanding when you might be making choices that contravene local law and custom.