What are some ways to avoid getting negative karma while doing something good?

While doing something good, even before we realize, the subtle ego of, “I am doing something good’ creeps in into our being. And then, as we interact with people, the ego is constantly fed with internal assertions of, ‘I am so good, yes, I am very good, I am indeed the best!’, which leads one to believe that, ‘I am better than others.’ Consequently, it takes no time for the false pride to develop.

The characteristics of false pride are such that one naturally begins to shun others, he neglects others’ contribution in the task-at-hand, disregards peers’ views and opinions, turns a blind eye to others’ strengths, virtues and achievements and tends to establish his control over everyone and everything around him. Overall, he is rude and high-handed in his mannerisms with people at large. This is because with every passing day, the arrogance of “I am something and I know everything” is constantly growing within him, with the growth in his false pride. Having such dominating attitude, when even the slightest thing doesn’t happen according to how he wants it to be, he goes wild with anger. His greed to have things his way and to be prime and dominant in every way draws him into conducting deceitful practices without any hesitation.

So, while we all set out to do something good with an intention that is initially very good and positive, eventually, anger-pride-deceit-greed soil our intention so much so that they drag us into the swamp of negative karma.

Now, what are some ways to avoid getting negative karma while doing something good?

1. Reduce your ego to the smallest. Be laghutam (humblest in true meaning of the word)

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, an enlightened being, explains:

“Everyone has a desire to be gurutam (the biggest). Everyone wants gurutam (superiority). When they get the slightest of respect, they are happy and their gurutam (superiority) increases. They want liberation and yet they become gurutam. Now isn’t that a contradiction? That is a sign for wandering for countless lives because all those who have tried to be gurutam in the worldly life, have fallen. They all get trapped. Tell me, did they get trapped or not?

Only those who became laghutam (humble and modest, one with least ego) were able to swim (through the ocean of life). This path is not for those who want to be gurutam (superiormost). Those who try to be gurutam take a beating and in the end become senseless, and create obstacles on their path to liberation. Have the inner intent of beings small - then the obstacles will all go away… The obstacles arose from the inner intent of wanting to be gurutam and with intent of becoming laghutam, they will all go away.

What do you need gurutam for? What is the advantage of it? The higher one goes, the harder he falls. Instead, what is wrong with staying at the bottom? Then there will be no problems! Your bliss will remain with you and when it is time for your liberation, the element of motion will automatically take you there; you do not have to do anything. So be laghutam and everything will be resolved.

Whose fault is it if people bind karma of a life in the animal kingdom by trying to become gurutam? They try to be gurutam (superiority) where they should be laghutam (humblest), and consequently they increase their number of legs; they go from two legs to four and they even get a tail (subsequent birth in the animal kingdom)! This is because in the gurutam state, their certain actions cause them to bind such karmas, due to which in the next life, they will have two extra legs and a tail. Whereas with the laghutam belief, whatever you do will be done wonderfully!

God will definitely come to you if you take up the laghutam yog (union with laghutam). People are all in the gurutam yoga (union of gurutam) in this world. ‘I am greater than him, I am greater than them…’ Why don’t you start being smaller? He who becomes laghutam in worldly life, becomes gurutam in the realm of the Self, and thus God becomes very pleased with him. So be laghutam!”

2. Understand the science behind how things happen in this world

In anything that we do, try and study how ‘when circumstances get together, only then the work gets done’. Take a very simple example of you making a cup of tea, and thus study how every little process of it is actually the result of circumstances (evidences of vessel, gas, milk, water, sugar, etc.) coming together. This is the great law of Nature! It is due to our intellect that we feel ‘the other person is not doing things correctly and only I can do them right.’ But when we use our intelligence in doing the above-mentioned study, we soon come to know that “there is actually no need to do egoism that ‘I’ have done this good work, for I am not the sole doer; and if bad outcome may come, there is no need for me to blame anyone, for the bad outcome also is owing to lack of circumstances coming together, the other person is not at fault.”

3. Resolve not to hurt anybody

There’s no harm in doing good, provided we do not hurt anyone by our undue insistence, expectations or blame on people. For this, every morning, let’s pray to God, ‘May no living be caused slightest hurt through any of my thoughts, words or actions.’ Repeat this five times daily.

4. Attain Self Realization (Gnan)

Once we attain Self Realization, no karma is bound, negative or positive, as we realize that, “I am really pure Soul and my nature is only to see and know.” And when we take Gnan, the core belief of “I am the doer” from which negative karma arises is demolished.

https://www.dadabhagwan.org/self-realization/ - Try this link to attain Self-Realization very easily and effortlessly, directly with the grace of Gnani!!!