<p>In my tradition we recognize three ways to do repentance.</p>

<p>On the basic level, we should feel ashamed and guilty, tell someone about our misdeed, then decide not to repeat same mistake. Then stop beating ourselves about it, since that only makes things worse after certain point. </p>

<p>On the medium level, we should understand that our mistake was because of a particular delusion or reification that manifested as some sort of attachment, which then produced the behavior. We should make an effort to really see our preconception or overgeneralization or attachment that gave rise to the misdeed, and make an effort to let go of it. </p>

<p>On the highest level, repentance consists in simply recovering the stable and pure state of mind and staying in that.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-19T20:08:51.893Z
2018-02-19T20:08:51.893Z
Andriy Volkov
<p>Revisiting your past bad deeds with wisdom and determining not to repeat is good Karma. Regretting your past actions is bad Karma.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-19T17:50:31.117Z
2018-02-19T17:50:31.117Z
Sankha Kulathantille
<p>Always chethana(thought) is the karma. The thought when you are yelling already brought you a karma. If you are going to think about it again in a good way or bad you just sum up new karma. Every thought belongs to one of six fundamental thoughts loba, dhwesha, moha, aloba, adhwesha ,amoha.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-25T17:32:00.853Z
2018-03-25T17:32:00.853Z
Gihan Gamage
<p>The Parable of the Salt Crystal from the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ati/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.099.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lonaphala Sutta</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"Suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into a small amount of
  water in a cup. What do you think? Would the water in the cup become
  salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?"</p>
  
  <p>"Yes, lord. Why is that? There being only a small amount of water in
  the cup, it would become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit
  to drink."</p>
  
  <p>"Now suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into the River
  Ganges. What do you think? Would the water in the River Ganges become
  salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?"</p>
  
  <p>"No, lord. Why is that? There being a great mass of water in the River
  Ganges, it would not become salty because of the salt crystal or unfit
  to drink."</p>
  
  <p>"In the same way, there is the case where a trifling evil deed done by
  one individual [the first] takes him to hell; and there is the case
  where the very same sort of trifling deed done by the other individual
  is experienced in the here &amp; now, and for the most part barely appears
  for a moment.</p>
  
  <p>'Now, a trifling evil act done by what sort of individual takes him to
  hell? There is the case where a certain individual is undeveloped in [contemplating]
  the body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind [i.e., painful
  feelings can invade the mind and stay there], undeveloped in
  discernment: restricted, small-hearted, dwelling with suffering.   A
  trifling evil act done by this sort of individual takes him to hell.</p>
  
  <p>'Now, a trifling evil act done by what sort of individual is
  experienced in the here &amp; now, and for the most part barely appears
  for a moment? <strong>There is the case where a certain individual is
  developed in [contemplating] the body, developed in virtue, developed in mind [i.e.,
  painful feelings cannot invade the mind and stay there], developed in
  discernment: unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the
  immeasurable. A trifling evil act done by this sort of individual is
  experienced in the here &amp; now, and for the most part barely appears
  for a moment.</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>And more explanation in <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ati/tipitaka/mn/mn.036.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN36</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"And how is one developed in body and developed in mind? There is the
  case where a pleasant feeling arises in a well-educated disciple of
  the noble ones. On being touched by the pleasant feeling, he doesn't
  become impassioned with pleasure, and is not reduced to being
  impassioned with pleasure. His pleasant feeling ceases. With the
  cessation of the pleasant feeling there arises a painful feeling. On
  being touched with the painful feeling, he doesn't sorrow, grieve, or
  lament, beat his breast or becomes distraught. When that pleasant
  feeling had arisen in him, it didn't invade his mind and remain
  because of his development of the body. When that painful feeling had
  arisen in him, it didn't invade his mind and remain because of his
  development of the mind. This is how one is developed in body and
  developed in mind."</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-24T03:26:59.160Z
2018-03-24T03:26:59.160Z
ruben2020
<p>Suppose I yell at a person and I hold a belief like: "I made a mistake and I try my best not to repeat that fault again" vs "I'm such a bad person for doing that bad deed. I should feel ashamed of myself" then the kamma is completely based on my sincere beliefs I hold about the situation and the less anger, greed and delusion they have the better the karmic results, right? </p>

<karma><belief>
Karma and one's own belief about the event
# Karma and one's own belief about the event

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-02-19)

Suppose I yell at a person and I hold a belief like: "I made a mistake and I try my best not to repeat that fault again" vs "I'm such a bad person for doing that bad deed. I should feel ashamed of myself" then the kamma is completely based on my sincere beliefs I hold about the situation and the less anger, greed and delusion they have the better the karmic results, right?

**Tags:** karma, belief


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-02-19. Score: 3

In my tradition we recognize three ways to do repentance.

On the basic level, we should feel ashamed and guilty, tell someone about our misdeed, then decide not to repeat same mistake. Then stop beating ourselves about it, since that only makes things worse after certain point.

On the medium level, we should understand that our mistake was because of a particular delusion or reification that manifested as some sort of attachment, which then produced the behavior. We should make an effort to really see our preconception or overgeneralization or attachment that gave rise to the misdeed, and make an effort to let go of it.

On the highest level, repentance consists in simply recovering the stable and pure state of mind and staying in that.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2018-02-19. Score: 1

Revisiting your past bad deeds with wisdom and determining not to repeat is good Karma. Regretting your past actions is bad Karma.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-03-25. Score: 0

Always chethana(thought) is the karma. The thought when you are yelling already brought you a karma. If you are going to think about it again in a good way or bad you just sum up new karma. Every thought belongs to one of six fundamental thoughts loba, dhwesha, moha, aloba, adhwesha ,amoha.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-03-24. Score: 0

The Parable of the Salt Crystal from the [Lonaphala Sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ati/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.099.than.html):

> "Suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into a small amount of
> water in a cup. What do you think? Would the water in the cup become
> salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?"
>
> "Yes, lord. Why is that? There being only a small amount of water in
> the cup, it would become salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit
> to drink."
>
> "Now suppose that a man were to drop a salt crystal into the River
> Ganges. What do you think? Would the water in the River Ganges become
> salty because of the salt crystal, and unfit to drink?"
>
> "No, lord. Why is that? There being a great mass of water in the River
> Ganges, it would not become salty because of the salt crystal or unfit
> to drink."
>
> "In the same way, there is the case where a trifling evil deed done by
> one individual [the first] takes him to hell; and there is the case
> where the very same sort of trifling deed done by the other individual
> is experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears
> for a moment.
>
> 'Now, a trifling evil act done by what sort of individual takes him to
> hell? There is the case where a certain individual is undeveloped in [contemplating]
> the body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind [i.e., painful
> feelings can invade the mind and stay there], undeveloped in
> discernment: restricted, small-hearted, dwelling with suffering. A
> trifling evil act done by this sort of individual takes him to hell.
>
> 'Now, a trifling evil act done by what sort of individual is
> experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears
> for a moment? **There is the case where a certain individual is
> developed in [contemplating] the body, developed in virtue, developed in mind [i.e.,
> painful feelings cannot invade the mind and stay there], developed in
> discernment: unrestricted, large-hearted, dwelling with the
> immeasurable. A trifling evil act done by this sort of individual is
> experienced in the here & now, and for the most part barely appears
> for a moment.**

And more explanation in [MN36](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/ati/tipitaka/mn/mn.036.than.html):

> "And how is one developed in body and developed in mind? There is the
> case where a pleasant feeling arises in a well-educated disciple of
> the noble ones. On being touched by the pleasant feeling, he doesn't
> become impassioned with pleasure, and is not reduced to being
> impassioned with pleasure. His pleasant feeling ceases. With the
> cessation of the pleasant feeling there arises a painful feeling. On
> being touched with the painful feeling, he doesn't sorrow, grieve, or
> lament, beat his breast or becomes distraught. When that pleasant
> feeling had arisen in him, it didn't invade his mind and remain
> because of his development of the body. When that painful feeling had
> arisen in him, it didn't invade his mind and remain because of his
> development of the mind. This is how one is developed in body and
> developed in mind."


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