How do you know that an action, or inaction, is a good one or a bad one?

Question

How to differenciate right from wrong?
What must we consider when evaluating an action/inaction?
Should I consider my own benefits?
Or the benefits for my family?
And what about the benefits toward my groups (sports, job, school, city, nation, race, religion, style, any group to which I may belong, temporary or not)?
And the benefits for the Mankind... must also be considered?
What about if I consider all these questions at the same time? Would it make it easier to decide if an action/inaction is a good one?
But, what if it goes against my principles, my ideals, my moral, my sactisfaction... would it still be a good one? Is this also something to consider?
And if it hurts other living beings? Would it be important to have this in mind before acting/non-acting?
And what about if my action/inaction hurts Matter, Energy, Space and Time? Would it still be a good one?
And regarding God or Infinity, or Supreme Being, Alah, Jehovah, Eternity,... you name it; should I consider it?

The question is asked in the Spiritual sense. And of course any action/inaction produces a result.

The details are just to help me to put the question including all the possible ways to look at it. The question remains: How to say if it is a good action/inaction?

The two last questions:
Would anybody with a good sense aprove if I would polute rivers and air and Oceans? This wozuld be hurting Matter, as weel as if I would go out braking windows, cars, sign-posts... If I would live the cook and the lights on..., this wuld be hurting Energy; if I would be home doing nothing, just spend my Time and maybe even make you to waste your Time... would you aprove? would it be a good action? And if I misuse Space like puting order in a way that nobody else could use a comon Space, this would it be a good action? If I would allow somebody else to do it... would it be a good inaction?

The very Last Question:
What about if I create such a Nuclear Device that it would end all God's creattion? Or, to be a little more spiritual... What if I start convince REALYY CONVINCE people that their God is not a good one that they should stop that crap and turn to my belief that my god woud be called ETERNITY for instance.

By the way I believe God is NEUTRAL. He is just God. He is not good, He is not Bad. He is just GOD. Just God!!!

I did not ask where can I find the answers... I wuld like to know if you agree with me and if, thinking the way I think, would be the best.

Regarding some anwers from Budhist people, I admire your philosophy. However as you put it, I shouldn't hurt anybody. This is not totaly correct coz if I have a brother who i.e. assaults the houses of your family and friends, I have to hurt him by stoping him weather calling the Police or taking some other action. If somebody points me a gun, I have to defend myself maybe killing him (this happens when one goes to war). These, I think, are not wrong doings.

This is hurting somebody else. Of course I think you mean a person of good will, but because you didn't say it I thought that you meant EVERYBODY else.

One asks a question, a quite detailed one and what does one get? 'Read the Bible.'
You know what?Tthe Bible has too many ways of being understood. Dependes on the individual, on his faith, his perspective...

I have or I know a way to attain a higher spiritual satus. How to get to a Higher status is not the question. The question remains unanswered. How does one know for sure that an action/inaction is a good one or a bad one??? It has nothing to do with what is written in sacred books. It is a very objective one and it may be considered Universal. Should one consider the first questions in the details or not. If I consider all those questions before acting, am I sure that I will commit a good action or could it end up being a wrong action? This is what I want to know. Not about philosofies or sacred books, or what God tells you to do. I want to know if I could independentely find a way to, by myself, cause only GOOD.

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses consider the Bible to be the only infallible inspired means of determining God's will and purposes.

Jehovah's Witnesses consider the Holy Scriptures as the final word in all matters of worship, and actually encourage their adherents to elevate the bible over the human traditions which pass as worship for too many humans.

(Matthew 15:3,9) [Jesus] said to them: “Why is it you also overstep the commandment of God because of your tradition? ...It is in vain that they keep worshiping [God], because they teach commands of men as doctrines.

(Mark 7:8) Letting go the commandment of God, you hold fast the tradition of men.

(Colossians 2:8) Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ

Answer 2

Neemai108 is totally correct, the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna deals with every aspect you have outlined and more. However, the results of various actions given by Shri Krishna deal for the most part with ordinary human beings while at the same time He tries to encourage all to follow a path where all Karmas produced are nullified. This requires a human being to attain their self realisation and become one with the Great Lord (Attain Yoga) and just reading a scripture may not give you this experience.

The reason so many fail to follow this path is that the “Knowing” Shri Krishna refers to, is not an intellectual recognition but a spiritual recognition on the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. An intellectual recognition gives only a limited ability to express an opinion, which as we all know just gives you factions, sects and the diverse religions mankind seeks to promote and control that we see today. It also fails to attain Yoga and therefore brings no transformation to the awareness of the individual.

One therefore needs to have self realisation at the outset and then to progress to the stage Shri Krishna recommends. Within every human being there is a residual dormant energy that lies at the base of the spine in the Sacrum bone. (Sacrum – Greek meaning Sacred). When awakened it passes up the spinal column and pierces the fontanel bone (at the top of the head, soft spot on babies). It then manifests as a cool breeze on the hands and head when the subtle system is in balance. The individual may then ask any fundamental question and if it is true the flow of coolness increases if it is false they stop or become hot. With practice you can then verify if a news report on TV or in newspapers is true or not. More importantly if there is God or that Jesus was the Son of God and that Muhammed was a Prophet. The very expression that we use when something is good, “cool” has come from the collective unconscious.

As we said the first step is called self realisation and this is exactly what occurred to Lord Buddha, he became an enlightened being which enabled his attention to reach more sublime insights into life. So one can see it is not exclusively Islamic, Christian, Hindu or Buddhist but is a universal living process.

As it is a living process no belief is required but one must approach the phenomenon with an open mind and then like a scientist evaluate the results with total honesty. If one chooses to forgo the opportunity that is also your right it is not something that can be forced upon anyone.

This process can be achieved easily and most major cities now have local centres where one can experience meeting others in this state of being. [One could say a state of Gnosis from the Greek “To Know”. Again remembering the knowing is beyond the mind and intellect and is felt in the heart or on the central nervous system and we guess that’s why they were termed as mystics]. This year is the 250th anniversary of the Great William Blake and as this Great Seer, Poet and Prophet proclaimed ~ All Religions are one.

The first three books on the following list will give more than enough information for you to attain self realisation and where and how to progress.

Answer 3

A very good well posited question.

Our lives are made up of a series of vignettes or moments in which we deal with other Beings. It is in these moments where we are required to make decisions which affect the outcome of these interactions. It is here where we can decide if the outcome will be positive, negative or neutral.

In considering these outcomes we should strive for a positive outcome for the other Beings first and disregard any outcome at all for ourselves. In this way our first thoughts will always be for others and never for ourselves so ensuring positive Karma for ourselves and a flow on effect in positive consequence and therefore positive Karma for others. These positive consequences will have effects long after the encounter and we have therefore ensured those effects and consequences are always positive, a good outcome don't you think...?

Any thoughts or actions which are self centred or selfish in the first instance should be discarded as these wil always lead to negative consequence and therefore negative Karma, at worst case we should aim for a neutral outcome, never a negative one for other Beings.

In cases where a decision has to be made regarding our family then their happiness takes priority over ourselves in the same manner, however if it means that another will take some happiness from our family then it will mean a family decision and it is not our personal responsibility but a group decision. We should never take responsibility when a positive consequencial decision is taken by our family, it is their positive Karma and not ours to take from them.

If a decision will result in hurting another Being then it is to be avoided. Our purpose is to rid others of suffering, never cause it or be the cause of it.

I hope this helps you in some way.

Peace from a Buddhist

Answer 4

In the past, there was a Ch'an master who had three disciples. One day, two of them got into a heated argument. One of them went to the Master, stated his case and asked if he was right or not. The Master replied: "Yes, you are right." The monk then went back outside and told the other two monks. The other monk who had participated in the argument didn't believe him and went to see the Master himself. After stating his argument, the Master told him that he was correct. Upon hearing this the third monk was confused, thinking it's impossible that both monks are right. Thereupon, he also went to see the Master and asked: "Isn't one right and the other wrong." The Master replied: "Yes, you are right." The three monks then went to see the master to ask how it was possible for all three of them to be right. Had he made a mistake? No, all of them had been right.
This story illustrates that it is meaningless to get into any kind of argument. In this world, there is no absolute truth. From the Buddhist point of view everything in the world is impermanent and conditioned and therefore can only be considered from a comparative or relative point of view. When we judge one thing to be better than another we always do so from a relative or comparative standpoint. The Enlightened mind, which sees things as they really are, does not attach to any particular thing as being the absolute truth nor does it reject any particular thing as not being the absolute truth.

Answer 5

These very precise questions, which have obviously had a great deal of thought put into them, have a very simple answer. YOUR CONSCIENCE. This is the thing that guides your actions or inactions. If at the end of each day you can state, truthfully, to yourself that you have acted in good conscience through any action or inaction that you have taken that is all you can do. You have to live with yourself and if you have a clear conscience that is a step in the right direction.

Answer 6

Obama's inactions are worse. they haven't to any extent further some thing to do with too little journey. those who're too experienced would no longer be in a position to make sure innovative ideas or be a lot less prepared to disrupt the prestige quo. Obama has did not make reliable and campaign resources on healthcare and power. interior the intervening time, he has did not adhere to by on final Guantanamo Bay completely or wrestle torture. he's not what we requested for.

Answer 7

Actually you will find all the answers for all those questions in one book. Its considered a hindu book, but it addresses humanity. It addresses all the questions that you asked. Its called The Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God).

In the synopsis, Arjuna, a warrior prince is faced this same delima where he is forced to confront in battle his own family. he places these same questions of what are ethics, what is duty, what is benificial, and what is action, what is inaction, what is of benifit. And eventually asks about the secrets of the universe, the nature of God and the divine. and how the individual self is related to the universe. What is our place in the unvierse, how do our actions have an effect on it, how are we effected by our actions, what is the cause of action. Its all in there. The answers are given by Krishna, who Hindus consider to be God incarnate. You dont have to believe in him to accept what he teaches. What he teaches is innate to anyone, and everyone, no matter what they believe in. We are all Arjunas in our own battle field, confronted with problems in life, and a problem with our identity. The Bhagavad Gita is an honest effort to answer those questions.

Its only 700 verses, so considerably shorter than other scriptures and teachings. So it wouldnt even take you long to read it.

In Arjunas case he is faced with a personal delima of whether he should fight against his own family. Thats a hard decision. For most people, going against your family, is a personal moral violation. But at the same time, his family was in moral violation with society. So there are alot of complications on what should be taken into consideration. So the question would be, should he fight? or not? He was of the kingly warrior caste, hence it was his duty to protect society, its morals. He asks is his personal duty to his family greater? or is his duty to society and the unvierse greater? He also deals with action and inaction. He felt that inaction, not doing anything would be benifiical, but Krishna shows even that has problems.

It is definately a moral guidebook, and answers all the questions you asked. I think you should check it out. Hope it helps.

There are translations of it available, almost thousands. So if you went on amazon and typed up Bhagavad Gita, youd get alot of hits. There are also some online versions, so google it too, they are free.

And as you discover youd be suprised that great personalities like Thoreau, Emerson, Gandhi, Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Max Muller, even Ben Franklin all turned to this book for guidiance and answers in times of need. So its certainly very valuable.

And i stress, its not important that its categorized as a hindu scripture, because what it offers is nothing significantly hindu in nature, it answers the fundamental questions of life that we all face, regardless of religion, caste, creed, race, gender.

Answer 8

By God man ! Who in the^%$@# do you think you are?
Gee seek professional help .Or wait no that might be like
talking to yourself. Man and they think some other people have Enormous EGOS and fat heads..Geesh!!! You have got
to be the biggest one ever known to admit it by farrrr!
Dang you should be in trouble for scaring the you know what
out of people here! Holy Cow ! I hope there arent to many more of you..Society had a way of ...hmm forget it then I would be a snitch....

Answer 9

Sounds like you're asking the right questions!

My take on your last two questions:

- You cannot hurt matter, energy, space, and time per se, so that would not be a consideration.

- If God can be hurt by your actions, then It's not much of a god, is It?

Answer 10

There are three karma
Karma(action), Akarma(Inaction) and Vikarma(forbidden action)

Lord Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita, fourth chapter, that even the intelligent are bewildered in determining what is action and what is inaction and the intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is, and what inaction is.

1.Karma-actions prescribed in the vedas,pious.
2.Vikarma-forbidden actions unauthorized in the vedas, impious.
3.Akarma or Inaction -action without reaction to work, transcendental activities in Krishna consciousness which promotes one back to the spiritual world where one originally came from.

Both karma and vikarma binds one in the material world implicating one in temporary happiness and suffering.
Akarma, devotional service to Krishna frees one from the bodage of material world and situates one in one's original constitutional position of rendering transcendental loving devotional service to the Lord.