If our past karma impels us to wrongdoing, do we get further bad karma?

Question: If urges arise due to our past karma and we succumb to them, are we creating further karma in the process? And if so, where does it end? It seems like an endless cycle.

Response:
As devotees, sometimes we become overly karma-conscious, and there’s a danger in that. We should focus more on being Krishna-conscious rather than karma-conscious.

I remember a question Rajeshampru once asked Radhanath Maharaj: If a devotee we are guiding commits a mistake—say, breaks a regulative principle—do we incur karma for that? Maharaj’s response was profound: “Don’t even think about karma. Focus on helping that devotee reconnect with Krishna as best as possible in that situation.”

Yes, karma is a factor, but ultimately, Krishna is above karma. If we become too fixated on karma, we risk becoming heartless in our dealings with others.

Now, regarding whether we create karma while exhausting karma—there’s a distinction between external and internal reactions of karma. External reactions are simply the exhaustion of past karma, but internal reactions can generate new karma. When we give in to urges, karma binds us by perpetuating a cycle where more karma is created.

However, my understanding is that Krishna is compassionate. He is a loving God, and there’s a critical difference between being overpowered by worldly desires and being powered by them.

In the divine and demoniac natures (as discussed in the Bhagavad-gita), some people are overpowered by desires—when urges arise, they struggle to resist. Others are powered by desires—they actively seek and fuel them, believing that fulfilling desires gives them energy, purpose, or even identity (like the modern slogan, “Discover the beast within you”).

Krishna describes (in Chapter 16, verses 11-12) that those in the demoniac nature are not merely subject to lust, anger, and greed—everyone faces these—but they make the fulfillment of these impulses the driving purpose of their lives. That’s a far more dangerous state.

For example:

• One person may be going about their life when a temptation arises, and they falter.
• Another actively seeks out temptation, indulging in fantasies and fueling their desires.

The difference in consciousness is significant. Krishna sees this distinction—whether we were overwhelmed by past karma’s flames or deliberately walked into the fire, fanning it for pleasure.

So, rather than obsessing over whether karma is created, we should trust Krishna. He protects those who sincerely seek Him. He understands whether we were helpless against our urges or whether we actively cultivated them.

Ultimately, our focus should be on Krishna consciousness—surrendering to His mercy and letting Him guide us beyond the endless loop of karma.