Karma

You must understand that good actions cannot change your karma. Good actions may make some kind of happiness, but this happiness is also karma. People sometimes call this good karma. But good karma is still karma, and karma is created by thinking. Everything that is created by thinking always changes. So good karma eventually runs out and becomes bad karma. If you truly want to change your karma, do not make good or bad. That is correct practicing. How do you use your karma to help all beings? If you only want to change your karma, that is already a big mistake. If you have karma, you must find the correct function of your particular karma: this is how you take away your karma. But don't become attached to these words. "Function karma," "change karma," and "take away karma" are the same point: only the speech is different. - (from The Compass of Zen, by Zen Master Seung Sahn)