A
Short answer: No — enlightenment does not mean “neutral karma.” It means freedom from karma altogether (in the classical sense).
Let’s unpack that.
In Buddhism
Enlightenment (nirvana) means:
No greed
No hatred
No delusion
No ego-based intention
Since karma is created by intentional action rooted in ignorance, an enlightened being (an arahant or Buddha) no longer generates new karma.
They still act — they eat, walk, teach — but those actions are:
Not driven by craving
Not creating karmic seeds
Sometimes described as “karmically inoperative”
So it’s not neutral karma — it’s no karmic accumulation at all.
Past karma may still produce results (like the body aging), but no new karmic chains are formed.
In Hinduism
Enlightenment (moksha) means realizing the true Self (Atman) as one with ultimate reality (Brahman).
At that point:
Karma no longer binds the soul.
Actions may still occur, but the enlightened person is not attached to them.
Like a burned rope — it looks like rope, but it can’t bind.
Again, not neutral karma — but freedom from karmic bondage.
In Jainism
Karma is viewed almost like subtle matter that attaches to the soul.
Enlightenment happens when:
All karmic particles are shed.
No new karma sticks.
So it’s literally the complete removal of karma.
The Key Distinction
Neutral karma = weak or minimal karmic effect.
Enlightenment = no karmic conditioning at all.
Think of it like this:
Bad karma = planting harmful seeds
Good karma = planting beneficial seeds
Neutral karma = barely planting anything
Enlightenment = no longer being the one who plants seeds
If you want, we can go deeper into:
Whether enlightened beings still have personalities
Or whether “no karma” means no free will 👀
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