Christian is right.
What really matters is one’s state of mind. Whether there is another person affected or not, a mind defiled with greed, anger, or ignorance WILL lead to bad kamma vipaka.
– If another person is affected in some way, that just creates a “kammic connection” between the two, i.e., one will become indebted to the “wronged person”.
The importance of the “state of mind” is in the first Dhammapada verse. The second part of the verse says:
“manasā cē padutthēna
bhāsati vā karoti vā
tatō nam dukkhamanvēti
cakkamva vahatō padam.
Translated: “In the case of a defiled mind (acting with lōbha, dōsa, mōha), suffering will follow just as a wheel of a cart follows the footsteps of the ox pulling it (cakkamva vahatō padam).”
See, “Manōpubbangamā Dhammā..”
This is also what I will be discussing in detail in the new series: “Origin of Life”
P.S. If it is a past deed, I would not worry about it. We all have done many bad kamma in the past (especially in past lives). We should just focus on what is under our control: our future actions, speech, and thoughts.
