What is guilt and why do we have it? This is a question of gravity and very often we get entangled in understanding its intricacies. The discomfort of our conscience is the guilt. Our conscience decides the ideals we choose to uphold in the course of life. When we perform any act, compromising on our ideal, the conscience feels uneasy. This suffocation of our veracity is the guilt. Guilt is an emotional experience just like happiness, sadness, anger or kindness. But it is possible to shelve this sinking experience of the conscience and thereafter live in peace eternally.

PERSONAL CODE OF ETHICS

To save ourselves the agonizing feeling of guilt, the simplest way is to set our principles so low that they never seem to be compromised. But this easy solution is not recommendable because intellectually we are on a much higher plane than the animals and should not retrograde ourselves to their level. The feeling of guilt is subjective, depending upon ones values in life. While one may have moral compunction on killing of a tiny insect, the other may not feel an iota of regret on murdering a fellow human being. But there are certain commandments against adultery, stealing, killing, etc which are common in all religions and for all individuals irrespective of their personal code of ethics. If we are even below these basic commandments then we are mere seed-bulls.

JUDGEMENT OF ACTION

In our lifetime we are invariably faced with the dilemma of choosing between right and wrong. How do we decide if an action is going to stifle our conscience or revitalize the soul? Motive is one criterion to judge our acts. Intention behind the act lends it the colour of black or white. When a philanthropist constructs a charitable hospital in expectation of public glory and acclaim, his donation ceases to be charity. His selfish motive changes the nature of his otherwise good deed. But motive alone does not determine the sanctity of an action.

Means applied to further the motive are of equal import. The proponents of Robin Hood, the fictional character who believed in