Disclaimer: I am new to the practice and very much still at a macro level of understanding.

I’m probably not the first to ask a question like this. Here’s the context. After watching a documentary about Bernie Madoff (an inarguably terrible person), a friend made the statement that the death of his two sons came about as a result of his Karma. In other words, a consequence of his actions was losing his children.

Initially, I disagreed with this on the basis that our Karma is our own, and if their deaths was a result of Ill will, it was theirs and not their father’s. Furthermore, that isn’t even necessarily how Karma works. However, as the conversation progressed, and I learned that his children weren’t involved in the scheme and were broadly speaking decent people; I got to thinking.

If, as I understand it, we have the ability to gather up and share our earned merit with other beings, why would the opposite not be true? Hence the original question: Can the intent one broadcasts be so malevolent that it drags others along in its wake?

Please forgive my rudimentary understanding of these concepts. 🙏🏼