Karma is impression?

Question

I have read in various sources that karma is impression (when we grasp to something, it creates karma/impression), is this true?

So what if, for example, a girl is sitting in a place then then they see someone next to them carrying an expensive bag that she has long wanted. Suddenly, in her mind appear ideas to steal the bag, but then she immediately acknowledge that thought and quickly tries to think of something else (tries to stop the thoughts of stealing).

In that case, does the fleeting thought of stealing counts as bad karma? Will she suffer the bad consequences of that thought, even though she immediately acknowledged it and tried to stop that thought?

Answer 1

Yes. Karma can be made by intentional thought alone without acting on it.

Intention, I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, & intellect. - Nibbedhika Sutta

However, a fleeting thought is not as severe as a sustained thought. And a sustained thought is much less severe than acting on the thought, and striving and exerting oneself in that direction.

Ud 4.4 tells the story of a yakkha who experienced severe consequence only after acting upon his evil intentions. SN 42.3 talks about warriors who strive and exert themselves in battle, with the intention to kill others, experiencing negative consequences.

So, the wholesome and skillful thing to do is to let go of evil thoughts (also words and actions) and also the remorse for it, as soon as possible, as you can see in the Salt Crystal Sutta.

Answer 2

Yes, good householder, touch, impression, is the cause of pleasure and pain, and (re-)acting on it. Touch of what? Not-knowing (as it actually 'is'). Be touched, as it is also the cause of the path of ending Kamma.

('Will she suffer the bad consequences of that thought, even though she immediately acknowledged it and tried to stop that thought?'

Not giving into bad thoughts, ways, is the streams ending, denourishment. Yet not going after can be also decided by wrong views, say simply afraid of getting caught or thinking 'there might be a more worthy thing to steal, still after sense pleasures. So only right view, knowing the Dhamma, actually makes and end, if following it.)