In regards to your question whether divorce is negative karma or not, that depends on your motivation. Even though in teachings mentioned by Buddha it says divorce is heavy karma with the person who you married, whether it is negative karma or virtuous karma and whether the result is happiness still depends on your motivation. If being with that person blocks your ability to benefit sentient beings, then that would be an obstacle to your freedom to benefit others. For that reason, the marriage would not be the best way to benefit others, or your husband. If divorce is done with wisdom and compassion, then it can become virtue, even though it may be unpleasant for the person.
A similar case is when a doctor treats a patient. The motivation is for the patient to have a long and happy life, but during the treatment there can be some pain for the person. Another example is when a parent, acting with compassion, scolds or beats his or her child in order for the child to go to school and have a good life. Even though it is unpleasant for the child, the parents’ scolding becomes virtue due to their motivation.
So, in regards to divorce and other such things, whether it is a cause of negative karma or not depends on your motivation. A good motivation is if it is done with strong compassion for other living beings and also to benefit the person.
It is said in the teachings that if you cannot do both – benefit the majority of sentient beings and one specific person – then give up that one person in order to benefit the majority of sentient beings, but give up that one person out of compassion. It is advised to give up working for a smaller number of sentient beings in order to benefit the majority of sentient beings. In regards to doing things in one’s life for others that are greatly beneficial, beneficial in a middling way, or in a small way, if you cannot do all three, then give up the small things and do the things of great and middling benefit. If you cannot do both of those, then only do the greatly beneficial things and give up the other. So, this is one way we can make decisions in our daily lives.
If you can make your life more productive for sentient beings by not living with your husband and you have more freedom to practice Dharma, then you have good reason to divorce him.
You should be very careful when making decisions in your life. Life decisions are very important because happiness and suffering depend on them. Happiness up until enlightenment, in all our future lives, depends on how we make decisions now. Whether your life is going to be beneficial for many sentient beings and a cause of happiness or whether your life will become meaningless and harmful to sentient beings depends on how you make decisions in your life now.
