Sometimes, I get brochures that has pictures of the buddhas on them, I usually throw away all brochures I get. Would throwing away the brochures with images of buddhas on them be bad karma?
Yes and the reasoning is because we can make merit by making offerings to the Buddha image and we can also create demerit or negative karma when we disrespect an image, even when its just a line drawing of the Buddha.
However, there is a way to dispose of Buddhist images and texts mindfully without creating the negative karma in Vajrayana tradition. This is through the power of visualization. First, visualize the image of the Buddha or the Dharma text dissolve into 3 syllables, OM, AH and HUM. At this point, visualize the brochure or the text is just empty now. Then, the three syllables combine into the syllable AH. This syllable is red in color and this in turn dissolves into your throat.
Ahh thanks, I must rembmber not to take brouchures.
Hahaha. Yes. Being mindful towards representations of the 3 Jewels would be a better thing.