Right Intention, Wise Intention, No Intention
Jon Aaron
Phenomena are preceded by the heart,
ruled by the heart,
made of the heart.
If you speak or act
with a calm, bright heart,
then happiness follows you,
like a shadow
that never leaves.
Powerful are these words from the opening of the Dharmapada. Words that clearly speak to what we call Right Intention.
The practice of Mindfulness has a way of exposing habits of mind that are at times rather surprising. One of the most common of these habits, when we look squarely at our experience, is just how often we are not aware of our intentions before we act or speak. The term “sticking my foot in my mouth” is a wonderful way of describing taking action (or speaking) before careful reflection. In my case, this used to be most of the time! For many of us, the beginning of a new year is a time for reflection and renewal on how our past actions have lined up with our intentions, and what we might be able to work on moving forward.
We can start by exploring “Right Intention” in the words of the Buddha speaking to his young son Rahula in the Mango Stone Sutta. To freely paraphrase this Sutta, he encouraged Rahula to reflect on his actions (whether in body, speech or mind) before, during and after taking them. If on reflecting before taking action, we determine it will be hurtful to ourselves or to others, then we refrain. If we didn’t get around to reflecting before taking action, then we reflect during the action. If on reflecting while taking action, we determine it is hurtful to ourselves or others, then we stop. And if that fails then at the very least we reflect after taking action. If in seeing that the action was unskillful, we resolve to not do it again moving forward. In this day and age, the Buddha might have even added “and don’t beat yourself up about it”!
Now mind you, it is said that Rahula was only 7 when the Buddha gave him this instruction. Is it so simple that even a child could do it? Ha! I’m more than 7 in dog years, and like most of you reading this, I find this to be an incredibly challenging practice. All this stopping and reflecting sure slows things down. I guess that’s partly the point! Just think how the world would be if most of us took the time, if only a breath, to stop and reflect on whether or not an action may be hurtful to oneself or others.
Intention is not referring to what we intend to get out of an action, but rather from what state of mind (or heart) our action is coming. Intention is not the goal to achieve, nor the end-game to which we aspire. It is not related to outcome. Rather, it sits at the very origin at which we are moved to do something or say something. It has sometimes been translated as Perfect Emotion, Perfect Mind-state, or better yet Perfect Heart-state.
Thus, Right Intention is being fully mindful as to whether an action—of body, speech or mind—is naturally arising from a generous, compassionate and wise heart. If this is not the case, then not taking action may be the best course of action. And if we already forgot to examine our mind and heart, if we reacted rather than responding, then we have an opportunity to see how not being clear in intention perhaps led us to cause harm.
I find it very reassuring that the Buddha insisted that it is equally valuable to look at the aftermath of an action, assuming that indeed most of us most of the time leap frog over preliminary introspection. And most important and further challenging in this reflection is that it be done without self-judgment!
As we bring more attention to intention, we grow our ability to act skillfully. Through skillful intention leading to skillful action we have already come a long way in clearing obstructions to liberation. Yet bringing this attention to our heart-mind, it may appear that truly wise intention is a rare occurrence. Many of our actions are plagued with hidden agendas, ulterior motives and muffled expectations. As our mindfulness becomes more and more refined, even the seemingly most loving acts can hold shadows of ill-will.
Weary of this, how can one set about to cultivate right intention? How can one align intention with our most authentic spiritual aspirations, leading to wise intention?
One place to start when sitting in formal practice is finding a posture that reflects wise intention. Is it a posture of stability and balance? Is it a posture which informs the mind that “this body is going to sit and be with whatever arises, whether it be pleasant, unpleasant, boring, obsessive thoughts, lustful thoughts, etc,”? Or is it a posture which expresses “ I might be ok for awhile, but if I’m not I’ll just move and get comfortable again, at least for a few minutes, or maybe I’ll fall asleep. . . ”. Visualizing a mountain is one way to connect with a posture that expresses a degree of dignity, openness and steadiness. Even if we don’t feel that way to begin with. Working directly with the body can usher a deluded mind into clarity and poise.
Another way to cultivate wise intention is to take the Three Refuges-- in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. This implies taking courage from knowing that the Buddha (all Buddhas!) are examples of fully awakened ones, that the Dharma is what shows the way, and the Sangha is what supports our effort. Contemplating the Triple Jewel can give rise to wise intention and re-kindle our deepest and most genuine yearnings to awaken.
To quote Rodney Smith from his wonderful book Stepping out of Self-Deception: “It is helpful if we consciously verbalize our spiritual intention: it is our intention to be a person waking up, or to awaken out of being a person.“ In other words, at some point in our practice, we realize that holding tightly to our identity – to “being a person” or “this person”, is not really helping. Wise Intention holds a place for the possibility of enlightenment.
In beginner classes at New York Insight, I always ask the question: “what is your intention in meditating?” One common response is variations on the theme of “I want to stop my mind from thinking”. So often people come to meditation as a self-help practice. And while one’s life will undoubtedly improve through these practices, we also start to see that it’s really a “non-self”– help practice”, so to speak. As wise intention unfolds, we gain respite from a fixed sense of self and the claustrophobia of modern individualism. We learn to simply be, notice and learn to investigate what arises in the Mind, no longer my mind.
Right Intention and Wise Intention are fully conscious. They involve reflection and volition. If you happen to be an arahant (a fully awakened one!) then you likely practice “no intention”. You have reached a level where you naturally and effortlessly embody generosity, compassion and wisdom. Any action you take will spring from this well. Purposeful pauses to cross-check intentions are no longer needed.
But in fact, arahantship is not even necessary to at least capture a glimpse of this potential we all have. If we pay attention, we will notice moments of “no intention” happen. Not in a mindless way. These are moments of spontaneous arising of generous, compassionate action, in total alignment with our deepest spiritual longings. The thinking mind, the mind that calls itself “self” is on temporary leave of absence. There was no inner deliberating as to whether we should or should not do something, we just did it. We took Refuge in a heartbeat. We didn’t ask, “do I have time?” “what’s in it for me?” We disregarded the usual self-talk of “I don’t want to engage, I might get sucked in”. In fact there was no “I” in the process at all. Helping a young parent carry a stroller up the stairs, listening to a grieving friend pour their heart out, giving our lunch bag to a homeless person, walking an elder cross the street, diving into the water to recue a stranger drowning… We have all had fleeting experiences of selflessness in action, in big and small ways, no less meaningful.
One way to cultivate wise intention and boundlessness is to deliberately practice generosity. We start with the volitional moment of giving. In a non-judgmental way we notice what arises in the mind when we give. Do we want to be thanked? Are we expecting something in return? Can we just give for the sake of giving with no expectation? What does it feel like to hold expectation? What does it feel like to hold no expectation? Can we give anonymously? Can we give when we can least afford to give, without harming ourselves? Who is having this debate in my head? …
As we work with the practice of generosity a few key things usually start to happen. First, we realize that the practice of giving involves letting go of something we formally called “mine”. Secondly, we start to recognize that in giving to another we are giving to ourselves. There is a sense of inter-connectedness in which the boundaries between self and other start to weaken or become delightfully confused. Finally, being mindful of all of this creates a spontaneous opening of the heart and the possibility of insight.
So from the practice of generosity bloom Compassion and Wisdom and as a result of this: Right, Wise and even “No” intention arise. What a wondrous gift.
Phenomena are preceded by the heart
ruled by the heart,
made of the heart.
If you speak or act
with a corrupted heart,
then suffering follows you —
as the wheel of the cart,
the track of the ox
that pulls it.Phenomena are preceded by the heart,
ruled by the heart,
made of the heart.
If you speak or act
with a calm, bright heart,
then happiness follows you,
like a shadow
that never leaves.
—1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
