What Is Your Intention?
When I was deep into my studies of Buddhism, my
Master stressed the importance of intention. The
other day, I received this article on Intention
and how they affect our life goals. Intention is a
practice focused on how you are being in the
present moment. Attention is on the NOW, no matter
what’s going on in your life. You set your
intentions based on understanding what matters
most to you and making a commitment to align your
actions with your inner values and your intention.
Mindfulness of your actions will give you the
ability to act from and cultivate your intentions.
You don’t just set your intentions, rather you
live your intentions. Do what you say and say what
you do. Be congruent, and your words and actions
will become more powerful than you could ever
imagine. Being grounded on intention is what
provides integrity and unity in your life. Through
the skillful cultivation of intention, you learn
to make wise goals and to work hard towards
achieving them without getting caught in
attachment to outcome.
By remembering your intentions, you can stay
connected during those emotional storms that cause
you to lose touch with yourself. This remembering
is a blessing, because it provides a sense of
meaning in your life that is independent of
whether you achieve your actual goals or not.
Ironically, by being in touch with and acting from
your true intentions, you become more effective in
reaching your goals.
When you choose to live with intention, you are
not giving up your desire for achievement or a
better life. But, you are committing to living
each moment with the intention of not causing harm
with your actions and words, and not violating
others through your livelihood or sexuality. You
are connecting to your own sense of kindness and
innate dignity.
It is your intention that affects how you
interpret what comes into your mind. If you are
grounded on your intention, then your response
will be to notice the discomfort and your own
suffering, and feel compassion toward others. It
doesn’t mean that you are not effected by the
three poisons – worry, struggle or blame. The
trick is to avoid getting lost in judgment or
personal reaction.
Right intention is a continual target. Seeing your
mixed motives is one step toward liberation from
ignorance and from being blinded by either desire
or aversion. The most difficult aspect of right
intention has to do with the role it plays in the
formation of karma. The primary factor that
determines karma is intention, therefore,
practicing right intention is crucial to gaining
peace and happiness.
Life is so confusing and emotionally confounding
that the rational mind is unable to provide an
absolutely clear intention. What we have to rely
on is our intuitive knowing or “felt wisdom,”
referred to as Bodhichitta, “the awakened
mind-heart.” Bodhicitta is a spontaneous wish to
attain enlightenment motivated by great compassion
for all sentient beings, accompanied by a falling
away of the attachment to the illusion of an
inherently existing self. When you’re grounded on
your intention, you are never helpless in how you
react to any event in your life. While it is true
that you often cannot control what happens to you,
with mindfulness of intention, you can soften the
effects of what occurs, in terms of both the
moment itself and what kind of karmic seed you
plant for the future.
Through practicing right intention, you learn to
set your mind to maintaining your values and
priorities, and to resist the temptation to
sacrifice your values for material or ego gain.
You gain the ability to consistently hold your
intentions, no matter what arises. Right intention
is like muscle – you develop it over time by
exercising it. When you lose it, you just start
over again. There is no need to judge yourself or
quit when you fail, to live by your intentions.
You are developing the habit of right intention so
that it becomes an unconscious way of living – an
automatic response to all situations. Right
intention is organic; it thrives when cultivated
and wilts when neglected.
To get on track with my goals and intention, I use
the power of the Taoist system of Feng Shui which
helps me in becoming clearer in my intention and
bringing my goals closer to reality.
It is your time. Your time to take action. You
take the next step, and I’ll be there with you the
rest of the way.
Order here.
I wish you the best in your Health, Wealth and
Happiness.
Dr. Wu Dhi
P.S. The Magic Square will give you the tools to
balance every aspect of your life.
