Page 3 - EH59

Good Intentions with

Self-Reflection

One of the most important aspects of practicing All these reasons, acting together, lead us to become
Buddhism is to become aware of our thinking. Our disillusioned with the potential of good intentions. As a
actions and our words originate in our intentions, and result, we either grow cynical about them or else simply
they have consequences, which may be good or bad. abandon the care and patience needed to perfect them.
In the Nibbedhika Sutta, AN 6.63, the Buddha said,
“Intention, I tell you is kamma. It is with intention one One of the Buddha’s most penetrating discoveries is
does kamma by way of body, speech, and mind.” that our intentions are the main factors shaping our

lives and that they can be mastered as a skill. If we
Very few of us actually set out consciously with bad subject our intentions to the various components of
intentions. But good intentions are empty if they the Eight-fold Path such as right speech; right action;
don’t result in positive action. While we act on good right livelihood; right effort; right mindfulness; right
intentions because we want the best for someone, the concentration; and most importantly, right view, in
end result might be otherwise. We often make decisions developing any skill, we can perfect them to the point
based on feelings, and naively think that because our where there will be no regrets or damaging results in
intentions are good, the result will be positive. any given situation. Ultimately, they can lead us to the
truest possible happiness. To train our intentions in this
There’s an old saying attributed to St. Bernard of way, though, requires a deep level of self-awareness or
Clairvaux, that the road to hell is paved with good self-reflection.
intentions. This became an adage because it is so true
for many of us. If our intentions are rooted in greed, In the Ambalaṭṭhikārāhulovāda Sutta, MN 61, a sermon
hate, and delusion, then indeed our road will lead us the Buddha preached to his son, Rāhula, he said, one
to hell or misery. But good intentions — in proportion must consider, before, during, and after every action
to their true goodness — tend toward happiness whether it was potentially abusive or exploitative, or
and peace. But, why then do they have such a bad genuinely rooted in good intentions. This requires
reputation? sufficient clarity of mind, through wise mindfulness
and concentration. Only then, will we be able to discern
Ajahn Thanissaro, in one of his teachings, provides negative intent, and with wise effort, to exercise self-
three main reasons. One is that not all good intentions restraint. Wise understanding allows us to deeply intuit
are especially skilful. Even though they are well- the legacy of losses that we share with other living
meaning intentions, they can be misguided and beings, and wise intention expresses our ever-growing
inappropriate for the occasion, thus resulting in resolve to respond to all life with compassion . If we
pain and regret. The second reason is that we often follow it mindfully, we can be sure our good intentions
misunderstand the quality of our own intentions. We will yield good results for ourselves and others.
may mistake an ambiguous intention for a good one,
for instance, which may be disappointing when it August 31, 2019
gives mixed results. The third reason is that we easily
misread the way intentions yield their results — as
when the painful results of a bad intention in the past
obscure the results of a good intention in the present,
and yet we blame our present intention for the pain.