What is your true intention in life?

On the summer afternoons of my childhood I sometimes amused myself by watching the ants. Always industrious, they picked up the little pieces of bread that they crumbled from the snack sandwich.

I felt like a little godbecause while I could see them, they were undoubtedly unaware of my existence, believing that that manna fell miraculously from heaven.

His ability to orient and search was amazing.the incomprehensible force with which they lifted and dragged huge pieces of food much larger than their own size.

I had read that they were very well organized and that in their underground galleries they were storing food, especially in the face of winter. I was glad to think that, when the cold made an appearance, the little crumbs I had thrown at them would be well stored and would be of use to them.

Saving the logical distances that separate us from these noble insects, if we could see each other from a tall building, the spectacle might not be so different.

Streets crowded with pedestrians and vehicles rushing in various directions, buildings where people live or work, clothing and food stores, banks that keep money, churches where they pray… Parks with vegetation and birds where we recreate that nature to which we say we love, but to which we usually turn our backs.

Life, with their desires and hopes, joys and frustrations, it is there every day, like a great river that slides sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent.

What is the force that moves each individual and therefore society? We know that it is not just one, but a synergy of impulses of varied origin. Although the most basic and crucial of them all is simply: the desire to live.

What intentions are behind our actions?

The theme of intention in a broad sense leads us to consider the different levels in which that “desire” to live operates.

There is a non-conscious biological impulse, through which we do not forget to breathe and digest food without knowing how we do it. He self-preservation and reproductive instinct They have a clear influence here.

He psychological level covers both the subconscious impulses as the rationality. Through mental activity we can analyze situations, foresee dangers and achieve success in our projects.

Pride and fear have their importance in this area, since often the desire for money or fame is the motor of many activities. Not reaching them can lead to frustration for many people who have made that goal their main goal.

There is another type of impulses, which we can call of a spiritual nature, although we are usually not aware of it. It is that ineffable desire for infinity and totality that our heart yearns for. desire for fulfillment which, paradoxically, supposes the end of desire as such, at least in the sense of a purely egocentric activity.

There is therefore a hidden transcendent intention in our purposes, although we do not always realize it.. Like flowers, they feel the life-giving power of the sun and open up to it (heliotropism) without having eyes to see it.

We could define “intention” as the convergence of various psychophysical forces that culminate in the conscious sphere as thought, feeling and will.

Ultimately, it means the why and for what we do things, the meaning of our actions. As the philosopher Cicero said: “You have to pay attention not only to what each one says, but to what he feels and the reason why he feels.”

good and bad intentions

It is well known that good or bad intentions can be harbored. The former are understood to be exempt from deception or a conscious desire to harm, while the latter may harm other people.

On this last case, with a clear desire to do harm – heartless or psychopathic – or simply as “collateral damage” when the end tries to justify the means.

Good intention is widely valued in society, even when it falls short of its goal.

Phrases like “with the intention is enough”, or “who does what they can is not obliged to do more”, so they testify. While the bad intention, even if it does not even become externalized, already exudes something harmful and disturbing.

Besides, doing something reprehensible without the full will to do it cannot be judged as totally imputable.

Thus, it is not the same to kill in self defense to do it in cold blood. Nor does the woman who prostitutes generate the same moral rejection. to feed their children than who does it to live luxuriously. Nor is it the same to steal food to eat than to get rich by embezzling funds, although the former is often more easily punished.

Nor should we forget that, in the same way, sometimes something can be done that will bring bad consequences, believing that it is doing good.

“Hell is paved with good intentions”affirmed Bernardo de Claraval.

Blessings and Curses: The Force of Desire

Buddhism, and with other words the rest of religions, affirms that our actions (thoughts, words and actions themselves) usually have repercussions, whether physical or subtle, that condition our present and future. What is sown is reaped, as we well know.

There is certainly “neutral” actions, in the sense that they neither harm nor benefit. But most can be considered as creators of “positive” or “negative” karma. That is why when Buddha was asked what was the foundation of his teachings, he said: “Do good, refrain from evil and purify the heart.”

“Be careful what you wish for, because it just might come true.” This sentence highlights that intention is a powerful force which, through the law of attraction of the similar, tends to materialize what is initially an impulse of the mind.

Traditionally the blessing (“to say well”) means that a good influence is transmitted by gesture and word. This can be carried out by the ritual action of a priest of any religion, or also of the father or mother, as a good omen, for example before embarking on a long journey or getting married (approval or consent).

Conversely, for a person with a certain type of power or ascendancy to utter a curse (“to say badly”) is taken as a negative influence. The, if you will, superstitious belief in the the evil eye indicates that to do tangible harm, desire can suffice or with a simple look at the victim.

In both cases it is the beneficial or malefic power of intentionwhich seems to go beyond time.

It is true that to a large extent what we believe determines what we are and what we want to be is what we are likely to be. That is why it is important, already from childhood, to give an image of what the human being is as true and profound as possible.

We do not know to what extent human intention can modify reality, for better or worse. even a biologist Bruce Liptonargues that not only DNA determines the behavior of genes, but also the environment and thought itself.

The transformative capacity of a good intention in the minds of many people is therefore a first order asset to improve society.

Although the trivialization of really important things and loss of values that is currently appreciated represents an impediment for common sense and the innate goodness of people can manifest more easily.

How to become a better person?

There is Two main theories regarding human nature:

the one that supposes that Human beings are good by nature. but society corrupts him; and the one that He is born unclean and society must set him straight. towards good.

Surely both are partly right. Only it is necessary to take into account the reasons why this good will essential No always manages to manifest.

The intention to do good in a sincere and spontaneous way remains often blocked by our fear (to lose what we have) and greed (want what we don’t have).

The “ego” is never satisfied, that is why it always wants more, even at the cost of its own suffering and that of others.

The antidote would be to broaden the perspective and move from exclusively egocentric desire to altruistic desire who also values ​​the well-being of others. Because basically everything is interconnected.

Since this attitude is not easy to maintain, meditation and other spiritual techniques emphasize the importance of periodically connect with our inner being and find peace and joy there that we often search in vain outside of ourselves.

Only in this way the fear and frustrations caused by our strange behaviors (wars and hunger in the world) could be overcome, Emerging the best in every human beingthe correct intention in short.

All the good and the badheaven and hell, originates in our minds. That is why cultivating serenity and being at peace with yourself is essential in this regard.

In it Dhammapada or “The Path of Dharma”, can be read: “All the states find their origin in the mind. If one speaks or acts with an impure thought, suffering follows like the wheel of the cart follows the step of the ox. But if one does it with pure thought, then happiness follows like a shadow that never leaves him.”

5 everyday gestures to have better intentions

sometimes it’s good alter or even reverse mental processes that, over time, form patterns of behavior that condition the intention with which we do things. There are many ways to achieve it.

It is not necessary to travel to exotic places or ingest psychedelic substances to see reality with different eyes. It may be enough to change your attitude for a moment.

1. Listen to the silence

We need silence to be able to relax and think clearly, because constant noise stuns us and drains energy. But silence is not just the absence of sound. Can train ourselves to be aware of his presence in the midst of the most varied situations, even listening to music.

2. Give thanks for the everyday

It is common to complain about anything that disturbs our comfort. But we don’t usually thank the many things that work properly in the house and make life easier for us: the door that opens and closes, the bed that welcomes us every night, the water that cleanses us or the fire that heats the food…

3. Love space

Being more aware of the reality of space It is a recommended and little-known therapy. Without his invisible presence there would be no place for our body, nor would the senses capture information, nor would there be movement. Both in the middle of nature and walking down the street, we can appreciate its vibrant emptiness.

4. Rejoice in the happiness of others

We tend to be aware of our own desires and we are happy when things are going well for us. Even sometimes with greater pleasure if others fail to have what we do have. But it is also fun and comforting to participate in the joy of others: beautiful laughs and smiles, children playing…

5. Refresh yourself in the present

Remembering the past or projecting into the future often causes painful nostalgia or frustration for not having what we long for. But we can simply feel the present moment, without tension, enjoying it wherever we are and with whom we share it.