The Heart’s Intention

https://dharmawisdom.org/the-hearts-intention/

This article by Phillip Moffitt distinguishes between goal-making and intention-setting as fundamentally different spiritual practices. Goals are future-oriented outcomes involving planning and discipline, while intentions focus on how we "being" in the present moment, aligning our actions with our deepest values.

The piece explains that right intention, as taught in the Fourth Noble Truth and the second step of the Eightfold Path, involves causing no harm while treating ourselves and others with loving-kindness and compassion. Unlike goals rooted in maya (illusion), intentions provide lasting peace and self-respect beyond the fluctuations of success and failure.

The emphasis on present-moment awareness echoes the Satipatthana Sutta, where the Buddha teaches mindfulness of mental formations. As Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us: "The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion." Intention grounds us in the "ever-present now."

The discussion of mixed motives relates to Ajahn Amaro's teaching on accepting our imperfections: "We don't have to be perfect to be on the path; we just have to be willing to keep learning." The article references the Buddha's teaching in the Majjhima Nikaya about how "bright and dark intentions lead to bright and dark results," encouraging practitioners to welcome awareness of mixed motives without self-judgment.

Pema Chodron's wisdom about staying present with difficulty applies directly: "Instead of asking ourselves, 'How can I find security and happiness?' we could ask ourselves, 'Can I touch the center of my pain?'" This mirrors the article's guidance to remain grounded in intention during emotional storms.

The karmic dimension of intention reflects the Dalai Lama's teaching: "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." Moffitt explains that intention is the primary factor determining karma, referencing the Buddha's analogy of a surgeon's knife versus an assailant's knife.

Matthieu Ricard's approach to inner transformation supports the article's practical framework: "Happiness is a skill, emotional balance is a skill, compassion and altruism are skills, and like any skill, they need to be developed." This parallels Moffitt's teaching that right intention is "like muscle – you develop it over time by exercising it."

The article concludes reminds us that developing right intention is a lifelong practice of "coming home to yourself," requiring only two commitments: regularly asking if we're being true to our deepest intentions, and beginning again when we're not. This embodiment of compassion and non-attachment offers a practical path to authentic living grounded in wisdom rather than mere goal achievement.