Intention

In society today I feel like there is general focus on the effect of our actions. What we do with our lives, how we act as human beings and what the effect of this is on the world. What we don't see is why people act the way they do. Hell, most of the time I can't pinpoint why I do most of the things that I do. There are some interesting effects of this empirical world view. One is, we tend to judge people by what they do. Personally I know how subjective reality can get in my own mind. Sure, in essence the world is the same everyday but the mass of preconceptions and thoughts in my brain throw it in a different light all the time. I don't want to go Nihilist here, I don't believe reality is completely subjective. Ken Wilber talks about cultural awareness and I would have to lean to somewhat of that world view. Its not all perception as a Nihilist would say but I would say reality is relative to personal awareness (which is constantly changing) As my reality changes, so does my reaction to it. That only makes sense right? So by only taking into account the way someone acts in a particular moment we really have no sense about what is going on. They are responding to their current worldview which invariably is at least somewhat different than what we currently perceive. Kinda like accusing someone of murder because you saw them run out of the hotel the murder accured in, when really they were just late for an appointment and asking for directions.

I mentioned earlier that we have a tendency to think of the effect of actions, only looking at the exterior... But then I wonder what is really the causal factor? Is it what we do? For example, you can say to someone, "thanks a lot" in a gracious tone after they did you a favor. Or you can say, "thanks a lot" in an angry tone after someone just dropped their lunch on you. In both situations the same thing was said, but why and how it was said changed and that completely changed the meaning.

"It is not about what we do, its how we live" (Father Mika). This resonates with me in so many ways. Does it really matter what we do in life? Great things do not matter if they lack good intention. And if our intentions are not good than can we even do great things? What actually has an affect on the cosmos is not our action but the spirit within it. So to me greatness is not illustrated by what we do at all. For example, sending money to Africa because you want to impress someone with your good deed, in contrast to simply smiling at the person you pass on the street because you are filled with love.

To be concerned with our actions is to be concerned with our appearance in the face of society, more or less ego driven. Even if we are trying to be the best people we can be. I ask myself, why is this my goal? To be concerned with our intentions is a concern of the spirit. When it no longer matters what we are doing, when the ego does not control our actions then we can truly live impeccably; no longer boged down but what we think we should do as opposed to what we are doing, no longer consumed by the way we appear, not even trying to do what is right but just simply doing.