In this second part of his ‘Practice in Daily Life’ series, Jack Kornfield leads a lecture on intention and the ways it can determine our karma.
This talk from Jack Kornfield was originally published on DharmaSeed.org
Intention Determines Karma
Jack Kornfield asks us to question our deepest intentions. Is our intention to be right and cling to our points of view, or is it love and listen deeply? The intention that we carry into all of our situations determines our karma and the outcome of our actions. This is why it is so key to study our intentions and the purpose of our hearts. We act more wisely when we are in tune with this knowledge. Jack reads us an expert from the Dhammapada about the power our mindset has on the fruits of our reality.
“Depending on what we think and what our intention is, so the world will unfold for us”. – Jack Kornfield
For more elucidation on the Dhammapada tune into Ep. 93 of Insight Hour: Thought and Emotion
Your Existence Will Bring Great Things (16:39)
We listen to Jack describe an old Buddhist folktale about a forest fire and one very determined bird. The resounding message is that even if you are a small person in a big world, you can still make a difference. If you have a great heart, your existence will bring great things. We can set small yet beautiful intentions throughout our lifetime. It may be difficult to imagine the larger ripple effect of our actions, but even if we help one single being, it matters.
“The gift of intention, the dedication, is to fulfill your own true nature – to fulfill that which is beautiful in you.” – Jack Kornfield
Tune into Ep. 4 of Living with Reality to hear Dr. Robert Svoboda expand upon the idea of doing social good.
Notice Your Conversation (41:40)
According to Jack, one of the best ways we can practice setting intentions is in our conversations. Have you ever been triggered by someone’s tone, or perhaps had a misunderstanding because of word choice? Staying mindful of our tone and what we truly want to get across can help alleviate any chance of doing harm with our language. Jack says that setting an intention to keep a spirit of friendliness in all of our encounters can do wonders. When people know we are sharing and listening from our hearts and do not have an agenda, meaningful connections occur.