by Roger Gabriel: Our minds are constantly flooded with desires, most of which disappear as fast as they arise…
Those that stick and take a firmer footing move on to become intentions, which we could say are desires with more of a focus. These have been plucked from the stream to be classified as more important.
The ancient Vedas say, “As is your desire so is your intention, as is your intention so is your will, as is your will so is your deed and as is your deed so is your destiny”. This clearly tells us that our future life and the journey of the soul is very much shaped by the desires which become our intentions.
The desires and intentions of most people are centered around worldly goals. Some of these, such as for food, shelter and security, are vital for our survival and quality of life. Of course, everyone should also have a pleasurable life however, over-indulgence purely for sensory or egoistic reasons, can actually become self-destructive and the Vedas warn us that attachment to the wrong desires and intentions distract us from our spiritual path and lead us away from the true happiness our soul is seeking.
Unfulfilled intentions can lead to frustration, self-blame and anger. Those that are achieved, may give temporary happiness, but invariably lead to wanting more or bigger and better, resulting in a mentality of greed. For those of us on a spiritual path, consciously choosing the correct intentions is very important.
As you’ve probably experienced, it requires a lot of effort to suppress worldly intentions and often, trying to break an attachment, merely focuses our attention more firmly on it. The spiritual solution is to realign your worldly intentions with your life’s higher purpose. It’s a process of replacing attachments of a lower frequency, which limit the soul, with those of a higher vibration, which frees it.
The Bible’s Gospel of Matthew tells us, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of heaven and everything will be added unto you”. Or as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi used to say, “Capture the fort and everything will be yours”. In other words, instead of exhausting your energy trying to manifest all the little parts of your life, focus on living from the place which controls everything.
This place is pure consciousness, the field of infinite possibilities. This is the place deep within ourselves from where all our intentions are correct and all our needs can be fulfilled. Because that same pure consciousness within us, is in everything else, aligning with it not only benefits us but also benefits the whole world. Whatever you manifest from this level can only be beneficial to all.
Our human nature is to always want the “quick fix” but as the Arabic saying tells us, “Patience is the key to joy, haste is the key to sorrow. The Divine works at its own speed and we must let it unfold its treasures at the right times. However, here are a few suggestions to help you begin to convert your intentions into those seeking a higher purpose.
- Be simple, humble and have compassion and support for everything
- Learn to rely upon your intuition and listen to your heart before your ego.
- Stop judging or doubting yourself.
- Don’t come from a sense of lack – you already have everything and are the essence of everything that could exist
- Go beyond problems and challenges to create what you want from the opportunities they present.
- Look beyond normal limitations. These limitations are mind-made, and what the mind has made, it can unmake.
- Find who you are in your essence, where there is only fullness.
To quote Maharishi again, “When the senses are saturated with pure bliss, small transitory joys fail to bind them and do not make a lasting impression. Enjoying such a state of contentment, the senses do not tempt the mind to wander.”
We are all different, each with our own special needs and preferences and so the intentions we choose on our journey home to our essence, will likewise differ. However, Deepak Chopra has given us a set of four spiritual intentions, which we can all use daily, to awaken our inner yearning for enlightenment.
Joyful, Energetic Body
The body is the vehicle our soul has chosen to carry it on the current part of its journey to enlightenment. It’s important therefore, that the body stays fit and healthy, so it doesn’t break down or become a constant distraction.
Learn to listen to the signals of comfort and discomfort your body sends you. Ask it what it needs and support it with good quality sleep, a healthy diet and regular exercise. With the intention, Joyful Energetic Body, your soul will be seated in the first-class cabin.
Loving, Compassionate Heart
Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “Love all God’s creation, the whole and every grain of sand in it. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything you will perceive the mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all embracing love.”
Love is the greatest healer in the universe and the love which flows from our spiritual heart dissolves any emotional blocks hindering our spiritual progress. When the heart is open, all kindness, gratitude, forgiveness and pure love fill our lives. The Intention, Loving Compassionate Heart, awakens the qualities of our inner Divinity
Reflective, Alert Mind
Most of the time our mind is focused on the outside, superficial level of life, looking here and there trying to find pleasure and avoid pain. What we put our attention on grows, which if we are not careful, causes us to be ensnared in the dramas and melodramas of life.
However, by allowing the mind to turn within, slipping beneath the turbulent surface, we can access the fertile ground of stillness and inner contentment where our deepest intentions will sprout and blossom in our lives. The intention, Reflective Alert Mind, guides us within to discover the source of joy, infinite knowingness, and purity.
Lightness of Being
We are not human doings, we are human beings. Our essence is pure being, which reveals itself when, instead of getting caught up in all the activity of life, we become the witness to it.
Great joy and bliss are here right now, we just need to be open to enjoy them. We need to lift our awareness from the distractions of everyday life and free the unbounded Divine Self from our small limited self. The intention, Lightness of Being, allows us to live fully as our true Self.
The Path Home
Our meditation practice is a journey from activity to silence. If the surface of a pond is rough and stormy, you could drop a large rock in it and not notice any effect. However, when the surface is still, the ripples from dropping a small pebble would spread out over the whole pond. This is the effect of releasing our intentions at the quietest level of the mind, they resonate through all areas of our life.
You can repeat all the intentions silently, once or twice just before your meditation or before going to sleep at night. This way, the subtle seed of the intention is carried and planted in the silence of infinite organizing power. You can also repeat the intentions at the end of your meditations, while you are still in that silent rested state.
Joyful ,Energetic Body
Loving, Compassionate Heart
Reflective, Alert Mind
Lightness of Being
These may seem like pretty lofty intentions but, as we heard from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi earlier, why not go for the highest first? If you want the best possible life, you must have powerful intentions.
If you have other intentions you’d like to include, that’s also fine, but now is the time to align any other intentions to support your spiritual purpose, rather than putting your energy into passing fancies. Remember, the choices that you make determine the future of your life and soul.
Fortunately, as we progress on our spiritual journey, our intentions automatically become more harmonized with our true purpose, until they finally merge into the one intention for self-awareness.
Be bold with your spiritual intentions and enjoy the splendor that awaits you, and to quote a Buddhist proverb, “If you are facing in the right direction, all you need do is keep walking”.
