When genuine intentions will express as actions how can we say that intention is not enough?

Anwser Podcast

Transcript

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Aren’t our intentions reflected in our actions? If I am really genuine about doing something, then won’t I do that? And if I decide genuinely I won’t do something, I won’t do it? Yes, that’s true. If I have a strong intention to not do something, I will give it up. But a part of that intention is also the intelligence to be able to act on that intention.
So I am not saying that intention is unimportant. But I am saying that intention itself will express itself externally also in reorganizing things by which I will be able to execute that intention. So yes, the intention, if you consider the principle of Manas Puja, that is, the idea that if somebody has an intense desire, intention to serve Krishna, even if they are not able to execute the service, Krishna accepts it.
The Vaknasamudra is talking about it. So we have the example of Nanda Maharaj, no Vasudev. He is in the jail, in the prison and at that time when Krishna was born, he gave lots of cows in charity in the market.
Because he had no facility to do it at that time. And later when he was released, Kamsa was killed, he became human power, he gave it actually also. So the point here is, there is intention, there is the circumstance, and then there is the action.
So sometimes the circumstance may prevent us from doing the action. At that time, the intention itself is appreciated. But my point was that when there is intention, we will also try to reorganize the circumstance.
And if we are not reorganizing the circumstance, when it is in the power to do so, then that means that our intention is not genuine. We are not actually working on it adequately. So Prabhupada also says that Manas Puja is good, but if you can actually do the activity, if you can actually do charity and you say, I am doing charity in the mind, then that is not really genuine intention.
So that’s the point I wanted to make. Because if somebody is saying like, Oh, I had a genuine intention, but if their actions don’t reflect it, then… Yeah, I would say that rather than… It’s possible that somebody is using that I had a genuine intention as a subterfuge for not doing it. But it’s also possible that somebody may be well-intentioned, but they may not be intelligent enough or equipped enough to do it.
So what I am saying is that okay, you have intention, but also you need something more to be able to translate that intention into action. Reordering our circumstances or changing our circumstances in some way so that the intention can become an action. So for example, let’s say this floor is inclined like this, downwards.
Then I pour water on it and I want the water to go that way. But if the floor is inclined this way, the water will automatically go this way. And I say, no, I wanted the water to go that way.
No, but if the floor is inclined this way, it will not go that way. Isn’t it? In other words, inclination can refer to physical inclination of floor. We also talk about mental inclinations.
So if we have an inclination towards something, automatically our thoughts will go in that direction. So that’s why, just as if I want the water to flow that way, then I may have to change the flooring level so that the floor gets tilted that way. So intention, if it is genuine, we will make the necessary change in circumstance so that the intention transforms into action.
That’s what I’m saying. Okay, so if a person does have a genuine intention and they also really don’t have… Then somebody may have to take guidance from someone else. Then they go… Yes.