First Touch of the Mind’s Inclination
Behind every action, even every thought, there is an intention: no intention + no thought = no action. Right intention sits at the interface of mind and how we live. As the mental factor that propels and guides everything we think and do, it saturates every moment of our lives.
Intention is also the aim of the heart. It has to do with purpose and motivation, and it flows from an unspoken sense of direction that connects our life perspective with how we act. It is the emotional element that flows from right view and gives impetus to right speech, right action, and right livelihood.
We offer this practice opportunity :
Experiencing the first touch of the mind’s inclination
Sit quietly, and letting the body-mind calm down, call to mind a person or a task that feels relevant for you right now.
Notice how the thought - the words or image- touches the mind. What immediately follows that touch? Don’t try to figure it out or give words to the experience. Just notice the touch and the felt response.
As you sit with this, do you notice any inclination of the mind - for example, towards friendliness or anger, towards dispassion, or towards wanting things to turn out a certain way? Don’t try to manipulate the response; just being aware of it is enough right now, particularly if the mind is balanced while observing.
After you’ve sat with this observation for a while, how do you feel? Do you notice any change in relationship to the person or task?
Kramer, Gregory. A Whole Life Path: A Lay Buddhist’s Guide to Crafting a Dhamma-Infused Life. [Insight Dialogue Community], 2020.
Intro based on pp. 69–70
Practice adapted from p. 74, “Experiencing the First Touch of the Mind’s Inclination”