6. Our MIND and the Intent

मना पापसंकल्प सोडूनि द्यावा।

मना सत्यसंकल्प जीवीं धरावा॥

मना कल्पना ते नको वीषयांची।

विकारे घडे हो जनी सर्व ची ची ॥५॥

Why do we do things that we do? What inspires us to act in a certain way? The answer is, our intent, the purpose, the mindset instructs our mind, intellect and body to behave or act in a certain way. We all know that our mind is a complex entity with unlimited power and unharnessed potential. It is also a BAHURUPI, having multiple forms. When we are going through an emotional turmoil it becomes sensitive but when we are going through a tough time, it becomes rock solid. How does our mind manage this transition? The answer is because of the intent -SANKALP.

In any sport, in addition to playing a better game, the opponents are also trying to outmaneuver each other on the mental level. It is because, once the game is lost in the mind, losing it on the court remains a mere formality. Such is the power of Sankalp, intent, a powerful force which convinces our mind to go one way or the other. A person harboring malicious intent, PAAP SANKALP, will constantly engage in wrongdoing. Bad intent enslaves a person making him selfish as well as reckless in actions and deeds and forgetful about the greater good. Wrong deeds which tend to harm the others or one's own self are neither forgiven nor forgotten. Such mindset has to change, it has to be given up. Thus, purifying the intent becomes the first step in inner transformation.

The transition is from bad intent to SATYA SANKALP which means the ultimate truth. One easy way of doing this is to replace every bad with a new good. When our mind and energy engage themselves in doing good, the malicious behavior is automatically forgotten and effortlessly replaced. For eg, if one wants to overcome anxiety, an easy way is to think of his/her strength every time the individual feels anxious. Choosing positive over negative is difficult at the start but not impossible in the long run.

But what should be taken as the TRUTH? Our society does not have one single definition of TRUTH. This is because even though truth is universal, its interpretations are subjected to individual upbringing and social norms. Samarth Ramdas prescribes the rule of thumb to clear this confusion. Anything that is within the social, legal, cultural and traditional limits should be considered as the truth to begin with. In case someone perceives it differently and wants to challenge its accepted definition then that has to be done after thorough study and the right intent. Norms and rules of conduct should not change as per a person's or group's whims and fancies. They have to change only for the right reasons, because then it will be termed as reform else the endeavor will end up being just a rebellion. Hence, intent matters both socially as well as personally as it drives actions and changes.

Our mindset influences our KALPANA (imagination) to a great extent. Right intent encourages positive imagination while malicious intent leads to flawed imagination or assessment of the world. VISH (poison) or VISHAY (stimuli) impact our understanding of the world. It is necessary that we keep our mindset pure so that our actions are beneficial to us and the rest of the world. Every day, our senses are flooded with different sensations of smell, taste, touch, sight and thoughts. It is important that we do not feed our senses with poisonous stimuli because that can cloud our mental space. One has to be careful of what he/she appreciates and absorbs as a stimuli coming from the outside world. Flawed imagination is a VIKAR (disease) which will trap us in a series of misinterpretation about our own self and the world, taking us further away from the reality. Such behavior will certainly bring the individual humiliation (CHI-CHI) from the society, JAN.

It is therefor important that we discern every thought and action to ensure that it is morally, and socially correct before indulging in it. But actions are the end, while the intent which triggers it is the means. So one always has to be thoroughly convinced of the purpose or intent before doing anything because the means have to always justify the end.

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