Intention is the Claim to know better than God
Intention becomes a false claim when we believe we know better than God; true freedom is surrendering this claim and trusting the heart even in silence.
I was feeling like exposing something that was troubling me a little bit. Sometimes, I see during the weeks, it appears like a worry about the material life, the play of life. Everything you told us just now in the Satsang, about the dual and the non-dual, was very specifically for me. I see it brings a lot of attention sometimes. I don’t see that necessarily it brings identification. There are lots of times when everything is playing out very smoothly. But, with activity, with a feeling of giving too much attention to think the things that we know, and the plans for the future, sometimes this doubt and worry comes.
So, in the allowing of everything to come, and to go, without making individualized meaning about that coming or going, that is just freedom. That is freedom! So, don’t judge yourself in any way because of attention. You said that ‘Ah! Sometimes attention does go, but there’s really no belief or identification.’ That’s fine! Consciousness plays with this Leela using its attention. Allow it to play whichever way it wants.
Yes. I see that.
There is something subtle there, which may be getting converted into some sort of a subtle meaning, because it is meaningful enough for you to expose. So we can drill into that a little bit and let us paint a scenario saying: suppose this feeling which you call ‘worry’ or ‘trepidation or worry’ was just comes and suppose it was to come all the time. Then what would it mean?
I feel it doesn’t mean anything by itself. It’s like the story that I put, the meanings and relation to a narrative, to a story I am playing out.
Very good! Then very good. There is no fear about a particular sensation being repeated, or life getting oppressed by some sensation. Nothing like that.
No. More specifically, there are some intentions for the future. Moving from home and this kind of stuff. In relation to that, I feel sometimes confusion comes in the sense of, if I am the doer, or I am not the doer, as you were saying just now. I always try to come to my intuition in relation to this play.
Before we go there, give me an example of an intention for the future.
Moving to another house.
So, if something were to happen to that intention, would you suffer because of it or is it light-light?
It depends. Maybe it brings some identification. Usually, I can be open with that person. Sometimes that pulls some suffering.
Ok. So every intention that you have, which could poke you in some way, you give that to me right now!
Okay (smiles)
I’m not even joking. Just, give it to me!
Yes.
Thank you. Very good. Very good! And if it comes back and picks up some momentum in the future, just give it to me (performs throwing action once again). It’s a deal.
Okay (smiles)
Because, just to use English in some way, we can have preferences that make it seem a bit lighter, but sometimes intention can be a heavier word. You see? Although we may also say intention, it’s okay, it all depends on the heaviness with which we take something. And the measure of heaviness is only that, if it to happen according to God’s plan instead of the intention’s plan, would we suffer because of that? You see? So, if anything is heavy, have we handed it over to God? And if we haven’t yet handed it over, just hand it over in Satsang. Just give it away.
Yes.
So I feel like you have something little bit over there which you have to unravel and pull out.
I did not understand that last sentence.
Okay. Let me say it in another way. So when we say that we talk about the unborn, or the notionless existence, then something like an intention less existence is a part of that. You see? And yet, in the play of communication that, we are talking to our family and friends, and they say, ‘What is your plan? Are you planning to move your house?’ Then you say, ‘Yes, I am planning to move my house.’ But that is not troublesome, unless if it was not to happen that way, and it was to happen according to God’s plan, which is the only plan there is, if there is a plan (chuckles), then we would not worry about it or suffer from it. Then we are allowed to carry that. Just for communication purposes, knowing fully well in our heart that, only God’s plan will play out, no matter what or how much we propose the plan for this life to be, if there is a plan or an intention like that, which you feel like, ‘No, No, I really wanted it to go like that. This I know. This I know.’ So we are making a claim to knowledge actually, when we say that we carry a strong intention or a strong preference. We are claiming that ‘I know better, or my head knows better (as to) what should happen in this life’. So that is a false claim, and all falsity we must surrender. Can we have an intention that life should only go ‘this’ way, without the claim that I know better, than God? Or the mind knows better than God? We cannot! So therefore, we must give up this falseness.
Yes.
Lightly (playfully)-lightly-It’s like your mother asks you, ‘What is your plan?’ and you say, ‘Ma! I’m going to shift houses.’ This is okay. So it’s not like (you say) ‘I don’t know what God is planning.’ Your idea is not to worry everyone. The idea is just to have this light communication. It’s okay. Just follow your heart in that moment. It is okay. But once you become like, “Please, God! It HAS to go that way, because, what do YOU know? I know where my life should go.” Then that must be given up.
Yes. Maybe the last question is about, how to guide oneself into this kind of “intentions”? I feel like intuitively I move smoothly with things, but also, it comes to mind sometimes, like ‘Why this is taking too long?’ or this kind of stuff and there is identification and the trouble begins. Is it is okay to be open, just moment to moment?
Yes! It’s fully okay! Better than okay! Must be like that. Moment to moment, trust your heart, even if the heart is silent, because that is where the rubber hits the road. Trust your heart even when it is silent. What happens is that our mind is saying ‘Do this! You have to decide now!’ You go to the heart, and say ‘My Father in my heart will guide me.’ The heart is not saying anything. Nothing. Not left. Not right. Nothing. Not even that ‘Everything will be okay, my child’. Nothing. Sometimes it is like that! Many times a guidance doesn’t come but at least a reassurance comes from the heart; ‘It’s Okay’. Often, even that reassurance doesn’t come. It’s just (silence). That’s when we REALLY have to trust. Trust the silence. Because, the silence is also guidance. The Silence is also guidance. So, trust it no matter what, even when it is silent, and especially when it is silent. . . . Highlight from Satsang- 3rd June 2022 Your True Name Is Awareness Time: 1:16:36-1:27:25 Link: https://youtu.be/DF1hM2BU6ag
Key Teachings
- Intention becomes a false claim when we believe we know better than God - this egoic knowing must be surrendered
- The measure of heaviness in intention is whether we would suffer if God's plan differed from our preference
- Trust the heart even in silence, because silence itself is guidance
From: Trust the Silence of the Heart More Than You Trust the Holiest Words of the Mind - 22nd April 2022