The role of Intentions and Actions as we walk the path...

 What is the role of the intent and the actions as one walks the path? Of late,I find myself mulling over the dichotomy between intentions and actions in our lives. It is easy to blame our karma for actions or lack of actions on our part. I have seen people use this as a defense mechanism to cover up their own confusion or lethargy.I do it too,sometimes. 

Intention to be true to the path - let it choose things for us - is a good one. But at the same time,is it right to attribute our own inaction to karma or term it "surrender"? Scriptures emphasize the importance of right actions and the need to act: the need to choose even when the choices given are not what we thought they might be or what we want. The peculiar thing about the human mind or intelligence is that once we get what we thought we wanted - we realize that this was not quite so.Sometimes,we find ourselves plagued by a peculiar sense of emptiness- a state - not full by the virtue of its being empty- but experiencing its own lack of completion, beset by a peculiar craving for something that cannot really be described in words.The state of wanting and getting what we want leads to this sense of emptiness -  a lack of completeness.

Human mind is often lethargic and fails to act at the right moment."I have surrendered - let the path decide for me".This is a common statement I have heard people make. When they say this, they completely forget  that it is the path that has indeed given them these chances to break the karmic cycle through right and timely action- and the failure to act,however difficult the choices are- does not serve to free one from the cycle of karma. What prevents us from making the choice? What prevents us from seeing the chances offered by the path to act?The answer lies in the word "Desire".

Is it possible then to let go of "wanting" and simply "be"? In that case, don't we have to make choices in life? The answer is:we cannot but choose at every juncture in life.The path will guide us in our choices if the surrender is complete -  but ultimately, we make the choices, the decisions. Karmic cycle is difficult to break- but the beauty of every iteration of existence is that it gives us several chances to make the choice.It is important to see these and capitalize on these.

"You are what your deep,driving desire is. As your desire is,so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is,so is your destiny. [ Brihadaranyaka IV.4.5 ]” 

Our Intention to walk the path gets clouded by our deep seated desires - often unacknowledged. Even if the person acknowledges these,it is very difficult to let go of them. The inability to let go is often caused by the perplexing questions:"What next? What then?" It is also caused by the fear of the unknown or the fear of emptiness and not knowing. All of us are beset by these perplexing thoughts and feelings. We do not want to even acknowledge that these exist- because acknowledging them makes them very real for us. Then, there is no mask for us to hide from them. In that case,what is the right thing to do?  

Face them bravely - acknowledge and let go. The path will guide us through the pain of letting go - however difficult that might be. It is alright not to know the answer/s to the "whats and hows'".We need to go on making choices,we need to act. The Master will hold our hand and point out the direction in which further choices lay. Freed from our own desires, we will be free to choose once again. We choose what the path wants us to choose and that will be the right choice. The choice, then, is not driven by desire but our intentions and timely actions. In this, also lies the ultimate act of surrender. 

If our intent is to reach the centre that is no centre - the place of the Goddess - she will definitely hold our hand as we make the choices in life and act on them, however difficult they are, or they seem to be - at that moment.