RIGHT INTENTION / THOUGHT

Right View

Right view is the forerunner of right intention in the Eight Fold Path and the direct condition for right intention. This is explained in the Anguttara Nikaya:

“Monks, just as the dawn is the forerunner and precursor of the sunrise, so right view is the forerunner and precursor of wholesome qualities. For one of right view, right intention originates. For one of right intention, right speech originates.” AN V.237

Together with the previously discussed right view, right intention makes up the aggregate of wisdom, being part of the three aggregates of training. This is detailed in the Majjhima Nikaya:

“Right speech, right action, and right livelihood — these states are included in the aggregate of virtue. Right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration — these states are included in the aggregate of concentration. Right view and right intention — these states are included in the aggregate of wisdom.” - MN I.301

The relationship in discourse between right view and right intention is setup nicely, as well as explaining what wrong intention is and what right intention is:

“Therein, monks, right view comes first. And how does right view come first? One understands wrong intention as wrong intention and right intention as right intention.” — MN I.73

The wrong intention is to be abandoned and it’s three types of wholesome thoughts as antidotes to be applied and practiced:

“And what, monks, is wrong intention? The intention of sensual desire, the intention of ill will, and the intention of cruelty.” — MN I.73

The right intention has two types and one might presume that for the beginner in Buddhism the first type is to be started with as a preliminary steps to the second type:

“And what, monks, is right intention? Right intention, I say, is two-fold: there is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions, and there is right intention that is noble, taintless, supra-mundane, a factor of the path.” — MN I.73

“And what, monks, is right intention that is affected by taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions? The intention of renunciation, the intention of non-ill will, and the intention of non-cruelty.” — MN I.73

“And what, monks, is right intention that is noble, taintless, supra-mundane, a factor of the path? The thinking, thought, intention, mental absorption, mental fixity, directing of mind, verbal formation in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path.” — MN I.73

In the preliminary phase of practice, the three mundane right intentions arise separately, but at the moment of the supra-mundane path, a single right intention arises and cuts off the three-fold wrong intention, as mentioned previously, completely.

Right intention leads to wholesome qualities of a person and these should be developed and are beneficial:

“The numerous bad unwholesome qualities that originate with wrong intention as condition: these are harmful. The numerous wholesome qualities that reach fulfillment by development with right intention as condition: these are beneficial.” — AN V.223

Overall, the first two steps of the Eight Fold Path apply in practice to the three types of actions (kamma):

“Monks, for a person of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindful- ness, right concentration, right knowledge, and right liberation, whatever bodily kamma, verbal kamma, and mental kamma he instigates and undertakes in accordance with that view, and whatever his volition, yearning, inclination, and volitional activities, all lead to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to well-being and happiness. For what reason? Because the view is good.” — AN V.213

A special note about the taints (asavas): To give an idea of what the taints are, they consist of: craving for sensual pleasures, craving for continued existence, and ignorance. Other groups of defilements that overlap the taints include:

The Four Bonds (yoga): The bond of sensuality, the bond of existence, the bond of (wrong) views, and the bond of ignorance.

The Seven Underlying Tendencies (anusaya): The underlying tendency to sensual lust, the underlying tendency to aversion, the underlying tendency to (wrong) views, the underlying tendency to doubt, the underlying tendency to conceit, the underlying tendency to lust for existence, and the underlying tendency to ignorance.

The Ten Fetters (5 higher (uddhambhagiya) + 5 lower (orambhagiya)): Personal-existence view, doubt, wrong grasp of behavior and observances, sensual desire, and ill will; lust for form, lust for the formless, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance.

In the next post No. 3 of the path will be discussed: Right speech.

The following English translations of the primary texts are available and used:

The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya (SN)

The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya (DN)

The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (MN)

The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya (AN)

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The Eight Fold Path consists of:

1. Right view (samma ditthi, but also samma dassana)
2. Right intention (samma sankappa)
3. Right speech (samma vaca)
4. Right action (samma kammanta)
5. Right livelihood (samma ajiva)
6. Right effort (samma vayama)
7. Right mindfulness (samma sati)
8. Right concentration (samma samadhi)

The Ten Fold Path consists of two additional ‘folds’:

9. Right knowledge (samma nana)

10. Right liberation (samma vimutti)

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