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It may be helpful to study AN3.61, in which the Buddha teaches us to be careful about thoughts concerning "everything":

AN3.61:1.1: “Mendicants, these three sectarian tenets—as pursued, pressed, and grilled by the astute—when taken to their conclusion, end with inaction.
AN3.61:1.2: What three?
AN3.61:1.3: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
> AN3.61:1.4: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—is because of past deeds.’
AN3.61:1.5: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
AN3.61:1.6: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—is because of the Lord God’s creation.’
AN3.61:1.7: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
AN3.61:1.8: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—has no cause or reason.’

In this case, thinking that past deeds are motivated by intention/motivation, we can see that we have to be wary of falling into inaction. Inaction is not a path. Neither is intention.

It is perhaps more important to ask about skillful intention. Intention can be skillful or unskillful. And only skillful intention leads us along the Noble Eightfold Path. AN10.217 discusses skillful intention.

AN10.217:19.3: There are three kinds of successful mental action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result.
AN10.217:20.1: And what are the three kinds of successful bodily action?
AN10.217:20.2: It’s when a certain person gives up killing living creatures. They renounce the rod and the sword. They’re scrupulous and kind, living full of compassion for all living beings.

Interestingly, the tip of intention can also be focused on emptiness. A really good meditation intent on emptiness is taught in MN121.

MN121:4.2: There is only this that is not emptiness, namely, the oneness dependent on the mendicant Saṅgha.
MN121:4.3: In the same way, a mendicant—ignoring the perception of the village and the perception of people—focuses on the oneness dependent on the perception of wilderness.

It may be helpful to study AN3.61, in which the Buddha teaches us to be careful about thoughts concerning "everything":

AN3.61:1.1: “Mendicants, these three sectarian tenets—as pursued, pressed, and grilled by the astute—when taken to their conclusion, end with inaction.
AN3.61:1.2: What three?
AN3.61:1.3: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
> AN3.61:1.4: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—is because of past deeds.’
AN3.61:1.5: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
AN3.61:1.6: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—is because of the Lord God’s creation.’
AN3.61:1.7: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
AN3.61:1.8: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—has no cause or reason.’

In this case, thinking that past deeds are motivated by intention/motivation, we can see that we have to be wary of falling into inaction. Inaction is not a path. Neither is intention.

It is perhaps more important to ask about skillful intention. Intention can be skillful or unskillful. And only skillful intention leads us along the Noble Eightfold Path. AN10.217 discusses skillful intention.

AN10.217:19.3: There are three kinds of successful mental action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result.
AN10.217:20.1: And what are the three kinds of successful bodily action?
AN10.217:20.2: It’s when a certain person gives up killing living creatures. They renounce the rod and the sword. They’re scrupulous and kind, living full of compassion for all living beings.

It may be helpful to study AN3.61, in which the Buddha teaches us to be careful about thoughts concerning "everything":

AN3.61:1.1: “Mendicants, these three sectarian tenets—as pursued, pressed, and grilled by the astute—when taken to their conclusion, end with inaction.
AN3.61:1.2: What three?
AN3.61:1.3: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
> AN3.61:1.4: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—is because of past deeds.’
AN3.61:1.5: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
AN3.61:1.6: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—is because of the Lord God’s creation.’
AN3.61:1.7: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
AN3.61:1.8: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—has no cause or reason.’

In this case, thinking that past deeds are motivated by intention/motivation, we can see that we have to be wary of falling into inaction. Inaction is not a path. Neither is intention.

It is perhaps more important to ask about skillful intention. Intention can be skillful or unskillful. And only skillful intention leads us along the Noble Eightfold Path. AN10.217 discusses skillful intention.

AN10.217:19.3: There are three kinds of successful mental action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result.
AN10.217:20.1: And what are the three kinds of successful bodily action?
AN10.217:20.2: It’s when a certain person gives up killing living creatures. They renounce the rod and the sword. They’re scrupulous and kind, living full of compassion for all living beings.

Interestingly, the tip of intention can also be focused on emptiness. A really good meditation intent on emptiness is taught in MN121.

MN121:4.2: There is only this that is not emptiness, namely, the oneness dependent on the mendicant Saṅgha.
MN121:4.3: In the same way, a mendicant—ignoring the perception of the village and the perception of people—focuses on the oneness dependent on the perception of wilderness.

Source Link
OyaMist
  • 9.6k
  • 1
  • 10
  • 18

It may be helpful to study AN3.61, in which the Buddha teaches us to be careful about thoughts concerning "everything":

AN3.61:1.1: “Mendicants, these three sectarian tenets—as pursued, pressed, and grilled by the astute—when taken to their conclusion, end with inaction.
AN3.61:1.2: What three?
AN3.61:1.3: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
> AN3.61:1.4: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—is because of past deeds.’
AN3.61:1.5: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
AN3.61:1.6: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—is because of the Lord God’s creation.’
AN3.61:1.7: There are some ascetics and brahmins who have this doctrine and view:
AN3.61:1.8: ‘Everything this individual experiences—pleasurable, painful, or neutral—has no cause or reason.’

In this case, thinking that past deeds are motivated by intention/motivation, we can see that we have to be wary of falling into inaction. Inaction is not a path. Neither is intention.

It is perhaps more important to ask about skillful intention. Intention can be skillful or unskillful. And only skillful intention leads us along the Noble Eightfold Path. AN10.217 discusses skillful intention.

AN10.217:19.3: There are three kinds of successful mental action that have skillful intention, with happiness as their outcome and result.
AN10.217:20.1: And what are the three kinds of successful bodily action?
AN10.217:20.2: It’s when a certain person gives up killing living creatures. They renounce the rod and the sword. They’re scrupulous and kind, living full of compassion for all living beings.