The eightfold path is a destination of liberation, a trail to liberation, and an intention to a direction that is to liberation.
I have only wet the soles of my feet at the shore of right view, gazing at an ocean whose depths promise suffocation more obviously than freedom. The architecture of right view strains the acrobat inside, casting spotlights on enormous edifices filled with niches to be explored and climbed.
Right intention is the crosswire that joins right view and right action. Right view allows the possibility of knowing (or the possibility of knowing the criteria of knowing) the features of this matrix. Right intention allows the possibility of intending (or the possibility of intending the criteria of intending) what accords with the features of this matrix (as discovered by right view).
A theoretical brief of right intention
Right intention is samma sankappo. It is described as threefold in the texts: (1) intention of renunciation, (2) intention of good-will, and (3) intention of harmlessness. Insofar as right intention follows upon right view, it is the restructuring of values that follows from penetrating reality.
Renunciation of desire
This desire cannot be overcome by repression. Renunciation appears can appear like a self-mortification when gazing into a far future dream to seek out its fruits. Rather the renunciation is approached by understanding the intimate binding together of desire and dukkha. This approach is called yoniso manasikara wise consideration, it means to investigate the truth and the foundations of actions, their results, and their goals.
If by surrendering a slight happiness one may realize a great happiness, the wise man should give up the slight happiness, considering the greater one. (Dhammapada 290)
A parallel approach is by understanding the fruits of renunciation, which offers freedom from fear, joy from freedom, freedom of good conduct and concentration, and so forth.
Renunciation cannot pragmatically be undertaken in a single bound. It cannot be forced without the danger of strengthening attachments by torturous obsessions with their reality. Instead, renunciation can be approached as the casting off of layer after layer. These begin with renunciation of worldly possessions, then the renunciation of the ill-conduct that would cause new worldly entanglement, and finally and most difficult the renunciation of the inner world (via mindfulness and equanimity).
By falling drops of water a water jug is filled, and a wise man will be full of goodness even though he accumulates it bit by bit. (Dhammapada 121)
The fog of greed is deep and thick, and difficult to press against with much will. That said, there is no true hurry unless desired, since the expanse of lives lived and lives to be lived are both large beyond measure, and the only key is the vector that faces the right direction.
Renunciation of ill-will and harmfulness
These too can be overcome by gradual and indirect attrition. This is done for ill-will by practice of metta loving-kindness, that seeks to love the other without reference to the self. It includes the wish for the happiness and welfare of others.
Similarly for harmfulness by practice of karuna compassion, that wishes others to be free from suffering.
Walking towards the sublime states
Metta and karuna are two of the four sublime states, or the excellent states of mind. These are the Brahma-vinhara, literally the god-like abode, and they are states of mind where we should feel at home. The other two are mudita (sympathetic joy) and upekkha (equanimity).
Practicing Brahma-vinhara-bhavana (lit. Brahma-vinhara cultivation) by meditating into these states, has the result of increasing the intuitive and instinctive nature of these qualities, and expanding their scope. This is similar to the results of concentration more generally, which not only allows the frequent application of concentration but also to expanding the radius of its spotlight. Of course, it is also practiced by behaviour and daily direction of thought.
The four states feed into and defend one another. For example the boundless nature of metta protects karuna against becoming one-sided, and karuna protects mudita against forgetting the overflowing suffering in the world. Or upekkha stabilizes metta, giving it firmness and patience, or the courage to confront the suffering karuna encounters.
Kammassakata sammaditthi
This is the right view of ownership of action, which is a factor of awareness that cultivates right intention. When I know that I am my own kammassaka owner of kamma, then I can become to myself a kamma-patisarana kamma shelter. I can create a shelter for myself with good deeds, and inspire myself to appreciate that I can act as master of destiny.
The truth is however that all kamma offers benefit. When studying the annata (egoless) nature of being, then equanimity can be developed. And when equanimitiy is developed, then all kamma can be appreciated for the lesson it offers. Thus one becomes a kamma-bandhu (a friend/relative of kamma).
I have seen it recommended that this be developed in order: First by giving up qualities to which I am only slightly attached egotistically, especially small weaknesses clearly seen. The goal then is to address by order of increasing magnitude the rest my attachments, until eventually I can release those aspects I consider central and inseparable to my being.
A method of right intention
The texts I have read are clear in their recommendations. Intention to renunciation is primarily approached by understanding, while the other two are approached towards the sublime states.
A method of intention to renunciation
It is difficult to stare renunciation in the face. It is a wave promising eternity, forever catching its own tail, reigniting itself with the ashes of its own failures. It is an abyss whose gravity echoes paradise and bliss.
Consider a circular, pointless, forever belittling desire. Now consider how this desire forever reinvokes itself despite experience. Note the cropping of reality that must occur for this cycle to sustain itself. In this way I may come to train a wise consideration of each desire. What does this desire want? Why does it want it? How has this want manifested itself previously?
Search for an attribute of the internal landscape (domain of the ego kings, though they masquerade as a single monarch) that is weakly attached. Note the severe attachment of everything. But keep searching. If nothing is found, then I may come to know the insanity of my arbitrary self-identification. If something is found, then I may consider the possibility of allowing it to merely exist, co-present and parallel to my own life story, like everything else that coexists in time. In this way I may come to train a relaxation of internal attachment.
A method of intention to sublimity
The sublime states appear as desirable. But they are neither intuitive nor easy to acquire. They presume a generosity of spirit and authentic care that is forever depreciated in the market of the ego, and beneath the battle flags that masquerade as calls to truth.
Meditate wishing loving kindness to oneself, and then by gradients down to one who is disliked. Employ sense impressions with verbal thoughts to manifest, reinforce, and vivify these states of mind. For example, visualize the person, “may they be happy” and visualize them being happy, “may they be successful” being successful, and “may they avoid suffering” avoiding suffering. Note that the rationale of all these blessings, and their desirability for the subject, are equivalent whether for oneself or for another. In this way the familiarity for metta may be increased.
Meditate, beginning with awareness of an aspect that is a cause of suffering for oneself, wish a freedom from this suffering, and then by gradients down to one who is disliked. Note again the parallels between the self and the others. In this way the familiarity for karuna may be increased.
Meditate, beginning with awareness of an aspect that is a cause of joy for oneself, commend this personal joy, and then by gradients down to one who is disliked. Note again the parallels between the self and the others. In this way the familiarity for mudita may be increased.
Meditate in the above manners, but only by application to internal targets created by segregation of self according to self-esteem: Begin with an aspect that is highly beloved within oneself, most obviously a trait that is strongly developed or is a source of pride. Then migrate downwards through traits that are liked, of neutral consideration, and those that are disliked (e.g. sources of dissatisfaction, shame). In this way the internal divisions that are causes for strife no less than the boundaries of nation may be bridged and encouraged to fade. In this way self-esteem may be healed and self-criticism attenuated.
A method of intention to equanimity
Like renunciation, equanimity may be trained by the understanding. The nature of reality, and the reality of the self, as annata, and the truth of kamma, may weaken the obsession of the ego with what is and what isn’t. Instead of forever obsessing that this should be that, or that should not be, instead it may appreciated that the premises underlying this instinct are false, and that the kamma is not capricious, and rather a friend.
Consider as for renunciation: look for attributes within that may be dissolved of ego. When noticing these candidates, consider that they appear as ego, but that they are transient, and the substance of their realm is a matter of internal refraction. In this way understanding of the illusion of ego may be strengthened, and thus all that appears within the mind’s vista be considered as transient and irrational targets for forceful evaluation.
Consider a phenomenon that is unpleasant, and that appears as occurring from without onto the self. Consider the role of the past in creating the future, and the opportunity of each contact for learning a lesson. In this way I may approach an appreciation for all life as tautological, and for each experience as neither bad nor good, except by response.
Once some basis for equanimity has been developed as an object, it may be valuable to consider myself and others through its periscope. Perhaps as such: consider myself and attend to evaluation of experiences, then appreciate that everything that is happening just is, and that the values attached are expressions of egos that don’t exist. Consider this for myself, and by gradients to one that is disliked. In this way, I may strengthen my upekkha.
The methodology of right intention
An intention is an intention to something. But the right intention is an intention to an intention. Right intention is a tendency towards a displacement that will need to a place. Right intention is the intention to conquer the resistance against renunciation (and of unbounded good-will and harmlessness); to conquer the resistance to the mere intention, but having the intention to intend.
Once I have the intention to intend renunciation, I may overcome my ego and fully intend renunciation. Once I intend renunciation I may overcome my habits (born of defilements and kamma) and release my attachments.
What is this form; an intention to intention to effect? It is an intention that wants itself to be otherwise, but knows that it cannot change itself by mere force. It is an intention that it is beyond its means to strive for some further goal, but knows that it is capable of striving for the ability to strive for the goal.
Right intention is the volitional and existential aspect of the understanding that I am suffused by greed and hatred, that these cause me suffering, and that I wish to be free of suffering. Right intention is confounded by the valley between two mountains. When my wish is to get higher, how can I bring myself to walk down into the valley, away from those illusions I know as my only happiness? Right intention bridges this problem by a process of erosion, until there is no gap, and I may wake up and see that there was nowhere for me to travel.
Build a ladder to get to the place, to get to the place, to get to the place…
