Watching Intention - Profound Insight through a Simple Act

One of the basic instructions in the practise of vipassanā meditation is to note the intention that arise prior to any bodily movements. But in carrying out this instruction many meditators "try" very hard to catch the intention before they move their limbs. And often we find that in their eagerness to observe the intention, let's say the intention before lifting the foot in walking meditation, they unwittingly produce the intention and then happily note the intention produced.

Actually this instruction to observe intention means to observe the natural intentions that arise prior to all our bodily movements. In our daily life as we go about our business many bodily movements occur seemingly by itself. We do not seem to consciously and deliberately produce these movements. They occur more out of the force of habits. For example when we approach a door our hand immediately reach for the knob, turn it, and push the door open. All these movements occur automatically out of the force of habit. We do not even think about it. Usually we are not even aware of these insignificant movements. Our mind is probably engrossed in thoughts about something else when these movements occur.

But if we were to observe very carefully with clear and keen mindfulness, we will find that these movements, which occur seemingly without any deliberate intention on our part, are actually produced by many "unconscious" intentions. If we watch very carefully these "unconscious" intentions will appear as some kind of very subtle urging in the mind that inclines the mind to produce the bodily movements. Without clear and keen mindful observation these urgings usually go unnoticed because they are very subtle and flit by very quickly, faster than a flash of lightning. They arise due to the force of repetitive habitual conditioning. We do not need to consciously and deliberately produce them. But they are nevertheless intentions that produce bodily movements.

In an intensive vipassanā meditation retreat where meditators are instructed to not only slow down their bodily movements but to observe with clear and keen mindfulness, these intentions can be observed more clearly. The key is to maintain a continuous flow of clear and keen mindfulness. Without it our mind will, in its usual habit, be mindlessly dispersed by many different restless thoughts. Then whatever subtle intentions involved in producing movements will go unnoticed, being overshadowed by restless thinking. Slowing down is an aid to clear and keen mindfulness as it disposes the mind to being more careful and meticulous in its observation.

So for example in approaching a door, if a meditator is maintaining a continuous flow of clear and keen mindfulness, he will notice clearly a very subtle urging that prod the mind to stretch out the arm to reach for the knob. This is almost immediately followed by the movement itself. And as the arm is stretching out he will notice many more subtle intentions and movements occurring one after another in a continuous series until the hand reaches the knob.

By means of this continuous flow of clear and keen mindfulness and by slowing down the movement, the meditator is able to observe carefully the entire process of this simple act of stretching out of the arm. And he will be able to see that in truth there is no person here who stretches out the arm. There is not even an arm to begin with. There are only a continuous series of ephemeral movements produced by a continuous series of ephemeral intentions, all of which flit by very quickly before the watchful eye of keen and clear mindfulness. This insight arises simply by observing this one very simple and apparently insignificant act of stretching out the arm with keen and clear mindfulness.

"In bending and in stretching [the limbs] he acts with clear-comprehension."

~ Satipaṭṭhāna-Sutta (Majjhima-Nikāya, Sutta 10)