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intention:
The cosmic force of

creation
manifest your intentions effortlessly and with ease

by engaging the forces of nature. here ’ s how

by Jasmine Bharathan

D uring his college days, Suresh Padmanabhan, author and facilitator of The Money
Workshop would walk the streets of Mumbai in search of good books, and intend
that one day his books would also be available on these same streets. Today, his book,
I Love Money, is not just available in bookshops, but frayed copies can be found on the
very pavements he once pounded.
Several years ago, my mother had a stroke leaving her one side paralyzed, unable to
speak and partially blind. The doctors told me there wasn’t any hope but with intense
speech therapy, there may be some improvement in speech over time. I had an intention
– a visual - of her walking around at home, and nagging me to eat my food and clean my
room as she always did! I did it just once and let it go. All I did thereafter was look after
her. She walked on the tenth day, she was able to speak fairly well within three months
and her vision was back to normal!

So… what is an intention?

When we choose to direct our mind towards achieving a desirable outcome, we are form-
ing an intention. We can state this in a simple short sentence. For example, Nissar’s wife
was frantically searching for her identity card as she needed it for a meeting at her head
office. Nissar was busy doing something else; he paused for a few seconds, mentally said,
“ID card has been found”, he let it go and continued his work. In a minute, his wife came
to give him a hug, having found the card. I am sure we have all had similar experiences.
Many factors stop intentions from manifesting bang on target. One of the most common
is that often we have a fuzzy idea of what we want; we may think we want one thing but that

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Photo: Mexy Xavier ;

Models: Ritesh Aras

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is often a front for another need or want. this pain; I don’t want to suffer; I don’t want
We may say, I intend to be a great author, to work so hard. In these instances, what we
but not acknowledge that we are really seek- do want is perhaps I want to be healthy; I
ing fame and fortune. Or we may say, I want to experience joy; I want ease.
want to be a movie star and not realise that So the first step, even before formulating
we have a dire need to be acknowledged or an intention, is to do a little introspection
admired. Secondly, we often state our inten- and clear up the fuzziness.
tions negatively for usually we have a clear There are many experts who advise that
idea of what we don’t want; I don’t want we should be very specific and articulate
very precisely all that we want and even
visualise it in detail and try to experience it
in our imagination. Maybe this works for
some. However, there is a serious down-
side with this approach. We become very
“attached” to the outcome, and we build
up a lot of expectations. Not being able
to remain detached from the final stated
outcome, we become anxious, fearful and
stressed. We may also become so focussed
and blinded by it that we do not realise if we
are stepping over other people and causing
unpleasantness around us in the process.
Dilip has a natural talent to teach art in
unique and creative ways. Everyone encour-
aged him to set up a learning centre. He
spent days articulating precisely what he
wanted the centre to look like, what he
would do there, how he would feel when the
centre is bustling with students, by which
year this is happening, and so on. He then
visualised it all as if it had already happened
and then let it go.
Very soon, things began happening.
People walked into his life who helped him
find possible locations for his centre; he
launched his website, and started promot-
ing his centre wherever he went. But, there
Model: Rajendra Baburao Dagade

was no centre, yet! Now, he became anxious

and stressed. His relationships at home suf-
Photo: Mexy Xavier;

fered. His only focus was to find the funds

to build the centre. If someone seemed non
co-operative, it angered him. If his friends
were not helping with funds, he got angry.

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He experienced jealousy and resentment towards

others who had their own learning centres.
When we are so focussed on outcome, some
of the energy shifts from the present into the
future instead of remaining intent and active
in the Now. The focus on the future outcome
makes us impatient, and even brings in self-
doubt and misgivings.

Going beyond outcome

There is an alternative approach which many,
including myself, have successfully tried. Though
simple, it does require a lot of ‘unlearning’ of our
previous habits. A lot more time is needed to be
spent on introspection before actually formulat-
ing the intent and trying out various statements
until we find the simplest and most basic state-
ment, not the most specific or detailed. Let me
offer an example to clarify this approach.
Vijay wants to be a published author through
the best publishing house in the world; be
known as the most influential writer ever and
interviewed by the world media; all this by
September 2011.
Now, let’s examine whether Vijay has done
any introspection. Has he asked himself if his
main passion is self-expression using the writing
medium? Or, is he seeking fame and fortune?
Has he asked himself: What is it that I really,
really want most of all? Would I do this even if
it did not bring me any monetary reward? Can
I see myself doing this for a long time? Would I
be willing to undergo hardship and even give up
certain other things to do this? Would I encour-
age and support others to do this? Do I see some
real value in this endeavour for others as well as
for myself? And then, another important ques-
tion: Having reached that state which I desire,
what will I be doing from that point on? Can I
name that activity?
Perhaps, Vijay then comes up with the state-
ment: “I want to write”. Or: “I want to share
these ideas or tell these stories”. Or, he tries

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a few other statements until he feels very He realises that the main activity, the
comfortable that he has caught the essence. writing, is available to him right now. He
Now, he takes a deep breath and speaks can now focus on Being, on Doing in the
it out loud and clear. After that, he lets Now focused on the Present Moment. And
go of that thought; he has sent it out he can now get away from the idea and the
to the Universe. mode of Becoming.

a mindful approach
Unhealthy goal: There are various fabulous
Here are two very subtle things to methods through which one
be mindful of that in the long run can come to a state of balance
cause trouble as they are very clev- in the present moment. For ex-
erly disguised! ample: If you are challenged with
• To become something anger and you wish to be free of
I want to become a good per- that, EFT (Emotional Freedom
son; I want to be the best writer Technique) and TAT (Tapas Acu-
in the world; I want to be a kind pressure Technique) are extremely
and compassionate person; I useful tools. A consistent practice
want to be a good husband; I of meditation and awareness is an-
want to earn more money; I want to be enlightened; I other very effective method.
want to feel more. Sounds like all are good things!
• To get rid of something Healthy goal:
I want to get rid of my anger, jealousy, laziness, pro- Dr Wayne Dyer says about the much-talked-about Law of
crastination, I want to get rid of my difficulty with peo- Attraction: “LOA is not about what you want; it is about
ple. Sounds like these are good things to get rid of, who you are!”
don’t they?! From a state of balance, love and acceptance of one-
What makes these unhealthy and problematic in the self and the present moment, one can set up goals
long run is a non acceptance of the present moment – I am that, by default, generate a healthy intention. The re-
not all right and I have to get rid of something only then sult then does not cause pain or suffering but only leads
will I be acceptable. Also, the focus is on me. I am try- to joy, ease, flow and peacefulness – which is what
ing to become a compassionate person, I am trying not we all want, isn’t it? What is the point if we achieve
to be angry, I am trying to be rid of the fear problem, what we want to experience or intent but are unable to
I am trying to get enlightened, I am wanting to be this enjoy the experience?
and that – the self-centred motivation will colour all the Just as when we are thirsty we reach for a glass of water,
efforts in a self-centred perspective. These are always we can certainly choose to point our mind to a goal and
tied up with the feelings of I and me and mine; I am intend its fruitful achievement.
agitated, I need to get out; I am really awake, I have got it I want to be a published author; I want to travel and
all together… teach around the globe, I want to enjoy a loving, harmo-
Ego takes over in ways that one may not even be nious relationship – not because I don’t like the pain or
able or willing to see. The energy behind the Intention incompleteness I experience now, but because I want to
becomes clouded. direct and focus my energy to this new experience.
It is not very easy then to realise what is happening around When we choose, direct and point the mind – in this
you, to others in your surrounding during this self-centred way, the effort in directing the attention is coming from a
pursuit causing disharmony and pain. wholesome, balanced place; the intention is healthy.

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Vijay does need to do one more thing.

He needs to trust the Universal Creative Energy
that has an inbuilt mechanism to find and pull
together the unlimited resources that can make
things happen. Our mind, however wonderful
its capabilities, cannot match this force.

How it works
Maybe, another simple example will serve to
illustrate this point. Think of a game of cricket
being played. The batsman has just hit a ball
up in the air and there is a lone fielder in that
region. The fielder looks up at the ball, forms
the intention of catching it, and then the pro-
cess of logical thinking stops. With his mind he
cannot factor in the force with which the ball
was hit, the trajectory of the moving object, the
force and direction of the wind that day, his
own running speed and so on. All those fac-
tors get into the act and he finds himself at the
right spot at the right time to receive the fall-
ing ball. Of course, he has to be a fielder who
is passionate about his game; of course, he
needs to be in shape and practised at his craft.
But he could not have used his logic and mind
to work out a solution.
There are so many variables at work here; the
force with which the ball is struck, the angle
at which it rises up, the force of any wind that
day. The speed at which the fielder takes off,
the distance he has to judge and so on. If any
of these variables changes during the effort, the
fielder’s body has to adjust and accommodate
those changes. Most of this occurs automatically
without any conscious control on his part. In fact
his attempt to consciously correct the changes
would impede the process. So there is a built-in
corrective mechanism which works like a servo
mechanism in physics.
Needless to say, it may not work perfectly on
every occasion. This may be due to various fac-
tors including the fact that conscious efforts to
control the outcome on the part of the fielder

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may hamper the process. I believe that

Attention-Intention there are some things we can do to help or
Dr Chopra is the author of more than 50 books hamper this process. Any top athlete will
translated into over 35 languages, is a fellow of the tell you that after a certain stage has been
American College of Physicians and a senior scien- achieved by physical training and practice,
tist with The Gallup Organisation. An excerpt from it is always the mental process that gives
a talk on the healing quest. him an edge. But here is the catch: it is not

P eople think, “Oh, intention is just a thought. necessarily more mental effort; in fact less
Actually, intention is like a force in nature. Just effort may work better. It is about under-
like electro magnetism is a force in nature. So too, intention is standing the quality of the mental energy
a force in nature. that is required.
“In biology, we have a term called Teleology. It is a term that Remember Nissar’s experience with his
went out of fashion a while ago but it is coming back. The principle wife’s ID card?
of teleology tells us that if you want to know about the mechanism It is not about the intensity of the inten-
of a biological phenomenon in evolution, for example, then you tion effort; it is about affirming a sim-
have to know what the intended outcome is. ple, direct intention and then stepping
“If you want to know how birds had wings, then you have to say, back, letting go, staying detached from
what was the intention? Of course, the intention was to fly. the outcome, and letting the creative
“Amphibians became birds, and classical Darwinian Theory principle take over.
says, “Oh, that was random adaptation to environmental forces
Some cricket coaches and players have
and you know, the amphibians developed feathers and they were
told me that this method has helped them
able to fly….”
take their game to a different level.
“If you just develop feathers, you are actually a weaker species
Santhkumar had an intention at the
because the other animals will come and eat you up. You have
to simultaneously develop feathers, a new born structure, a new beginning of a five-day retreat he attended
muscular skeletal system, a new metabolism and that requires a along with his wife. “I am experiencing
simultaneous, inner dependent co-arising of many things that is deeper connection with my wife”. At the
orchestrated by intention. end of the retreat, his wife went out shop-
“So, intention is a force in nature that at the deepest levels of na- ping and returned with a stack of the books
ture causes the simultaneous co-arising of inter-dependent events. he was most longing to read, although he
It is quantum creativity that an intention creates. had not mentioned their names to her.
“If you want to heal yourself, then first of all, you have to have For him, there couldn’t have been a more
clarity of what your intended outcome is. significant proof of the new connection
“Your intended outcome can’t be in negative terms, “I don’t between them.
want to have heart disease, I don’t want to have cancer…”.
“The intended outcome is, “I want to be physically and mentally Reframe your goals
active, to have increased physical and mental capacity, I want to
Many individuals have difficulty in dis-
have time to have fun with my children and my family, I want to be
tinguishing the affirming of an inten-
able to run up the stairs…”
tion from the statement of their goals.
“When you have clarity of that intention in consciousness, then
This requires some introspection and prac-
you must feel it, you must smell it and you must be it.
“And then you introduce that intention into consciousness,
tice. In the beginning it may be helpful to
and when in meditation, you go to a field of silence and intention or- turn to a mentor or counsellor for sugges-
chestrates its own fulfilment and becomes a very powerful force.” tions. I like to think of this part as refram-
ing. For example, instead of stating the goal

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as “I want to be a millionaire by the end limits. It helps me to acknowledge the abun-

of December 2012”, one can reframe this dance I already have; it helps me to focus on
as: “I experience abundance in my life” or action in the present instead of hopes and
“The abundant universe is available to me plans for the “future”.
now”. This does a few dramatic things. It Let me turn to the example of Maya, a
allows me to function in the Now. It opens young lady presently employed as a school-
up unlimited possibilities instead of setting teacher, who deeply desires “to become a

The Power of Intention

Psychologist Wayne Dyer, Ph.D., “All great spiritual masters
author of over 30 self-empower- are teaching what we’re talking
ment books, describes a new ap- about,” says Dyer. “They’re teach-
proach to fulfilment in his latest ing fogiveness. They’re teaching
book, The Power of Intention: kindness They’re teaching love.
Learning to Co-create Your World They’re not teaching wanting.
Your Way They’re not teaching greed.”
So the notion of seeking what

D yer has a different take on the

Law of Attraction. He calls it
the Power of Intention.
you want, or think you need, is
not what the Power of Intention
is all about. “The ego’s mantra is
“Most people’s mistake in try-
‘What’s in it for me? How can I get
ing to apply the law of attraction
more? I want a BMW in my drive-
is they want things; they demand
way next Thursday,’” he explains.
things. But God doesn’t work that
“All of that is what most spiritual teachers call the false
way,” continues Dyer. “It’s all about allowing.”
self – the ego.”
Dyer refers to the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tzu.
According to Dyer, the process of allowing, just being
“He says in there, 2,500 years ago, if you live from these
and embracing this heightened level of consciousness,
virtues, then all that you could ever need or want could
goes back not to attracting what you want, but attracting
be provided for you.” Dyer excitedly retrieves his personal
what you are.
copy of the book, leans forward and reads the words that
“You have to just be. You have to let go. You have to
touch him so deeply. He explains how virtue is a very im-
allow. You have to be free and make this your conscious-
portant concept in the Law of Attraction.
ness.” He continues, “Basically, what you would see is
“This is called the Hua Hu Ching, written by Lao Tzu.
a frequency (of energy) that manifests itself through the
It’s the unknown teachings of Lao Tzu. Number 51 says,
process of giving, of allowing, of offering and of serving.
‘Those who want to know the truth of the universe should
It asks nothing back.”
practice the four cardinal virtues. The first is reverence
Dyer illustrates the concept of giving without expecta-
for all of life. These manifest as unconditional love and
tions by quoting the great poet Hafiz: “Even after all this
respect for oneself and all other beings. The second is
time, the sun never says to the earth ‘you owe me.’”
natural sincerity. This manifests as honesty, simplicity and
Excitement and energy permeate the room as Dyer fin-
faithfulness. The third is gentleness, which manifests as
ishes his thought, “Just think of what a love like that can
kindness, consideration for others and sensitivity to spir-
do. It lights up the whole world.”
itual truth. The fourth is supportiveness. This manifests as Excerpts from interview By Valarie Griebel,
service to others without expectation of reward.” Successful Living

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famous movie star”. After a period of

The intention experiment reflection she realises that she is trying
Lynne McTaggart is the award-winning author of five to fill an unfulfilled need to express her
books, including the international best-selling sensa- deepest emotions, to be acknowledged,
tions, The Field and The Intention Experiment. respected, and admired. She then attempts

T he Intention Experiment is the largest mind over to reframe her goal and says: “My deepest
matter experiment – a series of web-based experi- emotions are expressed harmoniously”.
ments with Lynne McTaggart and leading scientists She sees the opportunity of having beauti-
around the world to test the power of our thoughts to change the ful, young enthusiastic talent right in front
physical world. of her. She gets together a group of students
The Intention Experiment, voted a top Amazon 100 by readers and and teachers and puts on wonderful plays
now a worldwide sensation, is the first book to provide all the scien- and concerts. She is able to find her own
tific evidence about human intention. It is also the first to show you avenue of self-expression and also help
how to use this power in your life, individually and collectively ac- others to find the same. She is on the way,
cording to all the principles that have worked both in the laboratory instead of wishing and hoping and waiting
and among ‘masters’ of intention. to be “discovered”.
With the aid of a team of highly prestigious scientists from labora- Here is one very subtle but important
tories around the world, you can take part in the largest mind-over- distinction about taking action in the pres-
matter experiment in history. ent moment. Maya could have gone about
Technique and practice looking for contacts that could lead her to
Anyone can learn to do effective intention in their life, but it does directors or auditioners; thinking that she is
require some learned techniques. taking action in the present moment. Look
To find out how to ‘do intention’, Lynne McTaggart interviewed closer; wouldn’t that be taking action now
many intention masters – Qigong masters, Buddhist monks, master for the future? Vijay could go looking for
healers – as well as scientists. publishers for his book that he wishes to
She extrapolated this programme from the common practices of write, believing that he is taking action in
all these diverse healers, plus scientific evidence describing circum- the now. But that again, is taking action in
stances that created the most positive results in mind-over-matter the present moment for something focused
laboratory experiences. on the future!
From this research she offers a blueprint for using intention effec- Both Maya and Vijay will be taking
tively in your own life through a programme she calls Powering Up action in the present moment when they
which is available in her book, The Intention Experiment. just start doing what they say they wish to
Some basics of the programme: do; the rest is automatic.
• How to choose a special intention space. Kiran Gulrajani, founder of
• How to power up through meditation. CoEvolve & Enable and trainer of Tao
• When to move into a state of peak focus. of Facilitation, says that he writes
• How to state your intention and make it very specific. down ‘I am so happy and grateful now
• How to mentally rehearse every moment of it.
that…' as if it has already happened and
• How and when to visualize, in vivid detail, your intention
holds it lightly, honouring what is emerg-
as an established fact.
ing. He adds: "I also sometimes request
• The best timing – which are the best days for doing intention.
people to hold the intention for me; for
• How to surrender to the universe’s power and let go of the outcome.
there is power in co-creation; it really
[Link]
works wonderfully.”

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Only a few years ago, I was considering doing

workshops at corporate houses. My intention
was to share what I was already doing, but
in a different set-up. I decided to shift my
daily schedule around in a way that freed up
some time for me during the morning hours.
This would have allowed me to meet Human
Resource Personnel in order to offer my work-
shops. I took action in the present moment; that
of re-arranging my day and freeing up some
time. Within a week, a client came in for a con-
sultation. He was the CEO of a company that
offered training programmes to the corporate
world. At the end of the consultation, he asked,
“I have an entire team to take care of sales and
marketing; would you be interested in facilitat-
ing corporate programmes?”!
So here is what I recommend. Begin by
stating the goal or goals in whatever fashion
they come up. Then spend as much time as
needed to examine what lies under those
thoughts and desires. Get in touch with your
inner core self as honestly as possible. Identify
the Core issue. Reframe it as accurately, con-
cisely as possible. Try different statements till
you hit on the one that feels most natural and
true. Now, find a quiet time and say it out loud
and clear. Then, leave it to the Universe. Turn
your attention to the present moment, to your
present life. Just be in a receptive mode and
observe whatever happens and continue to act
as opportunities arise. Stay detached from the
outcome. If there is any resistance, anxiety, fear
etc, use tools and methods that bring about a
state of balance.
Take action in the present moment with
what you have in the Now, allow the Universal
Creative Energy to unfold its dynamics, detach
from specific outcome, continue to take action
doing what you enjoy doing, focussed only on
the present moment. [
Jasmine Bharathan is a therapist. Her website is [Link]
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article.
Mail us at editor@[Link]

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