The Souls Pure Intention

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As to the creation of death, it has also a role in these distinctions, or rather it is the last link in the causative process of the emergence of distinctions in the realm of actuality.

For the criterion in the realm of actuality is the ultimate forms with which man makes the migration from mulk to malakut ; also, the criterion in the distinctions is the otherworldly malakuti forms that are acquired through the substantial and voluntary movements of the corporeal world. This also makes clear the relation of testing and trial to creation of death and life, without involving any ignorance on the part of God. This is because the relative fairness of deeds has been interpreted as their relative rightness, which in turn is made to depend on fear and sincerity of intention.

These are the inward forms of the soul, which make up the real distinctive features of the souls or are the manifestations of the hidden distinctions among the essences. And because of the fact that outward action affects the heart and the inward self, these distinctions are also brought about by deeds.

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Hence, the testing of deeds is also the testing of the essences. And if the noble verse were interpreted in accordance with its apparent sense and in independence of the exposition of the Imam A , even then the testing will have the above-mentioned sense, because the life in the present world and the creation of life and death by itself results in the distinctions that characterize good and evil acts. As to the creation of life, its significance is clear, and as to death, its significance in this relation also becomes clear when we know the ephemeral nature of worldly life and the necessity of transition from this transitory life which is, of course, accompanied with distinctions arising from distinctions of deeds.

You should know that in this noble tradition the rightness and goodness of action is made to depend on two sublime bases, which also constitute the criteria of their perfection and wholeness. One of these is the fear and awe of God Almighty and the other is the sincerity of intention and purity of purpose. Now we have to explain the relation between these two principles and the perfection of action and its rightness and rectitude.

The fear and awe of God Almighty leads to the taqwa and piety of the souls and these result in greater effectiveness of deeds. To elaborate, as mentioned in the course of the exposition of earlier traditions, every act, good or evil, has an effect upon the soul. Now if the act is of the category of acts of devotion and worship, its effect is that of making the physical faculties subservient to the intellectual faculties, making the malakuti aspect of the self-dominant over its mulki aspect.

As a result of it, physical nature is made subject to spirituality, until the soul reaches the stage of spiritual emotion and attains its essential goal.

Every act that increases this effect and discharges this service in a better way is more rightful and more effective in attaining the essential goal. Also, everything that has a role in this effectiveness has also a role in the rightness of action. Largely, this is also the criterion of relative merit in acts and the famous following tradition also refers to this point:.

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The best of deeds are those which are the most difficult. This is because taqwa, besides being one of the reforming agents of the soul, also affects the influence of inward and outward human actions and is the cause of their acceptability, as declared by God Almighty:. The second major factor in the rightness and perfection of actions which, in fact, is tantamount to their efficient force in the same way as the awe and taqwa acquired from them is equivalent to the condition of their effectiveness and which, in fact, purify the receptor and remove the impediments. Hence, the acts of such a person are not rightful.

Rather, it may be said that such acts of worship are purely for the sake of Satan and the carnal self. The good pleasure of God does not enter the intentions of a person performing such a kind of ibadah in order to be considered even shirk. However, God Almighty has accepted this kind of ibadah from us out of His expansive mercy and on account of our weakness, by allowing a degree of leniency; that is, He has bestowed upon it certain effects and attached certain favors to it so that if man should fulfill the outward conditions of its acceptance, and perform it with the presence of the heart, all those effects will follow and all the related promises of reward shall be carried out.

What Are Pure Intentions? How Do They Work With Highest and Greatest Good?

There are other stations and degrees for them, which escape description and lie outside the scope of this discourse. The heart must be vacated of every other thing and there should be nothing in it except God in order for worship to be sincere, as mentioned in a noble tradition of al-Kafi. Indeed, He has meant by it the purity of heart nothing except zuhd in regard to the world so that their hearts may be made ready for the Hereafter.

Of course, the heart which is occupied with non-God and contaminated with doubt and shirk - whether of the manifest jali or the concealed khafi kind - has no credibility in the sacred presence of the Lord. To the concealed kind of shirk pertains reliance on means and dependence on anything other than God. Similarly, there are various degrees of doubt shakk , some of which should be reckoned as manifest and some as concealed, which are caused by the weakness of conviction and feebleness of faith. Similarly, hesitation in matters is also on account of doubt.

Of the stages of concealed doubt is changeability and absence of stability in tawhid. Therefore, true tawhid means the dropping of relations, limits and pluralities, even the pluralities relating to the Names and Attributes, and fixation in it is purity from doubt. The purity of heart means absolute freedom from shirk and doubt. Accordingly, the world constitutes the complete circle of manifestation, and zuhd in regard to it necessarily entails purifying the heart of other-than-God.

Hence even one who has other-than-God in his heart and is attached to others - whether they be corporeal, mulki matters, or spiritual ones relating to hereafterly forms, excellences and degrees, and everything other than God - is a man of the world, not zahid in regard to it, being deprived from the true Hereafter and the paradise of Divine communion, which is the highest of the levels of paradise, although he may possess other degrees of spiritual excellences and attain to the sublime levels of paradise in the same way as the people of the world differ in regard to possession of worldly wealth and status but whose stations are far remote from those of the men of God.

You should know that various definitions have been suggested for ikhlas, to some of which that are prevalent among the people of the mystic path we shall briefly refer here. And the impurity mentioned here is a general one, including both that which arises from the desire to please oneself and other creatures.

This is the Din that God Almighty has chosen for Himself and cleared it from the taint of association with other-than-God, and He has said:. It is as if God Almighty has invited His servants by indicating and signaling to them that they should purify their souls from others and make them turn exclusively towards Him.

Spirit and Soul Language: The Power of Pure Intent.

And that your extinction in Him should be total, the Essence; the Attributes, the Acts and the din should cease to be relevant for you. Lo, until the allegiance is not purified by Reality, it will not belong to God. The worship of the sincere ones is the imprint of the manifestations tajalliyat of the Beloved and nothing passes through their hearts except the Essence of the One God. And although the horizons of possibility imkan and necessity wujub have been joined for them and they have attained proximity to the Essence tadalli-ye dhati and absolute nearness to the Real dunuww al-mutlaq al-haqiqi and the traces of otherness have been completely wiped out, they still perform the duties of servantship.

Thereupon the reward of a good deed performed secretly is written for him. Later, he mentions it to someone, and that which was written earlier is wiped out, and instead the reward of a good deed performed openly is written for him. Man is never secure from the evil of Satan and his self until the end of his life. He must not imagine that once he has performed an act solely for the sake of God, without desire for the good pleasure of creatures having played any role in it, the purity of his act shall remain secure from the evil of the vicious self.

Should he fail to exercise care and vigilance, the self may prompt him to make a mention of it or, as sometimes happens, to express it in the way of a subtle hint. For instance, wishing to impress people about his nightly prayers, the subtle machinations of the self may prompt him to pass a hint by speaking about the good or bad weather conditions at daybreak or about supplications or the call for prayer, thus making his acts invalid and unworthy.

Man must keep a watch over himself, like a kind physician or nurse, and not let the rebellious self get out of control; for a moment of neglect may give it the opportunity to break its reins and lead man into ignominy and perdition. Hence, in all conditions he must take refuge in God Almighty from the evil of Satan and the carnal self:.

This is because intention is the efficient motive of action and is subject to other goals. If someone possesses the love of office and position and this love becomes part of his spiritual makeup and character, the end of his desires is to reach that goal and the actions that originate from him are subject to that goal; his motive being the same sought-after object of his spirit, the actions that originate from him are directed to reaching the goal sought. As long as this love remains in his heart, his acts cannot be sincere, and one whose spiritual character and make-up are characterized by self-love and egoism his ultimate goal and end is attainment of selfish satisfactions, which are also the motive of his acts, regardless of whether his acts are directed to mundane goals or such otherworldly ends as the houris, palaces, gardens and bounties of the next life.

You see, God, The Angels, Source, Spirit, or whomever you talk with, already has the road map for your life. They can see where you are going and what would best serve you.

Most of us can just see today. Because of this, we have to trust that when something that we so strongly desire at the time does not readily manifest, it is not part of our road map, and therefore would not be for our highest and greatest good. This takes some discipline, and working with pure faith to fully embrace the fact that if you do not get something you want, it is a good thing. It sounds odd even saying it. But, that is the truth. Embrace this as your truth. When you do, you will spend far less time trying to push a square peg through a round hole…trying to make something happen in your life that is not designed for your better good.

I teach the simple two-step process — ask for something, then give it up to Divine. The second step is where most have the hardest time….. One cannot ask for help, give it to Divine, and then take it back to worry about it, dwell on it, stress on it, pray on it, just to give it back up to Divine the next day.

Like a revolving door asking for help, taking it back, asking for help and on and on. When you ask for help, ask for something you want or need, live in the full faith that it will be provided for you as long as it is designed for you.

Pure Intentions proves to be difficult in its own right to some. To do something with pure intentions means to be completely non-conflicted with your intentions. And there lies the problem. Your intention can be nothing short of pure- with no conflict. If you are asking for a new car, be specific.

Is it red, or white, or black? What brand is it?

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