The Journey of the Mind: Three Foundational Intentions on the Path to Liberation

Have you ever felt that although you have been practicing for a long time, your mind still wavers? Sometimes a single remark from someone makes you irritated, or an unpleasant event keeps you awake at night. Could it be that your path of practice is missing an anchor? In his final dharma talk of the year, Venerable Thích Chân Quang offered "The Journey of the Mind" — a profound look at the foundational intentions that every practitioner needs to build from the very beginning.

Three Essential Intentions That Cannot Be Missing

According to Venerable Thích Chân Quang, when a person wishes to practice toward liberation, the first step is not lofty philosophy, but the intentions within the mind. These are three fundamental practices: reverence for the Buddha, compassion toward all sentient beings, and humility toward oneself. These three intentions are the foundation of all subsequent practices. Without them, no matter which tradition you follow, no matter how elevated the method may be, your practice will easily stumble.

Reverence for the Buddha — The Foundation of All Practices

Reverence for the Buddha is the fundamental cause for one who wishes to attain liberation. Thầy Chân Quang emphasized: "First is reverence for the Buddha, because this is the fundamental cause for a person who wishes to attain liberation. Without this reverence for the Buddha, no subsequent practice can be established." Through revering the Buddhas, the Arahants, bodhisattvas, and true practitioners, we gradually come to sense their qualities: a liberated mind, purity, and boundless compassion. From this, those admirable qualities arise within our own minds, in accordance with cause and effect (karmic law).

It is because we understand the Buddha that we revere the Buddha.

Reverence for the Buddha is not merely words; it must be expressed in the daily act of bowing. Thầy taught that even if one practices until becoming a senior master, a lifetime of bowing to the Buddha is never enough. For bowing with reverence creates spiritual strength, helping us practice the deeper methods. This is meant for all disciples of the Buddha.

Compassion — Boundless Love for All Sentient Beings

The second intention is opening our hearts with love toward all sentient beings. It is not simply helping when convenient, but the aspiration to bring happiness and liberation to all beings across countless lifetimes. Venerable Thích Chân Quang explained that the compassion of the Buddhas is boundless and immeasurable, and it is an indispensable quality of a saint. A vivid example is Mahatma Gandhi — one who fought through non-violence yet never regarded anyone as an enemy, because of his vast love.

The compassionate mind must still be nurtured and developed so that it becomes the cause for future lives.

Even if we have not yet accomplished great deeds, the compassionate mind still needs to be nurtured like a seed. It dissolves selfishness, and thanks to this, the path of practice advances more safely.

A Humble Heart — Seeing Oneself as Small Before the Saints

Toward ourselves, the third intention is to always see ourselves as small and lacking. When compared with the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and the saints, we are but a speck of dust; and when compared with those around us, we should wish for everyone to be better than we are. This is the way to eliminate the self. Thầy Chân Quang also noted that some teachings sound very lofty but lead to arrogance, which is very dangerous. Choose only those teachings that make your mind more humble.

A humble mind is one that always sees itself as small, always sees itself as lacking.

These three intentions — reverence for the Buddha, compassion toward sentient beings, and humility toward oneself — are a solid ethical foundation. They must be cultivated throughout one's life and carefully guarded like protecting a treasure.

The Transition: Maintaining Purity

From these three fundamental intentions, the practitioner moves into the transitional stage — the determination to maintain purity. This is precisely the essential meaning of the precepts. Thầy explained that keeping the precepts is not about outward form, but about maintaining the purity of the mind. Whether bowing to the Buddha, sitting in meditative concentration, or doing anything at all, begin with the three intentions above. If they are absent, the practice will soon fall short. As Thầy warned: "Be careful — when your blessings from merit run out, trouble will come."

The path to liberation begins with the smallest intentions. Let reverence for the Buddha guide you, let compassion overflow, and let a humble heart illuminate each day. When these three branches are complete, the Bodhi tree will stand firm in every circumstance. Would you like to try beginning a new day with these three intentions?