The Shaman and Intent

 There are 3 elements to being a Shaman: intent, emotional control, and impeccable skills. Here we will look at purpose.

"Intent is not a thought, or an object, or a wish. The intent is to make a man succeed when his thoughts tell him that he is defeated. It operates despite the warrior's indulgence. The intent is what makes him invulnerable. The intent is what sends a shaman through a wall, through space, to infinity." - Carlos Castaneda.

The intent is to manipulate this reality for anything, including healing and manifestation. Reality is quite malleable, really. It is just that we don't use our will or intent to make it the best it could be.

"Inflowing thoughts come to an end in those who are ever alert of mind, training themselves night and day, and ever intent on nirvana." - Buddha.

Often we say we want something, but deep down in our hearts, we really don't want that. And then we cry out in anguish because we don't have that "thing" in our lives.

Science is nothing but developed perception, interpreted intent, common sense rounded out and minutely articulated." - George Santayana.

Our reality is completely and entirely based upon our intent. You say, How can that be? I did not create this world, this country, or this house. But you accept the intentions given to you by your parents, relatives, school, community, and society. We have been taught as babies to accept the realities of others for generations. This is simple psychosociology 101. We are even prepared to fear anything but these realities, so life changes at a plodding pace indeed!

So yes, you aligned your intent for housing to that of your relatives. Your idea of social success is the same intention as your society at large. This is not necessarily a bad thing! But it shows the power of intent. One more example is the phrase we hear "If it is not good for me or meant to be, then God will not give it to me." This is probably an excellent intent to inherit because you intend only good things for yourself this way. Without intending only good things somehow, you would have to assume responsibility for all the bad things that happen. Get my drift? You are responsible.

"It is a sign of considerable advance when a man begins to be moved by the will, by his own energy self-determined, instead of being moved by desire, i.e., by a response to an external attraction or repulsion" Annie Besant, The Ancient Wisdom.

So how do we bring more good things into our lives?

By intending only good things. Dwell only on good things. Whenever you think of a negative thought, immediately replace it with a good intention. Picture abundance in your life. Practice looking for goodness around you. Intent creates your reality-what do you intend for yourself? For others? You know the phrase, "Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it" I guarantee you will get what you really wish for.

First, you must be in touch with your real wishes, not just your fantasies. Your real wishes are the ones with emotional buttons on them. The wishes that make you cry or scare you enough to make you cringe or bring a huge smile across your face just thinking about them. They are buried deep inside and sometimes really echo other people's intentions for you. For example, if your father intended for you to be a doctor, but you didn't want to do that, you may still walk through your life without a purpose because you accepted your father's intent for you all along. This is the stuff counseling is made of.

But for a Shaman, it is using intent properly now that can heal issues of soul loss like that for others. All healing begins with intention. Unless the patient himself intends to get well, the reality will be his own intent of illness.

This knowledge can be very frustrating to the healer who knows that complete healing is just a change of mind away. But the intent is free will, and no one has the right to usurp another's free will. I often wept bitterly before the campfire for those who chose to suffer rather than to heal. There is only one reason for the intent to not heal, and that is fear.

Isn't it odd that people fear to change more than anything else in life? And yet, that is the one thing guaranteed with your passage! So I invite you all to embrace change. Embrace each new day, each gray hair, each meal, each encounter, and each tiny adventure of every day. Learn to enjoy the most natural thing in life - change. And learn to use it to your advantage.