Questioner:
Dear Ly, when I have intentions, I create karma. So I try not to do anything with intentions and goals. This is also an intention. I have a question here. Because I find myself doing almost everything with a purpose. For example, in France, I am aiming to learn French well to communicate and live here. Or should I not be afraid of having intentions anymore because I haven’t reached the non-doing state yet?

Phan Y Ly:
The intention of the ego is different from the will to act in awareness of reality. When things go according to their own accord and because of the right view not interfered with by prejudice or thoughts that are out of touch with reality, the will will also be good.

Questioner:
Well, that means when the ego has an intention, it’s called inteference. Where else when we act based on the truth like, not because of greed, hatred or delusion, it is follow the flow. I wonder if wanting an easier life is greed? When do one need to know how to accept life and when to try harder? Each person has different standard of what is easy. When I  watched the movie on Buddha’s life, there was a dialogue where the Buddha told Anan like “not doing your best is a kind of waste”.

Phan Y Ly:
   Only the ego wants an easier life. And people with a clear and intellectual vision will see that life is life, the “easy” or “difficult” job lies in the ability to accept their life.

When we say “If its easy, it’s right”, it refers to the fact that the difficult becomes easy because there is no resistance.

“Not doing your best is a waste” is a correct saying.

Doing your best is acting on your best possible ability in accordance with truth, with reality. However, the greedy ego will translate that statement into “doing the opposite, doing more than one’s ability and more than what reality allows”.

The examples of this is when one find ways to control self-impression, force their will on others, harm themselves and others to achieve their goals.

Knowing when to do and when to stop.. comes from the ability to see reality as it is, free from notions and prejudices.

Reality includes: body, feeling, mind, situations, reality is not just the external circumstances.

Therefore, all experiences, lessons, inferences, immediate circumstances, body, emotions, feelings, hearings, seeings, etc. are all pieces of the puzzle that make up the ever changing reality.

Wisdom is the ability to perceive these factors as they are without being governed by any subjective factor.
From that clear insight one will know what to act and when. But most people will be influenced by circumstances, prejudices, or manipulated by emotions.

Questioner:
Is there a way to be less dependent on thoughts? Because of my inertia, I think a lot, so I often lose sleep every night because of the bombardment of thoughts.

Phan Y Ly:
“Having many thoughts” and “Believing in thoughts” are two different things.

Thoughts are like thw sound of crikets in the whole forest of reality. Being blinded by ones thoughts are similar to finding ways in the forest trusting only the sound of crikets.

The practice of observing the mind to see how the installed thoughts constantly bouncing around pretending to fit with reality – is the ultimate way to see and stop being fooled by them.