By: BK Sheilu
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.thedailyguardian.com/view/2762/the-daily-guardian/15
Dated: July 26th, 2025

Moral teachings tell us that the legitimacy of any action is decided by the intention behind it. That is why when someone acts with sincere goodwill, but the outcome turns out badly, we tend to forgive or even honour that effort. Many religious traditions emphasise pure intention as essential to the ethical or spiritual legitimacy of an action. Even in law, intent often determines whether an act is criminal.

Actions performed with intentions such as promoting well-being, justice, or honesty, are seen as morally right. They are considered superior to kindly acts that are done with other motives. For example, donating to charity out of genuine concern for others is more ethical than doing so for personal gain or to impress others.

Actually, intentions reflect our state of mind, including our values, beliefs, and attitudes. They indicate whether we have acted out of compassion, duty, self-interest, or any other motive.

However, having good intentions is not enough. We may have noble intentions but never act on them — or act too late. For example, someone might intend to help the poor but never actually do anything concrete. We can also act on good intentions without understanding the full context or consequences. For example, giving money to a beggar on the street might feel generous, but if that money is spent on buying and consuming liquor, which harms the beggar’s health and leads to criminal behaviour, we contribute to doing more harm than good.

Actions, no matter how well-intentioned, can have unfortunate consequences if they are naive, poorly executed, and are actually unwanted but are still carried out because of overzealousness.

The phrase "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" is a warning about how good intentions, without thoughtful action or awareness of the outcome, can lead to damaging results. The effects of our actions and the responsibility taken for them are sometimes more important than the intention behind them.

This is what the law of karma teaches us. Karma refers to the principle of cause and effect. Most of us know, even if we do not remember it all the time, that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and that we reap what we sow. Positive actions generate good karma, while negative actions result in bad karma. Even a good deed done with a selfish motive may not generate good karma. Conversely, a lofty motive may end up causing suffering if it is misguided.

Sometimes we assume what is good for others, based on our own perspective. With a sense of superior intelligence or moral righteousness, we set about ‘helping’ people, believing that we are doing them a world of good, even as the hapless victims of our attentions pray for a quick end to our unwise exertions. Misplaced charity can go a step further, when good intentions are cited to justify actions that end up causing harm. “I was just trying to help” becomes a convenient excuse to avoid accountability.

The law of karma emphasises personal responsibility. Each individual is responsible for their actions and the consequences that arise from them. To be ultimately beneficial, good intentions must be accompanied by wisdom, humility, critical thinking, and a willingness to be accountable. Without all of these, they can cause real damage — even if they were meant to do good.

BK Sheilu is a Rajyoga teacher
at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.