2.2.4. Volition

“The intention, monks, is what I call karma; for having intended, one acts by body, speech, and mind.”
— Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.63

The inner machinery of karma turns on a single, pivotal axis: volition. If we wish to understand how actions bind us to future suffering—or lead toward freedom—we must first examine how choices arise, and what it is that actually chooses. This chapter explores the subtle forces beneath every intention, asking what it means to act, to will, and ultimately, to be. Volition is not merely effort or decision; it is the momentary impulse that initiates karma. And like all elements on our path, its true secret lies in emptiness.

The key to understanding karma is to see what occurs when we make a choice. Volition is the decisive spark upon which karma is formed. Often, choices arise habitually, and these become the most resistant to change precisely because they happen almost automatically. When we act out of self-interest, our choices are inevitably biased—especially when our understanding is undeveloped.

Remember: although there is ultimately no enduring self, we act as if there is—and so we strive to protect its interests and pride. Only when we deeply realise that no self can truly be found do we gain the motivation to examine not only our personal habits and traits, but also those rooted in culture and instinct.

Free will, a cherished tenet in Christian theosophy, is a kind of paradox—perhaps even a trap—laced with subtle irony. Humanity is offered the possibility of becoming like demi-gods: powerful, autonomous, yet confined to a brief and illusory life. But if one rejects this “offered existence” and looks deeper, the rewards—though not worldly—are immeasurably greater.

The sincere seeker, who follows the conventional path (rather than a demonic qlippothic descent), must abandon the fantasy of a normal existence. This includes relinquishing inherited hopes and conditioned dreams. We will explore this sacrifice more fully in Part Three.

The arahant, the fully enlightened being in Theravāda tradition, no longer holds any view of self. Without self, there is nothing to cling to—and thus no basis for choice. All karmically potent choices require a delusory sense of “I” and “mine.” When that illusion collapses, so too does the cycle of karma. In this way, the arahant escapes the rounds of future rebirth, which are driven by volitional formations (saṅkhāra).

To understand how volition creates karma, consider the unwholesome roots—attachment (lobha), aversion (dosa), and delusion (moha)—and the twelve types of unwholesome citta that emerge from them:

Imagine a child takes home another child’s toy, unaware it is wrong. One might assume this creates only minor karma—but in fact, it can be more powerful than if the act were deliberate. Why?

The child, innocent of wrongdoing, is utterly delighted with the toy. The attachment is total. When consequences come—say, the toy must be returned—the emotional pain is sharper. The child faces defiance, then shame. These experiences are potent because the sense of “mine” was never questioned.

By contrast, when we knowingly act greedily or unkindly, some part of us is aware. This awareness makes it easier to see the fault and eventually repair it. Recognition—not repression—is the key.

But do not attempt to suppress or forcibly control volition. That, too, arises from self. Instead, learn to recognise unwholesome states—greed, anger, confusion—as they appear. The more familiar you become with their flavour, the easier they are to interrupt.

In the next chapter, we will examine how these karmic seeds ripen through the process of resultant consciousness. For now, remember this: the road ahead is simpler than the one behind. Continue on.

Volition is where the wheel of karma begins to turn. It is the subtle pivot where illusion becomes action. By recognising this, we gain not only insight into our conditioning, but also the first tools to step beyond it. Let your understanding grow naturally, without force. What arises, passes. And with each moment of awareness, the future changes.

This text is excerpted from the upcoming book Albedo: A Course in Modern Alchemy. The complete volume will include additional study guides, glossaries, and extended teachings. Learn more about the book here.