Volition

Volition (cetanā) is the mind's intention or willing — the active drive that organizes your thoughts, words, and actions toward a goal. It matters because in early Buddhist teaching it is the very heart of kamma: the Buddha said "it is intention that I call kamma," so the moral weight of what we do comes from the intention behind it, not just the outward act. Notice it in the small moment before you reach for your phone or speak a sharp word — that quiet "yes, do this" is cetanā at work.