We have to be careful and cautious in each action we undertake
and avoid behaving recklessly, since we alone are responsible for the consequences of our actions. According to Buddhist doctrine, among the various consequences of our actions, the ill-effects of harmful physical and verbal actions are not as serious as the ill-effects of harmful mental actions. Our motivation is what is most important, so ultimately, it is mental actions that determine the seriousness of a misdeed. For instance, sometimes when we lack mindfulness, we might accidentally hurt or even kill other creatures by the simple act of throwing a stone. Such careless actions that unintentionally harm others are not as serious as intentionally harmful deeds that are motivated by negative mental actions such as thoughts of ill-will and anger. Therefore, we should practice mindfulness in each action we carry out, since the results of our harmful acts will necessarily bring us unwanted consequences.