In Jainism, both intention (bhāv) and the actual act (dravya-kriyā) matter – but they matter in different ways.

1. How Jainism looks at karma

Every action has two sides:

1. Bhāv (inner state / intention / passion)

- Your thoughts, motives, emotions (anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment, hatred, etc.). - This decides how strong, how long, and how painful/pleasant the karmic bondage will be.

1. Dravya (external act in body, speech, mind)

- What you actually do: killing, helping, lying, donating, insulting, etc. - This itself also attracts karma, even if done carelessly or without thinking.

Jain texts (like Tattvārtha Sūtra) clearly say:

• Intentional acts with passions bind heavy, long‑lasting karma.
• Unintentional or careless acts bind lighter, shorter‑lasting karma, but they still bind karma.

So, intention is not everything, and action is not everything – both are important.

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2. Is intention “more important” than the act?

In simple Jain terms:

• For the quality and intensity of karma,

intention (bhāv) is more important. - Pure intention → lighter, better karma (even from small actions). - Impure intention (ego, show-off, hatred, greed) → heavier, more harmful karma (even if the act looks “religious”).

• For whether karma binds at all,

the act (dravya) also matters. - If you cause real harm (hiṁsā), karma binds even if you “didn’t mean it”; but the bondage is weaker than if you did it with cruelty or joy.

So we can say:

> Jainism gives very high importance to intention, > but it never ignores the actual act.

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3. A few simple examples

1. Giving charity

- Small donation with pure heart, no ego → strong good karma. - Big donation only for fame, pride, photo‑op → much weaker good karma, sometimes mixed with bad (pride, competition).

1. Hurting someone

- Hurting with anger or cruelty → very heavy bad karma. - Hurting by pure accident, no anger, and with regret → bad karma, but much lighter.

1. Religious acts (pūjā, fasts, etc.)

- Done with right faith, humility, and non‑attachment → good karma and spiritual progress. - Done to show off, compete, or gain worldly status → less spiritual benefit, may even increase ego‑based bondage.

A JainKnowledge article on the Twelve Bhāvanās explains this idea very clearly: “It is not the action but the intention behind the action that results in the accumulation of karma.” You can read more here

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4. Digambar & Śvetāmbār view

• Both traditions accept:

- The distinction between bhāv‑karma (inner) and dravya‑karma (material karmic particles). - That passion-filled intention creates stronger bondage. - That actual acts of hiṁsā, even unintentional, still bring karma.

There is no major disagreement between Digambar and Śvetāmbār on the basic principle: purifying the inner state is central, but outer conduct must also be carefully guarded.

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5. In one line

As per Jainism:

• Intention shapes how heavy or light the karma will be,
• But the act itself also binds karma.

So, a Jain aims to purify both: pure heart (bhāv) and careful, non‑violent conduct (dravya).