The Gautamid, later referred to as the Buddha, I think was clear in the Pali Cannon in stating that action born of intent is the source of karma. Now the difficulty is that rather the intent is for good or for evil or for neither, the result is nevertheless karma if there is intent. Making waves, as it were.
The Gautamid taught that intention gives rise to a station of consciousness, from which the graspings ultimately emerge (grasping after self with regard to body, feeling, mind, habitual activity, or consciousness). The existence of the graspings is synonymous with suffering; “my body, my feeling, my mind, my routine, my consciousness”.
The practice the Gautamid said was his own, both before and after enlightenment, was the intent concentration on in-breaths and out-breaths. At the same time, he described this practice as a thing satisfactory in and of itself, without regard to any attainment. His practice began, he said, with sitting down cross-legged, holding the body erect, setting mindfulness in front, and being mindful of inhalation, mindful of exhalation.
It comes down to this: there are physical practices of prayer, in the lotus, on the knees, doing the Sufi zikir or dancing, doing Tai-Chi, and these practices focus attention on action that arises from the stretch of ligaments without the exercise of volition. The extent of the movement of breath in and the extent of the movement of breath out guides the extent of the stretch and activity appropriate in the instant. The place of occurrence of consciousness is the embodiment of stretch and breath, and the impact of the occurrence of consciousness on the fascial stretch aligns the spine and allows feeling throughout the body and to the surface of the skin. When we witness how the place of occurrence of consciousness can be conditioned by attachment, aversion, or ignorance, the witness frees the occurrence of consciousness.
There’s nobody there, the only real practice is the one that’s necessary to breathe and stretch and feel at the moment, and somehow I need the lotus to find the intuition of my heart.