user7792: "Chethanaham bikkawe kamman wadami". 

Dear Bikkhus, I introduce thought as karma. It is after having thought
  that we engage in action physically, verbally and mentally. (
  Nibbedhika sutraya)

My question is simple. Does thought or intention alone become karma? Or does it need to have certain characteristics (Sorry if this word is inappropriate) for it to become Karma? If intention alone is karma whether we engage in action in though, word or deed what is the point of good deed? 
 Can we just "think" that we are helping the poor and have good karma? Can we "think" that we are giving dhana to monks and have good karma? In the context of good karma, can we just have good intentions and thoughts of good deeds and get the same karma that we get from physically engaging in such activities?

user7571: As far as I understand, the better translation for "cetana" in English is "intention", and not "thought". That is an important difference in English which may not be so clear for someone from Sri Lanka (although I thought it must also be a clear difference in Pali and that Sri Lankan language should probably be much closer to Pali than English). But I am not really sure about this.
So that is where I think the misunderstanding could come from. You can think about doing something without actually intending to do it.
But only if you intend to do it (and of course that also involves thinking) you will actually do it (or at least make some initial movements to do it, or build up the inclination to follow through with it at some point).
And so I think that is the reason why the Buddha taught that

"Intention, I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, & intellect."
  AN 6.63

It could be interesting to find the reason why the Sri Lankan quotes of the Nibbedika Sutta here put "thought" in the translation, and if they have maybe come to a differently adopted meaning of "cetana" over time. Or if the usual English translations of cetana with "intention" are missing out somehow on the "thought" aspect. But it seems to me that it would be actually impossible to have an intention without thought. Or so I think.

user-1: 
My question is simple. Does thought or intention alone become karma?

As you implied, in the sutras, karma is defined as volition manifested through body, speech and mind. Karma can be thought as volitional action where "action" is any manifestation of "yourself", either externally visible (e.g. movements, words) or not (e.g. thoughts). Also, it seems that, at least from Buddhaghosa's lens, the volition and the action are not synonyms, but occur simultaneously (and there's no karma [fruits] without volition).
So a volitional thought is karma; is action. But, say, a different action than a physical movement, which is also different action from a utterance.

Or does it need to have certain characteristics (Sorry if this word is inappropriate) for it to become Karma? 

It needs volition to be karma, to be a [morally/karmically significant] action.

If intention alone is karma whether we engage in action in though, word or deed what is the point of good deed? Can we just "think" that we are helping the poor and have good karma? Can we "think" that we are giving dhana to monks and have good karma?

A volitional thought of helping someone is a karma of thinking of helping someone; it's fruits are those produced by the thinking of helping someone.
On the other hand, a [series of] volitional action[s] with a disposition of helping someone has as fruits those produced by all the actions that, performed with the disposition to help, helped someone.
The fruits are different, as the actions are different. 
Furthermore, it's not the appearance of an action that qualifies the karma (or if some expectations were fulfilled or not, e.g., if someone was helped or not), but whether the karma/volition is rooted in (non)ignorance, (non)hatred, (non)greed.

In the context of good karma, can we just have good intentions and thoughts of good deeds and get the same karma that we get from physically engaging in such activities?

No. Another way of thinking of karma results is the aggregates: your body, consciousness, perceptions, mental faculties, etc. One point of view would be to see "who you are" as the result of your past deeds. In this sense, "you" are the product of your actions (of body, speech and mind). 
Conventionally, if you are a person who "frequently thinks of helping people", then you end up becoming such person: "one who frequently thinks of helping people" -- you are not a person who engages in helping people, as helping people is not an activity you've been engaging at; thus, you should expect distinct karmic outcomes.
From my understanding, (and glossing over) how much commitment, time, energy is devoted to some performance, how much it demands from your mental and physical faculties (how much it reconfigures them, or how much it reenforces habits), then that much is the transformation that one suffers [the transformation of becoming], and so, as far as volition is involved, that much fruit is expected to ripen.

user295: Thought is what decides Karma. Same action with different motivation or volition can be bad or good depending on the motivation or volition. That is volition is what becomes Karma. 
If you follow though with your intentions then this can lead to rebirth linking Karma. If you don't it will be weaker Karma. 
If you have the volition but not the means to follow through then it will be a weak Karma as discussed above. 
Volition bears fruit based on the root and level of mental lethargy or whether you or someone else has to prompt or motivate you to do something. If you have the thoughts but not the desire to do it then the root are missing or very weak hence there is unlikely to be Karmic results. If there is lethargy but there is genuine desire, the roots weak but present hence will have diminished Karmic results. More than the thoughts, imagination of doing something, visualisation of doing something, what counts is motivation or volition or desire to do the thing, though such thoughts could lead to desire or motivation or volition to act. As discussed above all factors may not align to successfully follow through nevertheless karma is created but at different intensities of potential results. 

7792: <p>"<strong>Chethanaham bikkawe kamman wadami</strong>". </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Dear Bikkhus, I introduce thought as karma. It is after having thought
  that we engage in action physically, verbally and mentally. (
  Nibbedhika sutraya)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>My question is simple. Does thought or intention alone become karma? Or does it need to have certain characteristics (Sorry if this word is inappropriate) for it to become Karma? If intention alone is karma whether we engage in action in though, word or deed what is the point of good deed? </p>

<p><p> Can we just <strong>"think"</strong> that we are helping the poor and have good karma? Can we <strong>"think"</strong> that we are giving dhana to monks and have good karma? <p>In the context of good karma, can we just have good intentions and thoughts of good deeds and get the same karma that we get from physically engaging in such activities?</p>
 7571: <p>As far as I understand, the better translation for "cetana" in English is "intention", and not "thought". That is an important difference in English which may not be so clear for someone from Sri Lanka (although I thought it must also be a clear difference in Pali and that Sri Lankan language should probably be much closer to Pali than English). But I am not really sure about this.</p>

<p>So that is where I think the misunderstanding could come from. You can think about doing something without actually intending to do it.
But only if you intend to do it (and of course that also involves thinking) you will actually do it (or at least make some initial movements to do it, or build up the inclination to follow through with it at some point).
And so I think that is the reason why the Buddha taught that</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"Intention, I tell you, is kamma. Intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, &amp; intellect."
  <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.063.than.html#part-5" rel="nofollow">AN 6.63</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>It could be interesting to find the reason why the Sri Lankan quotes of the Nibbedika Sutta here put "thought" in the translation, and if they have maybe come to a differently adopted meaning of "cetana" over time. Or if the usual English translations of cetana with "intention" are missing out somehow on the "thought" aspect. But it seems to me that it would be actually impossible to have an intention without thought. Or so I think.</p>
 -1: <blockquote>
  <p>My question is simple. Does thought or intention alone become karma?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As you implied, in the sutras, <em>karma</em> is defined as volition manifested through body, speech and mind. <em>Karma</em> can be thought as volitional action where "action" is any manifestation of "yourself", either externally visible (e.g. movements, words) or not (e.g. thoughts). Also, it seems that, at least from Buddhaghosa's lens, the volition and the action are not synonyms, but occur simultaneously (and there's no <em>karma</em> [fruits] without volition).</p>

<p>So a volitional thought <em>is</em> karma; <em>is</em> action. But, say, a different action than a physical movement, which is also different action from a utterance.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Or does it need to have certain characteristics (Sorry if this word is inappropriate) for it to become Karma? </p>
</blockquote>

<p>It needs volition to be <em>karma</em>, to be a [morally/karmically significant] action.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If intention alone is karma whether we engage in action in though, word or deed what is the point of good deed? Can we just "think" that we are helping the poor and have good karma? Can we "think" that we are giving dhana to monks and have good karma?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>A volitional thought of helping someone is a <em>karma</em> of thinking of helping someone; it's fruits are those produced by the thinking of helping someone.</p>

<p>On the other hand, a [series of] volitional action[s] with a disposition of helping someone has as fruits those produced by all the actions that, performed with the disposition to help, helped someone.</p>

<p>The fruits are different, as the actions are different. </p>

<p>Furthermore, it's not the appearance of an action that qualifies the karma (or if some expectations were fulfilled or not, e.g., if someone was helped or not), but whether the karma/volition is rooted in (non)ignorance, (non)hatred, (non)greed.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In the context of good karma, can we just have good intentions and thoughts of good deeds and get the same karma that we get from physically engaging in such activities?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>No. Another way of thinking of karma results is the aggregates: your body, consciousness, perceptions, mental faculties, etc. One point of view would be to see "who you are" as the result of your past deeds. In this sense, "you" are the product of your actions (of body, speech and mind). </p>

<p>Conventionally, if you are a person who "frequently thinks of helping people", then you end up becoming such person: "one who frequently thinks of helping people" -- you are not a person who engages in helping people, as helping people is not an activity you've been engaging at; thus, you should expect distinct karmic outcomes.</p>

<p>From my understanding, (and glossing over) how much commitment, time, energy is devoted to some performance, how much it demands from your mental and physical faculties (how much it reconfigures them, or how much it reenforces habits), then that much is the transformation that one suffers [the transformation of becoming], and so, as far as volition is involved, that much fruit is expected to ripen.</p>
 295: <p>Thought is what decides Karma. Same action with different motivation or volition can be bad or good depending on the motivation or volition. That is volition is what becomes Karma. </p>

<p>If you follow though with your intentions then this can lead to rebirth linking Karma. If you don't it will be weaker Karma. </p>

<p>If you have the volition but not the means to follow through then it will be a weak Karma as discussed above. </p>

<p>Volition bears fruit based on the root and level of mental lethargy or whether you or someone else has to prompt or motivate you to do something. If you have the thoughts but not the desire to do it then the root are missing or very weak hence there is unlikely to be Karmic results. If there is lethargy but there is genuine desire, the roots weak but present hence will have diminished Karmic results. More than the thoughts, imagination of doing something, visualisation of doing something, what counts is motivation or volition or desire to do the thing, though such thoughts could lead to desire or motivation or volition to act. As discussed above all factors may not align to successfully follow through nevertheless karma is created but at different intensities of potential results. </p>
