Post # 54- The Four Right Exertions (samma-padana);
Are you visiting this Blog for the first time? It would be
good if you could visit the 1st Post to know about this Blog
and then read the others in sequence.
We
saw in Post # 41 and Post # 42 that
the Buddha has referred to 37 factors that assist in realizing
the world transcending wisdom which in the Pali language are termed as sath
tiss bodhipakkhiya-dhamma. It is the ultimate wisdom known as Awakening.
These 37 factors are grouped under seven sets based on their focus and
emphasis.
I will in the Post, list out
some details on the ‘Four Right Exertions’ (samma-padana), - one of the seven
sets consisting of the 37 factors referred to above - for your consideration.
The following is an extract from the web, presented here for your easy
reference.
If the Buddha
were here today he would probably say, “If you want to change your life, then
start by changing your thinking.” In the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha
taught that the way to happiness is to practice ‘Right Effort’, meaning that we
should relinquish negative and harmful thoughts and instead cultivate positive
and beneficial ones. Peace and happiness can really be one thought away
provided we know which thoughts we need to let go of and which ones we should
cultivate and encourage.
The Four Right Exertions ( sammappadhāna) are an integral part of the Buddhist path to Enlightenment. Built on the insightful recognition of the arising and
non-arising of various mental qualities over time and of our ability to
mindfully intervene in these ephemeral qualities, the Four Right Exertions
encourage the relinquishment of harmful mental qualities and the nurturing of
beneficial mental qualities. The Four Right Exertions are associated with
the Noble Eight-fold Path factor of "right effort" (sammā-vāyāma); and the faculty -
"energy" (viriya) in the Five Spiritual Faculties and Five Spiritual Strengths;
and one of the aforesaid seven sets of qualities conducive to Enlightenment . The Four Right Exertions are found in the Vinaya Pitaka,
Sutta Pitaka, Abhidhamma Pitaka and Pali commentaries. These are presented below.
Four Right Exertions
The Four Right Exertions (cattārimāni sammappadhānāni)
are defined with the following traditional phrase:
"There is the
case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds
& exerts his intent for:
·
the sake of the non-arising [anuppādāya]
of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen.
·
the sake of the abandonment [pahānāya]
of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen.
·
the sake of the arising [uppādāya]
of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen.
·
the maintenance [ṭhitiyā],
non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful
qualities that have arisen."
This elaboration is attributed to the Buddha in response to
the following questions:
·
"What is right
effort?" in the context of the Noble Eight-fold Path
·
"What is the
faculty of energy?" in the context of the Five Spiritual Faculties and such Strengths
·
"What are the
four right strivings?"
In a section of the Anguthara Nikaya known
as the "Snap of the Finger” section, Accharāsaṇghātavaggo), the Buddha is recorded as stating that, if a
monk were to enact one of the four right exertions for the duration of a snap of the fingers, then "he abides in
jhana, has done his duties by the Teacher, and eats the country's alms food
without a debt."
With ‘Right Effort’ we
come to that part of the Noble Eight-fold Path which is concerned with the mind
and mental states. Effort can sometimes mean physical exertion, but more often, and especially here, it is exerting the will constantly towards a particular
goal. This needs to be done in a way which can be sustained, rather than
subjecting ourselves to a level of stress we cannot keep up. But nevertheless,
progress towards Enlightenment can only be made by constantly trying.
Traditionally ‘Right
Effort’ is analyzed into the four exertions, which are - preventing,
eradicating, developing and maintaining. They are as said before, preventing
the arising of unskillful thoughts, eradicating unskillful thoughts that have
already arisen, developing skillful thoughts, maintaining skillful thoughts
which have already arisen
What constitutes "unskillful" or
"unwholesome" (akusala) and "skillful" or
"wholesome" (kusala) qualities is taken up in the Abhidhamma Pitaka and
the post-canonical Pali Commentaries .
In general, the unskillful states are the three defilements ( kilesa ): greed (lobha), hatred (dosa)
and delusion (moha), and the Skillful states are the opposites.
That is non-greed (alobha), non-hatred (adosa) and non-delusion (amoha).
'Skillful' and
'unskillful' terms used in Buddha Dhamma
are to translate the Pali terms
kusala and akusala.
That is, those that are helpful in working towards enlightenment and
unhelpful in working towards enlightenment. Explaining them this way will help avoiding
some of the assumptions we might make when talking of good or evil.
By working in these four
ways we can produce the overall result of having more skillful thoughts and
fewer unskillful ones. This can be elaborated as follows:
1. Preventing the
arising of unskillful thoughts - involves the attempt to remain aware of ways in which we
might be influenced by what we experience, and how this might give rise to
greed, hatred, or ignorance. After you’ve exposed yourself to temptation to a
certain extent, habit is likely to take over: so the best way to change your
habits is to avoid the situation which produces the temptation to begin with.
2. Eradicating unskillful
thoughts which have already arisen -supposing you haven’t avoided the situation. You have
exposed yourself to the sense-experiences which give rise to unskillful mental
states, and those unskillful mental states have arisen. You can still do
something about this, according to Buddha
Dhamma. Exactly what you can do depends on the type of unskillful mental
state: unskillful mental states correspond to the Five Hindrances which prevent
concentration in meditation: greed, hatred, doubt, restlessness & anxiety,
and sloth & torpor.
There are four common techniques
which can be used for dealing with any of these types of unskillful mental
states:
·
Considering the
consequences: Reflect on what will happen if you carry on in this mental state.
The more strongly you can envisage this the better, because you may then look
beyond the current situation enough to change your attitude.
·
Cultivating the
opposite: Some of the hindrances are opposed to another hindrance: so greed is
opposed to hatred and sloth is opposed to anxiety, whereas doubt is opposed by trust,
a positive quality. So if you’re in a greedy state of mind you can think about
what’s hateful or unsatisfactory about the object of your greed, or if you’re
in a state of anxiety you can try and calm down by measured breathing etc.
·
Detachment: You can just
let the unskillful thoughts pass like clouds in the sky. You just witness them
as an impartial observer and detach yourself from them, or alternatively analyze
it psychologically.
·
Suppression: A last
resort is to simply exert strength of will to force yourself not to think in
this way. This is not always advisable (because there will be a backlash from
the suppressed feeling later) unless you have to act in this way to avoid
acting immorally.
3. Cultivating skillful thoughts - involves the converse of preventing the arising of unskillful thoughts.
Rather than just negatively avoiding putting yourself in situations where unskillful
thoughts are likely to arise, you positively put yourself in situations where
skillful thoughts are likely to arise. This might mean spending time with
friends who are wise and compassionate, or doing some meditation activity which
one knows to be liable to produce wholesome thoughts, or deliberately dwelling
on positive thoughts. Some forms of visualization such as visualizing a Buddha
or bodhisattva who is associated with skillful thoughts. By using such a symbol
one constantly puts oneself back into a skillful frame of mind through
association.
4. Maintaining skillful
thoughts which have already arisen - Once skillful
mental states have been developed, it is very easy to slip out of them, so it
is necessary to stay on one’s guard. So again, this exertion may mean avoiding
unhelpful influences, as well as practices such as regular meditation which
help to keep up skillful mental states.
I hope the above
elaborations gave you enough tools to work with to gain these important skills
to build up the 37 factors that assist
in realizing the world transcending wisdom. Please await a Post on the Four Bases
of Power, which is next in line on the seven sets of the 37 factors.
