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 1^st 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.