Sunday 12 September 2010

ADB---Four efforts

Analytical dhamma for beginners

Four efforts*

Samma padhána; Samma, Pali, which means 'good, right, convenient; padhāna, Pali, which means effort, diligence. The four kinds of effort: to restrain, to abandon to develop, and to preserve. AN.ii.74.

Right effort. There are four kinds of sammappadhānas, which are the main subject of the sixth element of the Noble eightfold path:

Right Effort to eradicate the already prevailing impure mental states (akusalas).

Right Effort to prevent new impure mental states from arising.

Right Effort to acquire new pure mental states (kusalas).

Right Effort to develop the already prevailing pure mental states.

Four qualities which show that their possessor has entered on the path to surety, and that he is definitely bent on the destruction of the Āsavas: virtue, learning, ardent energy, wisdom. AN.ii.76.

The Buddha describes how, when he gave himself up to meditation in order to win Enlightenment, Māra (Namuci) came to tempt him with his eightfold army of lust, discontent, hunger and thirst, craving, cowardice, doubt, hypocrisy and stupor. But the Buddha was firm, and Māra retired discomfited. SN.vs.425 49.

The four right efforts: for the non arising of evil, for the abandoning of evil, for the arising of profitable states, and for the increase and fulfillment of such states. AN.ii.15; cp. DN.ii.120; MN.ii.11, etc.

*the 4 right efforts.: samma-ppadhāna; s. padhāna. Right effort. s. sacca (IV 6), magga (6) . - 5 elements of effort: padhāniyanga (q.v.).

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