Buddha Teaching: Right Effort.A worthwhile life means doing our best at all times and having good will toward others. This also means not wasting effort on things that harm ourselves and others.
The sixth factor of the Noble Eightfold Path is Right Effort.
This consists of four elements: the effort to avoid, the effort to overcome, the effort to develop and the effort to maintain.
The Effort to Avoid
The effort to avoid is to avoid the 'arising of evil'. If unwholesome thoughts should start to enter the mind - thoughts of ill-will, for example - we can turn our attention away from them and not let them intrude. Like someone bent on trouble who knocks at your door, you keep the door shut. The Buddha advises us to keep a close guard on our senses so that thoughts of attraction or aversion do not take hold.
The Effort to Overcome
If unwholesome thoughts have taken hold of the mind, however, we can attempt to overcome them by dispelling them. A useful analogy is ejecting someone from your house bent on doing you harm. 'He does not retain any thought of sensual lust, ill-will or grief; or any other unwholesome states that may have arisen; he abandons them , dispels them, destroys them, causes them to disappear'.
Additionally, the Buddha suggested five methods of dealing with unwelcome thoughts. First, think of another object which is wholesome. Secondly, consider that unwholesome thoughts will have bad karmic effects and lead to some form of suffering in the future. Thirdly, try to ignore such thoughts by not dwelling on them. Fourthly, dissect such thoughts, analyzing their origin and what they consist of. Finally, the Buddha suggests that 'with teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the gums, he should with his mind restrain, suppress and root out these thoughts; and in doing so, these evil and unwholesome thoughts of greed, hatred and delusion will dissolve and disappear; and the mind will inwardly become stilled and calm, composed and concentrated'.
The Effort to Develop
The effort to develop wholesome states such as benevolence and kindness is like inviting a welcome friend to your house. More precisely, the Buddha urges his followers to develop 'the Elements of Enlightenment': Mindfulness, Investigation of Truth, Energy, Rapture, Tranquillity, Concentration and Equanimity.
The Effort to Maintain
The effort to maintain is to make these wholesome states habitual to one's mind, like asking the welcome guest to stay permanently. 'He keeps firmly in his mind a favorable object of concentration that has arisen'.
The Buddha refers to these collectively as 'the four great efforts' and states that 'he who firmly clings to them may put an end to suffering'.
The Effort to Avoid
The effort to avoid is to avoid the 'arising of evil'. If unwholesome thoughts should start to enter the mind - thoughts of ill-will, for example - we can turn our attention away from them and not let them intrude. Like someone bent on trouble who knocks at your door, you keep the door shut. The Buddha advises us to keep a close guard on our senses so that thoughts of attraction or aversion do not take hold.
The Effort to Overcome
If unwholesome thoughts have taken hold of the mind, however, we can attempt to overcome them by dispelling them. A useful analogy is ejecting someone from your house bent on doing you harm. 'He does not retain any thought of sensual lust, ill-will or grief; or any other unwholesome states that may have arisen; he abandons them , dispels them, destroys them, causes them to disappear'.
Additionally, the Buddha suggested five methods of dealing with unwelcome thoughts. First, think of another object which is wholesome. Secondly, consider that unwholesome thoughts will have bad karmic effects and lead to some form of suffering in the future. Thirdly, try to ignore such thoughts by not dwelling on them. Fourthly, dissect such thoughts, analyzing their origin and what they consist of. Finally, the Buddha suggests that 'with teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the gums, he should with his mind restrain, suppress and root out these thoughts; and in doing so, these evil and unwholesome thoughts of greed, hatred and delusion will dissolve and disappear; and the mind will inwardly become stilled and calm, composed and concentrated'.
The Effort to Develop
The effort to develop wholesome states such as benevolence and kindness is like inviting a welcome friend to your house. More precisely, the Buddha urges his followers to develop 'the Elements of Enlightenment': Mindfulness, Investigation of Truth, Energy, Rapture, Tranquillity, Concentration and Equanimity.
The Effort to Maintain
The effort to maintain is to make these wholesome states habitual to one's mind, like asking the welcome guest to stay permanently. 'He keeps firmly in his mind a favorable object of concentration that has arisen'.
The Buddha refers to these collectively as 'the four great efforts' and states that 'he who firmly clings to them may put an end to suffering'.
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