One Must Put Forth Extra Intention, Effort, and Energy

Monks, though a Monk be not skilled in the habit of others’ thoughts, at least he can resolve: I will be skilled in the habit of my own thought. Thus, Monks, should you train yourselves.

And how is a Monk skilled in the habit of his own thought?

Just as if, Monks, a woman or man or a young child fond of self-adornment, examining the reflection of his own face in a bright clean mirror or bowl of clear water, should see there is a stain or speck and strive for the removal of that stain or speck; and when he no longer sees it there is pleased and satisfied because of that, thinking: ‘A gain it is to me that I am clean’;

So a Monk’s pondering is most fruitful in good conditions, thus:

Do I or do I not generally live with sensual desire (craving)?

Do I or do I not generally live with ill will in the mind?

Do I or do I not generally live possessed by complacency?

Do I or do l not generally live with restlessness and worry in mind?

Do I generally live in doubt, or have I crossed beyond it?

Do I generally live with anger or not?

Do I generally live with soiled thoughts or clean thoughts?

Do I generally live with body aroused or not?

Do I generally live sluggish or full of energy?

Do I generally live uncontrolled or well-controlled?

Monks, if on examination a Monk finds thus: I generally live with sensual desire (craving), ill will in mind, possessed by complacency, restlessness and worry in mind, doubtful, angry, with soiled thoughts, with body aroused, sluggish and uncontrolled - then that Monk must put forth extra intention, inclination, aim, effort, energy, mindfulness and concentration for the abandoning of those evil, unwholesome states.

Just as, Monks, when one’s turban or head is ablaze, for the extinguishing thereof one must put forth extra intention, inclination, aim, effort, energy, determined mindfulness and concentration, even so for the abandoning of those evil, unwholesome states…one must do the same.

But if on examination a Monk finds thus: I do not generally live with sensual desire (craving), ill will in mind, possessed by complacency, restlessness and worry in mind, doubtful, angry, with soiled thoughts, with body aroused, sluggish and uncontrolled, then that Monk should make an effort to establish just those wholesome states and further to destroy the fetters (taints or pollution).

(Reference: AN 10.51)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that a Practitioner can reflect on their own life practice to determine the state of their mind. Upon observing that the mind has sensual desire (craving), ill will, complacency, restlessness and worry, doubt, anger, soiled thoughts, body aroused, sluggish, or uncontrolled, then the Practitioner will need to “put forth extra intention, inclination, aim, effort, energy, determined mindfulness and concentration, even so for the abandoning of those evil, unwholesome states”.

If the Practitioner observes that the mind does not “generally live with sensual desire (craving), ill will, complacency, restlessness and worry, doubt, anger, soiled thoughts, body aroused, sluggish, or uncontrolled” then that Practitioner “should make an effort to establish just those wholesome states and further to destroy the fetters (taints or pollution)” by focusing on the elimination of The Ten Fetters.

The wholesome states The Buddha is referring to in this Teaching are the opposites of those that he is describing that are detrimental to the mind.

A Practitioner will need to eliminate the following unwholesome qualities of mind and cultivate the following wholesome qualities of mind to attain Enlightenment.

This is not a complete list of unwholesome qualities of mind and wholesome qualities of mind but instead, those unwholesome and wholesome qualities referenced in this Teaching.