The Four Efforts (Second Discourse)

Monks, there are these four efforts.

What four?

The effort to restrain, the effort to abandon, the effort to make arise, and the effort to watch over.

And of what sort, Monks, is the effort to restrain?

Here, having seen a form with the eye, a Monk is not entranced and does not grasp its general features or its details. Since, if he left the eye faculty unrestrained, evil unwholesome states of craving and aversion might invade him, he practices restraint over it, he guards the eye sense base, he undertakes the restraint of the eye sense base.

Having heard a sound with the ear …

Having smelled an odor with the nose …

Having tasted a flavor with the tongue …

Having touched a physical object with the body …

Having recognized a mental object with the mind, a Monk is not entranced and does not grasp its general features or its details.

Since, if he left the eye sense base unrestrained, evil unwholesome states of craving and aversion might invade him, he practices restraint over it, he guards the eye sense base, he undertakes the restraint of the eye sense base, wins the restraint thereof.

(Similar discourses are spoken in the case of the ear sense base, the nose sense base, the tongue sense base, the body sense base, the mind sense base.)

This, Monks, is called the effort to restrain.

And of what sort, Monks, is the effort to abandon?

Here, a Monk does not welcome sensual thought that has arisen.

So also with regard to harmful and cruel thought that have arisen.

He does not welcome evil, unwholesome states that arise from time to time, but abandons it, expels it, makes an end of it, he drives them out of renewed existence.

This, Monks, is called the effort to abandon.

And of what sort, Monks, is the effort to arise?

Here, a Monk makes to arise the limb of wisdom that is mindfulness...the limb of wisdom that is investigation of The Teachings... the limb of wisdom that is energy… the limb of wisdom that is joy… the limb of wisdom that is tranquility… the limb of wisdom that is concentration… the limb of wisdom that is equanimity, that is based on seclusion, on freedom from strong feelings, on elimination, that ends in surrender of the mind.

This, Monks, is called the effort to make arise.

And of what sort, Monks, is the effort to watch over?

Here, a Monk watches over the favorable concentration-mark, the idea of the skeleton, the idea of the worm-eaten corpse, of the discolored corpse, the cracked open corpse, the idea of the initiated corpse.

This is called the effort to watch over.

These then, Monks, are the four efforts.

(Reference: AN 4.14)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how to apply Right Effort to eliminate the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described in The Ten Fetters as sensual desire.

It is the mind having craving/desire/attachment through The Six Sense Bases that the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described as sensual desire remains continuing to cause discontentedness. Through the elimination of sensual desire, the mind can reside more peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy.

While Right Effort applies to multiple aspects of one’s life practice as described in The Eight Fold Path, this specific Teaching details how to apply Right Effort to eliminate the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described as sensual desire.

Restrain: Is to apply Right Effort to restrain the mind from longing and yearning with a strong eagerness for the objects of its affection through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. With the understanding that the mind having craving/desire/attachment through The Six Sense Bases for pleasant feelings and that evil unwholesome states will arise invading the mind, a Practitioner can then apply the effort to restrain the mind.

Rather than allowing the mind to grasp at forms, sounds, odors, flavors, physical objects, and mental objects, a Practitioner can restrain the mind training it to be inwardly content, thus, eliminating arising of pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant.

The unEnlightened mind that has ignorance (unknowing of true reality) will have craving towards pleasant feelings and aversion towards painful feelings. The mind will long for pleasant feelings and push away painful feelings rather than skillfully eliminate the causes and conditions that are creating these feelings to arise so they can be eliminated from future arising. With wisdom, a Practitioner can then apply determination, dedication, and diligence to actively train the mind on The Path to Enlightenment to eliminate the conditions that pollute the mind causing discontentedness such as craving, anger, and ignorance (unknowing of true reality).

Abandon: Is to apply Right Effort to abandon any arisen sensual desire not welcoming sensual thoughts while eliminating any harmful or cruel thoughts that have risen. A Practitioner does not welcome evil unwholesome qualities of mind to arise applies effort to eliminate any arisen unwholesome qualities of mind so that they will no longer arise in the future. Abandoning arisen unwholesome qualities of mind, the mind can be transformed, developed, and cultivated to reside peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy in the Enlightened mental state.

Arise: Is to apply Right Effort to arise those qualities of mind that produce wisdom taught by The Buddha as The Seven Factors of Enlightenment. Mindfulness, Investigation, Energy, Joy, Tranquility, concentration, and equanimity are The Seven Factors of Enlightenment and directly contribute to training the mind to reside in the middle.

A Practitioner will need to actively apply effort to arise The Seven Factors of Enlightenment to eliminate sensual desire. A Practitioner will need to practice Breathing Mindfulness Meditation and generosity, in addition to The Seven Factors of Enlightenment, to eliminate craving/desire/attachment that pollutes the mind through sensual desire.

What are The Seven Factors of Enlightenment?

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment are not to determine if someone is or is not Enlightened but instead, they are used to fine tune the mind bringing it to a balanced state - “in the middle”. If a Practitioner is noticing that the mind is not “in the middle”, as described in the Chapter titled “The Middle Way: Walking The Middle Way” (Chapter 6) of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1), use the associated factors of Enlightenment to move the mind to practicing the middle way.

When the mind becomes complacent, sluggish, lethargic, dull, or lazy, this is the time to practice the Enlightenment factors of Investigation, Energy, and Joy.

When the mind is excited, elated, ecstatic, euphoric, or over stimulated, this is the time to practice the Enlightenment factors of Tranquility, Concentration, and Equanimity.

The Enlightenment factor of Mindfulness is always useful and should be practiced in each and every moment. Mindfulness will need to be developed as part of training the mind through The Eight Fold Path using Breathing Mindfulness Meditation on a consistent and ongoing basis.

1.) Mindfulness: (Awareness of mind as described in The Eight Fold Path as “Right Mindfulness”.)

2.) Investigation: (Dedicated examination, exploration, research, study, and questioning to learn The Teachings.)

3.) Energy: (Effort, determination, ambition, initiative, motivation, vigor, and enthusiasm; willingness to do something.)

4.) Joy: (Pleased and delighted not associated with any specific object; unconditioned gladness; the Practitioner is not attaining it by craving/desire/attachment)

5.) Tranquility: (Relaxed, steadiness, stability, peacefulness, and stillness of mind.)

6.) Concentration: (Mental alertness, attentiveness, the ability to give your attention or thought to a single object or activity. “Singleness of mind” as described in The Eight Fold Path as “Right Concentration”.)

7.) Equanimity: (Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation; treating everyone impartially.)

Watch Over: Is to apply Right Effort to develop unattractiveness of the body supporting the elimination of sensual desire. This can be accomplished through training the mind using Meditation to Eliminate Sexual Cravings.

Detailed explanation of Meditation to Eliminate Sexual Cravings is available in this same book series found in Chapter 11 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).