10 (Day) Notes | Sutta Study @ Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields | Bhante Dr. G. Chandima

 

- Why in the West, right effort is slightly miscommunicated? 

-What is Sammā Vāyāma?

Katamo cāvuso, sammāvāyāmo? Idhāvuso, bhikkhu 

Anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati,

It’s when a mendicant generates desire, tries, instigates energy, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise.

Uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati, 

They generate desire, try, instigates energy, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up.

Anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati, 

They generate desire, try, instigates energy, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. 

Uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati, 

They generate desire, try, instigates energy, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are completed by development. This is called right effort.

Ayaṁ vuccatāvuso: ‘sammā vāyāmo’.

This is called right effort.

- Another way to see the four types of Right Effort (using a gardening project)

The first two are weeds which you do not want in your garden, Last two are about vegetables, flowers things you do want in your garden

1. To prevent unwholesome unwholesome states from rising (prevention)

2. To eliminate unwholesome mental states that have arisen (removal)

3. To maintain wholesome mental states that have arisen (cultivation)

4. To deepen and strengthen wholesome mental states that have arisen (preservation)  (watering, tending for optimal growth)

- What is Sammā Vāyāma's role in the Noble Eightfold Path?

- What is Viriya (energy) and its connection to the right effort? Why Viriya and Why not Samādhi? Viriya as a perfection? 

- What is ātāpī and its connection to the right effort?

ātāpī, sampajāno, satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. (MN 10)

ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful, after removing avarice and sorrow regarding the world.

- Is there an effortless effort? Is it hard work? Is it extraordinarily demanding work? 

That means in Buddhism there is effortless effort. The reason is, that a lot of people think that the effort is hard-working. We have to work hard for different reasons in our life. Sammā Vāyāma is not working hard. Many people nowadays are trying to work so hard. because it's for money. “Hardworking” and “Sammā Vāyāma” are two different things. Buddhism is a practice of cultivation, not mere hardworking. We have to understand that hard work is not Sammā Vāyāma. Hardworking is necessary, if you want to be successful, if you want to work well, if you want to earn good money. But it is not Sammā Vāyāma. The Buddhist idea of Sammā Vāyāma (right effort) is primarily a process in the mind, you can practice effort (Buddhist version) without effort (hard work mentally). So here effortless effort is a new kind of effort that the Buddha talks about.

- We should avoid 2 extremes, overly-effortful and overly-lazy.

(Sona Story).

With Soṇa (AN 6.55)

“What do you think, Soṇa? When you were still a layman, weren’t you a good harp player?” “Yes, sir.”

“When your harp’s strings were tuned too tight, was it resonant and playable?” “No, sir.”

“When your harp’s strings were tuned too slack, was it resonant and playable?” “No, sir.”

“But when your harp’s strings were tuned neither too tight nor too slack, but fixed at an even tension, was it resonant and playable?” “Yes, sir.”

“In the same way, Soṇa, when energy is too forceful it leads to restlessness. When energy is too slack it leads to laziness. So, Soṇa, you should apply yourself to energy and serenity, find a balance of the faculties, and learn the pattern of this situation.” “Yes, sir,” Soṇa replied.

After some time Soṇa applied himself to energy and serenity, found a balance of the faculties, and learned the pattern of this situation.

Then Soṇa soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life.

So in meditation, especially when you want to practice the Eightfold path, you should not be overly effortful or overly lazy. So those two ends must be avoided.

- Energy drinks and artificial energy?