Chapter 9 - How To Apply Basic Right Effort

RIGHT EFFORT is one of the fundamental components of a developed mind. Instead of "effort," the Buddha constantly used the words "right effort." The prefixed word "right" indicates that there is some sort of wrong effort, which is pressuring and futile.

Some people may associate the idea of making an effort with duration such as having a longer sitting meditation session. It is not entirely incorrect although we have to say that a long duration alone does not make the right effort. The ability to sit longer does mean something but not everything in the process of mental training.

The right effort is part and parcel of the Noble Eightfold Path, the only way the Buddha found to be leading to true and lasting happiness. This brings home that without discovering the middle way, we are not exerting right effort in our practice. It is then possible only with the help of bare attention, one of the many aspects of mindfulness where right effort can be found and put into use. An effort without mindfulness, indeed, can lead us to one or the other extreme. We may work too hard at times and give it up altogether at others.

At the beginning people are usually very enthusiastic about doing meditation. That is before they even see the whole picture of meditation practice. The kind of effort they make is connected to a belief that meditation can produce some miracle for them rather than right effort linked to confidence in meditation. Here the right understanding of the Noble Eightfold Path comes in as another important factor, without which there cannot be the right effort.

If we cannot accept that a wandering mind is just another meditation object, we may then be tempted to react and become disappointed. Enthusiasm can fade away easily. Some cannot accept pain as a meditation object. Instead, they want to get rid of pain. Therefore, being unable to accept something really destroys determination and can kill all our effort.

Courage to accept things as they are is one of the fundamentals of right effort. Actually, the Pali word "viriya" means both effort and a courageous act. Any failure or mistake does not easily discourage one once the right effort is established. The right effort is similar to a constant determination that is accompanied with some degree of right attitude.

Being punctual and regular in the practice is another way of cultivating the right effort. Life is always busy if we choose it to be in that way. We come up with many excuses not to meditate regularly. To sit and meditate for ten minutes everyday seems as hard as earning a million dollars. Some postpone starting meditation till late in their life. Lack of the right attitude means one is not capable of making use of the golden opportunity to learn meditation, train ones own mind and achieve peace here and now.

A good ten minutes sitting session everyday is extremely helpful to developing the right effort. We should not think that it is too little and makes no impact. The mind can perceive a lot in ten minutes, certainly much more than the eyes or the ears can do. One may go on increasing the duration gradually and surely. Once the duration is increased, one has to be very careful not to reduce it easily without consulting the teacher as that can damage ones self confidence and attitude. It is such a sensitive matter to deal with that one should only increase the time with the approval of ones teacher.

Technically, the right effort means to make an effort to remove our weak points and develop more good points. There are two kinds of weak points, ones that we already have, and others that we do not have. The weak points we have are removed through mindfulness. An effort has to be made when a weak point is discovered by the mindfulness. The weak points that we do not see in ourselves but are aware of in some one else have to be watched and reflected upon to ensure that they are recognised if we too harbour them.

Take, gossiping. We gossip about some one. Then through mindfulness, if we come to realise it as weak point, we should simply observe the desire to gossip and stop it. This is a weak point that we can see in ourselves. We should not blame ourselves nor indulge in it. They are the two extremes. Use bare attention to remove the weak point.

Nevertheless, if we see some one gossiping but do not get involved ourselves, we should just observe it as gossiping or the desire to gossip as appropriate. Do not blame that person nor should we join him or her.

It is the same procedure regarding good points. But we have to make an effort to develop the good point we see within us and try to acquire the one we see in others but not in ourselves.

All the unwholesome thoughts, speeches and acts are weak points and the opposites are good ones. In Pali, they are called akusala (asava) and kusala respectively. With skilful reflection the unwholesomeness will decrease and the wholesomeness increase. We have to start with mindfulness.

At the beginning there could be a bit of pressure. However, once the other factors such as bare attention, right attitude, right understanding and skilful reflection are developed, very little pressure is felt. There will be a constant willingness to continue with the practice even in difficult circumstances. The effort then has become effortless effort. This is exactly what is meant by "right effort".