RIGHT EFFORT
Maintaining Arisen Healthy States
Whatever a person frequently
thinks about and ponders, that will become the inclination of their
mind. If one frequently thinks about and ponders healthy states, one has
abandoned unhealthy states to cultivate healthy states, and then one’s
mind inclines to healthy states. (MN 19)
Here a person rouses the will, makes an effort, stirs up energy, exerts
the mind, and strives to maintain arisen healthy mental states. One
maintains the arisen awakening factor of mindfulness. (MN 141)
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The premier
list of healthy mental and emotional states includes the seven factors
of awakening, the first of which is mindfulness. It is good to practice
mindfulness frequently, for that will incline the mind to further
mindfulness. Right effort has a lot to do with developing and
maintaining healthy habits of mind and body. It is not always easy to do
the right thing, and it often takes effort, but it is invariably good
for us.
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The effort
required to sustain the state of mindfulness over time—that is, over
multiple mind moments in a row—is not the teeth-clenching discipline of
forced action but rather the gentle willingness to come back to the
present moment. See if you can access a way of understanding effort that
is easeful and natural rather than strained. Think of the effort you
put into doing the things you like to do—it is an easy effort.
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Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects and Abiding in the Fourth Jhāna
One week from today: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States
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