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 mindfulness awakening factor. (MN 141)
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One form that
effort takes in Buddhist practice is the rousing of latent tendencies
and dormant traits, encouraging them to rise into conscious awareness as
active mental and emotional states. The more frequently you do this,
the more likely these states are to become the natural inclination of
your mind. And once aroused, healthy states such as mindfulness need to
be reinforced and maintained by deliberate choice.
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Throughout the
day, remind yourself often to be mindful, to be consciously aware of
what you are doing or feeling or thinking. And once you establish the
presence of mindfulness, make a further effort to sustain it over time.
Mindfulness, once established, needs to be reestablished moment after
moment. Each moment is a new beginning and a new opportunity to bring
clear awareness to all you experience.
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Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects and the Fourth Jhāna
One week from today: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States
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