What about Right Effort?

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Psi, modified 10 Years ago at 3/24/14 2:04 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/24/14 1:48 PM

What about Right Effort?

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Hello everyone, I am sure this subject has been brought up before, ( barrage of links to follow), but if not, and anyway, some thoughts.

Right Effort , as I remember anyway, the formula,

First , to abandon an unwholesome state that has already arisen.

Second, to not let unwholesome state arise that has not yet arisen.

Third, to arouse a wholesome state that has not yet arisen.

Fourth, to maintain a wholesome state that has already arisen.

This formula, when practiced , without fail, every mindful moment one is capable of , should not be taken lightly.

With proper practice, one will eventually easily dismiss, anger, jealousy, etc etc (insert unwholesome state) And replace and sustain wholesome states, equanimity, joy, etc etc

Now, I am not saying this is the one catch-all practice, and have not given any how -to's, but, from experience, this just as important to practice as insight and tranquility, (not to mention the other five practices prescribed, for a total of eight, the eightfold path)

Anyway, are there others out there that can testify to the benefit of Right Effort?

Is Right Effort simply scoffed away under the rug? Same as done with Right Speech, etc?

Is it not understood how to practice Right Effort?

Right Effort coupled with Right Mindfulness has helped me greatly, how so?

Well, meditating diligently for a while, I timed and kept a log of every session, never missing a day, except one day on a
family visit. I had read a study that it takes 10,000 hours for a human to
master something, whether it was piano, ,baseball, golf, whatever. And adding up a year of meditation, it came to about 400- 700 hours of meditation a year. So, to be a meditation master, I would have to meditate everyday at the current rate for
about 20-30 more years! yikes..

That's about the time that the insight hit me, that is that mindfulness practice was meant to be 24/7, along with the inclusion of the other folds of the path, the practice potential grows to 5840 hours per year, (assuming 8 hours of sleep).

Open for discussion.

Metta

Psi Phi
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Richard Zen, modified 10 Years ago at 3/24/14 7:08 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/24/14 7:08 PM

RE: What about Right Effort?

Posts: 1665 Join Date: 5/18/10 Recent Posts
I'm enjoying the 7 factors of awakening as well. I think the brain has to get disenchanted enough before it can go 24/7. Right Effort also displays what is aversion versus what is actual tiredness.
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Psi, modified 10 Years ago at 3/24/14 9:16 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/24/14 9:14 PM

RE: What about Right Effort?

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Hello Richard, good to hear from you.

I should have been more clear on the practice being 24/7. What was meant was to constantly undertake the training to practice 24/7, not that one succeeds in every mind moment, but that one does not limit practicing to just a seated meditation posture and that one does not limit practice to just one insight method.

Have enjoyed reading some of your other posts and the neuroscience hormonal chemical viewpoint way you will explain the practice.

On that note it seems to be experienced that Right Effort is a way to hack the human brain/nervous/hormonal system, the formula in words is fairly easy to remember after a while, and then when put into actual practice it is actually all nervous system, hormones, chemicals, energy. Right Effort has nothing to do with words or verbalization, as neither does Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration, by the way, practiced correctly the inner verbalization in the mind is silent.


And yes indeed, the Seven factors are great to arouse, even necessary for progress, It seems that at one time I had thought that the Seven Factors would happen all on their own if I meditated enough, not so , The seven factors are also Seven Factors of Practice. The path to enlightenment is not a passive path at all.

Anyway, as you have alluded to before most likely, this practice and re-training of the mind makes changes due to the process of neuroplasticity.

This really is exciting stuff, instead of learning to play a guitar or a video game, practitioners are learning to play their nervous systems and mind, constantly fine tuning and balancing.

Anyway, What do you think, that Right Effort is same as using consciously chosen triggers to release and sustain a harmonious balancing of chemicals within the body. Like the simile of the Lute String, not to loose, not to tight, but tuned just right.

Peace

Psi
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Richard Zen, modified 10 Years ago at 3/25/14 7:40 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/25/14 7:40 AM

RE: What about Right Effort?

Posts: 1665 Join Date: 5/18/10 Recent Posts
I think the lute is a good metaphor. I find that when practicing this way (especially when abandoning unwholesome mind-states) you can see the uselessness of depression and many forms of anger. When the practice puts you in the "sweet spot" the mind is clear and I become much more functional. The effort can't stop there though. One needs to practice this way and go towards the habitual fears and challenge them so functionality goes beyond typical habit. Now that you feel better "DO SOMETHING!" emoticon
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Psi, modified 10 Years ago at 3/25/14 10:22 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/25/14 10:22 AM

RE: What about Right Effort?

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Richard Zen:
I think the lute is a good metaphor. I find that when practicing this way (especially when abandoning unwholesome mind-states) you can see the uselessness of depression and many forms of anger. When the practice puts you in the "sweet spot" the mind is clear and I become much more functional. The effort can't stop there though. One needs to practice this way and go towards the habitual fears and challenge them so functionality goes beyond typical habit. Now that you feel better "DO SOMETHING!" emoticon


Yes, exactly, one uses Right Effort to change and abandon old negative habitual tendencies, it is a very functional process , and one that works down to the deepest levels, especially when one contemplates with wisdom what something like fear actually is, i.e. fear is a release of chemicals which simply requires the antidote, or best scenario, the uprooting of fear which requires wisdom. After all one can not fall out of the Universe, so why have fear?

Functionality, yes, You have a practical common sense, what is functional here and now, now that is good investigation, and yes, putting it to work, Right Action.

Psi
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Richard Zen, modified 10 Years ago at 3/25/14 6:22 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/25/14 6:22 PM

RE: What about Right Effort?

Posts: 1665 Join Date: 5/18/10 Recent Posts
It's the thing I need the most right now. The habitual tendencies appear as soon as selfing happens. You could almost hear Yoda talk about habits "forever dominating your destiny". LOL!
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Psi, modified 10 Years ago at 3/25/14 11:42 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 3/25/14 11:42 PM

RE: What about Right Effort?

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Okay, so I am going to guess, that practicing Right Effort is either

1) a lost art due to the arising and decay of buddha's teachings

2) Misunderstood due to my lack of communication skills

3) Anyone that practices the Right Effort Formula during daily living hasn't read this or felt the need to respond, which is fine.

4) one of the Imponderables, lol

So, this post will pass away, as they all must

My Compassion to all

Psi Phi

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