The Practice of the Four Right Efforts (Seven)

Original text:如是四种。亦名正胜。谓于黑品诸法。其未生者。为令不生。其已生者。为令断灭。生欲策励。发勤精进。策心持心。是二正胜。于白品诸法。其未生者。为欲令生。如前黑品广说。应知是二正胜。

Explanation: The above four methods of cultivation are also called the four right exertions. Regarding the dark-grade afflictive dharmas, for those that have not yet arisen, in order to prevent their arising; and for those that have already arisen, in order to make them cease—one gives rise to desire and exerts encouragement, arouses diligent vigor, exhorts the mind and sustains the mind. These are two right exertions. Regarding the white-grade wholesome dharmas, for those that have not yet arisen, in order to bring them into being, as extensively explained above for the dark grade; and for those that have already arisen, in order to make them firmly established and perfected—one gives rise to aspiration and encouragement, arouses the mind to cultivate diligently, exhorts the mind and sustains the mind. These are also two right exertions.

"Exertion" (勤) means diligent vigor; "right" (胜) means the mind prevailing, and also means vigor; "right" (正) refers to the direction and method being correct and without error. Striving diligently in the correct direction is right effort (samyag-vyāyāma), continuously advancing toward the goal. Conversely, striving diligently in an incorrect direction is wrong effort—the more diligent one is, the farther one strays from the goal. Many people who study and practice Buddhism engage in wrong effort: they do not understand the goal of cultivation, nor do they understand the principles of cultivation; they simply apply effort single-mindedly. They may be courageous and fierce, but they lack wisdom.

Original text:如是四种亦名正断。一名律仪断。谓于已生恶不善法。为令断故。生欲策励。乃至广说。二名断断。谓于未生恶不善法。为不生故。生欲策励。乃至广说。由于已生恶不善事。应修律仪。令其断灭。不应忍受。由是因缘。名律仪断。于其未生恶不善事。为欲令彼不现行断。为欲令彼不现前断。为断故断。故名断断。

Explanation: These four right exertions are also called the four right abandonings. The first is the abandoning of discipline (律仪断): regarding evil and unwholesome dharmas that have already arisen, in order to make them cease, one gives rise to desire and exerts encouragement, and so forth as extensively explained. The second is the abandoning of abandonment (断断): regarding evil and unwholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen, in order to prevent their arising, one gives rise to desire and exerts encouragement, and so forth as extensively explained. Because for evil and unwholesome deeds that have already arisen, one should cultivate discipline of body, speech, and mind to make them cease and extinguish, and should not tolerate them—due to this condition, it is called the abandoning of discipline. Regarding evil and unwholesome deeds that have not yet arisen, in order to make them not manifest and thus be abandoned, in order to make them not appear and thus be abandoned, and to abandon them for the sake of abandoning—this is called the abandoning of abandonment.

Original text:三名修断。谓于未生一切善法。为令生故。广说乃至。策心持心。由于善法数修数习。先所未得。能令现前。能有所断。故名修断。四名防护断。谓于已生一切善法。为欲令住。广说乃至。策心持心。由于已得已现在前。诸善法中。远离放逸。修不放逸。能令善法。住不忘失。修习圆满。防护已生。所有善法。能有所断故。名防护断。

Explanation: The third is the abandoning through cultivation (修断): regarding wholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen, in order to bring them into being, one exhorts the mind and sustains the mind. Because the wholesome dharmas are cultivated and practiced repeatedly, the wholesome dharmas previously not attained can now be made to manifest, and evil and unwholesome dharmas can thereby be abandoned—this is called the abandoning through cultivation. The fourth is the abandoning through protection (防护断): regarding all wholesome dharmas that have already arisen, in order to make them abide, one continuously exhorts the mind and sustains the mind. Because among all the wholesome dharmas that have already been attained and have already manifested, the mind can stay far from heedlessness and cultivate non-heedfulness, the wholesome dharmas can abide without being forgotten or lost; when the cultivation is perfected, protection arises. Because all the wholesome dharmas are able to abandon evil and unwholesome dharmas, it is called the abandoning through protection (of evil and unwholesome dharmas).

Protection means guarding against the appearance of evil and unwholesome dharmas. Only when there are wholesome dharmas in the mind can evil and unwholesome dharmas be abandoned and not appear. Since wholesome and unwholesome dharmas cannot appear simultaneously, wholesome dharmas serve a protective function. Once the wholesome dharmas are firm, one will no longer create evil and unwholesome karma—this is the result of long-term cultivation of wholesome dharmas. The four right efforts belong to the auxiliary path methods cultivated at the very beginning and are a necessary condition for seeing the path. Therefore, one who sees the path must abandon the corresponding coarse and heavy afflictions; the wholesome dharmas in the mind are firm, and evil and unwholesome dharmas will not easily manifest.

If, after completing the cultivation of the four right efforts, one has not yet seen the path before the end of life, then because the mind has changed, the evil retribution to be received in future lives will also be very slight. However, this does not guarantee that the wholesome dharmas will not recede, or that evil and unwholesome dharmas will not reappear. Because of karmic conditions, one may inevitably be influenced and tainted by evil environments; yet because there is a foundation of wholesome dharmas, upon encountering wholesome conditions again, the wholesome dharmas will still arise easily, and cultivating them will be swift. Only after seeing the path can the wholesome dharmas be maintained, and they will continuously become firm and grow, continuously reaching perfection.