The Practice of the Four Right Efforts (Seven)

Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 29 (7)

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 practice are also called the four right efforts. With regard to the unwholesome dharmas of the black category, if they have not yet arisen, in order to prevent them from arising; and for those that have already arisen, in order to make them cease—one generates aspiration and exerts encouragement, arouses diligent vigor, exhorts the mind and sustains the mind: these are two right efforts. With regard to the wholesome dharmas of the white category, for those that have not yet arisen, in order to make them arise—as extensively explained above for the black category—and for those that have already arisen, in order to make them abide firmly and reach fulfillment, one generates aspiration and exerts encouragement, arouses the mind to practice diligently, exhorts the mind and sustains the mind: these are also two right efforts.

"Diligence" means diligent and energetic vigor; "effort" means the mind prevailing, and also means vigor; "right" refers to the direction and method being correct and without error. Striving diligently in the correct direction is right effort (samyag-vyāyāma), which is 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 practice, nor do they understand the principles of practice; they simply apply effort single-mindedly. They may be brave 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 efforts are also called the four right abandonments. The first is the abandonment of discipline (saṃvara-prahāṇa), which, with regard to evil and unwholesome dharmas that have already arisen, in order to make them cease, generates aspiration and exerts encouragement, and so forth as extensively explained. The second is the abandonment of abandoning (prahāṇa-prahāṇa), which, with regard to evil and unwholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen, in order to prevent them from arising, generates aspiration and exerts encouragement, and so forth as extensively explained. Because evil and unwholesome deeds have already arisen, one should cultivate bodily, verbal, and mental discipline to make them cease and extinguish, and should not tolerate these evil and unwholesome dharmas, allowing them to arise and grow; for this reason it is called the abandonment of discipline. With regard to evil and unwholesome deeds that have not yet arisen, in order to make them cease so that they do not manifest, in order to make them cease so that they do not appear before one, and abandoning them in order to abandon them, it is called the abandonment of abandoning.

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 abandonment of cultivation (bhāvanā-prahāṇa), which, with regard to wholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen, in order to make them arise, exhorts the mind and sustains the mind. Because the wholesome dharmas are cultivated and practiced repeatedly, the wholesome dharmas not previously attained can now be made to manifest before one, and evil and unwholesome dharmas can be abandoned to some extent; therefore it is called the abandonment of cultivation. The fourth is the abandonment of protection (anurakṣaṇā-prahāṇa), which, with regard to all wholesome dharmas that have already arisen, in order to make them abide, 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, it can make the wholesome dharmas abide without being forgotten or lost; when the cultivation of wholesome dharmas is fulfilled, protection arises. Because all the wholesome dharmas can abandon evil and unwholesome dharmas to some extent, it is called the abandonment of protection (of wholesome dharmas against 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 dharma practices cultivated at the very beginning and are a necessary condition for attaining the path of seeing. Therefore, one who attains the path of seeing must have abandoned the corresponding dausthulya 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 attained the path of seeing before the end of this life, then because the mind has changed, the evil retribution experienced in future lives will also be very light. 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 defiled 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 wholesome dharmas will be very quick. Only after attaining the path of seeing can the wholesome dharmas be maintained, and they will continuously become firmer and grow, continuously reaching fulfillment.