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Are your Right Efforts right?
lobster
Crusty Veteran
Right effort ideally results in a range of effects:
- Beneficial to the individual
- Beneficial to others
- Beneficial to the wider community
Each of these is interdependent. If people focus exclusively on their own good then self interest dictates others and society will lose benefit. If focusing exclusively on others, the individual may create great good at the expense of personal growth and balance. If concentrating only on the wider community then the interest of individuals and groups may find their unique interests, potential and contribution is thwarted.
Right Effort examples:
- Service
- Sharing of information, resources
- Cohesion between the elements
- Personal integration
- Resolving conflict between elements
Is your Right Effort balanced?
3
Comments
I gotta get real here.
I'm falling in this category lately : " If focusing exclusively on others, the individual may create great good at the expense of personal growth and balance".
I thought monkey mind was bad...it ain't got nothin' on mommy mind. You know, where your mind jumps from others needs/wants all the time. And then when I feel unbalanced...the justification thoughts come in from ...'It's my responsibility'....to 'putting others first is what I was taught'....and everything in between. With hubby out of town alot and no family in the state...it can get overwhelming. I mask it with positivism...and then explode from frustration. I've not been making time for sitting meditation...and as our friend @Citta once commented (para phrasing) "When i stop meditating...others notice". I'm stuck in a cycle of putting others first, which is putting me off balance and then creating problems because my fuse is short with them or other people. I've kept up Dharma studies....but metta towards myself has been few and far between. Mommy mind is kicking my ass. It feeds insecurities....and then I feel resentful. I take over things and take care of things for other people...but then I feel like I have no help or am not being taken care of or am mad, that I even have to take charge of it in the first place....I dunno.....the web of it itself is confusing and a constant cycle....what I do know....is I'm in a cycle. Not just at home...at work too. I have to learn that it's just as important to give myself that same feeling that I absolutely love giving others. Why is it so hard for me? I don't feel unworthy or have low self esteem...it's just that the 'others' come so easy for me....Like I said...I think it's part programming (others first)...and nature ( mommy mind).
Thanks for listening. And thanks for putting in my face the very thing I've been avoiding the last couple of months. Not sure what I'll do about it yet or how....afterall...knowing is half the battle.....
Call it karma...I find my 'self' in the fortunate position where my work (both jobs) involves all of the above so tick all the boxes ...
I volunteer at a couple of places where helping the local community (and visitors) is part and parcel of the jobs....
When I can help others to satisfy their needs, then I too am satisfied and if I can't, I'm also satisfied with that too...( one can only do what one can do-under the present circumstances-however empathy and compassion are ever present) ....
I personally have found that having the "Right Motivation" at the beginning of meditation and dedication at the end, tends to set the 'right' mood for the rest of the day....and Dharma practice being part and parcel of daily life...
When "I" help others, "I" help my self and so the cycle continues.....
Don't you just love this precious human rebirth-with the opportunity to practice the Dharma...I know I do
Just like to add...
At times during Dharma discussions, some have mention that they might refrain from helping others if they feel that their intentions are not right, for example if they feel that they are only helping others because it makes them (the helper) feel better about themselves (this is where the whole ego thing comes into play)...Meanwhile they have missed an opportunity to actually help somebody in need, perhaps leaving this person to suffer even more...
For me personally, I tend not to over intellectualise things, I just do what I feel 'needs' to be done...and leave the fine lines to those who feel the need to worry about fine lines....
I might be going about Dharma practice all wrong...only time will tell....I guess
Indeed
Be interested to know as I like to add to my practice store. Here are some to consider:
... Wait a minute, I was waiting for your solution ...
I rather like this approach:
"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.
"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.
Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
https://suttacentral.net/en/sn47.19
@lobster .... Yep...we have a gym at work.
. And instead of going there when I'm off duty...I'll think.." Well, I gotta get home and check homework and get dinner started...the kids need me". Like i said...a cycle. I do think the music suggestion might be something worth exploring/trying out....I'll let you know how it goes 
.
Hold on a second, @lobster!
Isn't Right Effort the energy invested in preventing unwholesome mental states from arising, giving up unwholesome mental states that have already arisen, maintain wholesome mental states that are already present and help mental wholesome states not yet arisen to rise?
As far as I'm concerned, Right Effort is the zest applied in keeping the five hindrances in check: sensual craving, ill will, mental inertia, worry and doubt.
I was going to mention that but didn't want to sound pedantic.
Tsk, tsk. Iz I doing that Buddhism wrong again?
I would humbly suggest that 'Right Effort' is an activity, rather than stopping our hindrances ...Which is probably the zest you are suggesting ...
So for example we might make efforts to worship Green Buddhas rather than gardeners and hunky Buddhas rather than sporty hulks
Rather than checking our ill will we might cultivate increasing Boddhicitta ...
Mental effort in the form of reading, study and trying to fathom that pesky cructacean might be more right effort ...
As for worry and doubt ... will leave the antidotes to your efforts ...
Yes, skillful actions lead to skillful mental states, and vice versa.
It goes back to the old adage we had in the Marines:
Plan, Plan, Plan - Engage - Adjust
"Right Mind", "Right Action" and so on is a renewed effort each day, At times, each moment.
Tally ho! (Or is that Sally forth?) Oh well...
It usually depends who it comes from
Perhaps ...
Personally it has never worked for me in terms of prevention or 'thou shalt not'. It is why the 'thou shalt do more of the good stuff' is for me sustainable effort.
The boddhicitta/metta/good will and kindness to ourself as we are (monkey minded, self destructive ... whatever) That means being kind to our ignorance, foibles, limitations etc.
It is OK to be who we are. We might not like all of it but right effort can change us ...
Gradually I feel we do change our outlook and priorities. We try and do more of the skilfull stuff. We are on the Himalayan Hinayana/personal mountain/path of personal change ...
Then we can be a positive influence to our surroundings, the beginning of a Mahayana outlook.
... untill eventually our qualities and lifestle become almost Boddhisattava like ...
Iz plan?
Buddha's lesson to Sona about Right Effort:
"Now what do you think, Sona. Before, when you were a house-dweller, were you skilled at playing the vina?"
"Yes, lord."
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too taut, was your vina in tune & playable?"
"No, lord."
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too loose, was your vina in tune & playable?"
"No, lord."
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were neither too taut nor too loose, but tuned (lit: 'established') to be right on pitch, was your vina in tune & playable?"
"Yes, lord."
"In the same way, Sona, over-aroused persistence leads to restlessness, overly slack persistence leads to laziness. Thus you should determine the right pitch for your persistence, attune ('penetrate,' 'ferret out') the pitch of the [five] faculties [to that], and there pick up your theme."
— AN 6.55
I'm not sure we're talking prevention here, least of all "thou shalt not" ( which personally, being the sibarite type, absolutely never works with me).
Right effort to me is rather a sort of moment-to-moment, relentless mindfulness over our actions and the thoughts leading to those actions, in order to behave as skillfully as we can most of the time.
Of course, being capable of self-compassion when we are not up to our own expectations.
And knowing that all action deriving from right effort begins with me but ripples out to benefit others.
I'll know that my practice is right, when it not only benefits me but also the people around me.
Otherwise, my practice is not quite right.
But then, I can only aspire to work on myself and begin with myself and end with myself.
Being the change I want to see, as the adagio goes, without trying to interfere in someone else's path.
If we are wholesome, people around us will definitely benefit from our influence.
That's the farthest we can aspire to go.
And @lobster: yes, I still like my rugbiers, and gardeners and builders.
My right effort in that area is a work in progress, though I'm no hurry to get off the Samsaric loop in this lifetime, at least, so I enjoy the landscape as I walk.
There can be some grey areas in our decadent Bodhisattvas lives.
I never said I want to be perfect.
^^^ I feel the fine tuning/balance that @Daozen and @DhammaDragon describe is the Middle Way.
Enjoy the beefcake, beauty and life but show a little restraint (like the Buddha, asceticism can go too far) just like indulgence ...
Do we fail. Of course. Off course ... but we iz practicing ...
Soon we will be Bodhisattvas. Exciting!
Somehow I posted the above message twice. Overindulgence!
Just edited by clicking the cog top right if anyone is wondering ... (only available for a limited time)
...Or else your local helpful friendly Mod will be happy to make herself useful...
Cool. I can never seem to make that cog work from my phone.
No computer in my abode these days, so I guess I'm a phone-it-in Buddhist.
Well presented. We must each balance our practice, our "Right Efforts" between the gain (benefit to self) and goodness (benefit to society or the "wider community".
It is said that we each and all have three treasures.
In ascending order, they are:
1. The treasure of the storehouse (material wealth and possessions) - Nice, but won't
necessarily make one happy..
2. The treasure of the body (health) very important. Good health goes a very long way...
3. The treasure of the heart - one's inner core - one's mind...
Right efforts are of Little value if they are not from the heart. Indeed, without heart, the correct attitude, "Right Efforts" may generate negative results for oneself and for the community at large.
The danger is going through the motions, appearing to accomplish the examples given by lobster, yet only being a veneer, a piece of plaster upon a hallow facade.
"Right Effort" begins and ends with the heart, the Right Mind.
If you build a bridge with the idea of helping the community but you take shortcuts, thinking, "This won't matter" or "This in unimportant", your well intentioned efforts will likely fail. An unsafe bridge will be worse than no bridge at all. With the wrong mind set, you in reality did not have the "Right Effort."
Exerting the "Right Effort" can be very simple or it can be very hard. It is always a choice.
Peace to all
Thanks @Lionduck
The three treasures is a good teaching, I am unfamiliar with. Where does it come from?
It is not from Taoism which has equally good advisement ...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Treasures_(Taoism)
What if our right effort isn't balanced? Is it still right effort? Doesn't it still do good? Effort I put toward community may lessen effort toward other areas, but doesn't it commensurately increase the good where it is directed? Is it OK to use our passion to magnify our unique efforts, and let others carry the load in line with their passions?
^^^ good question.
I feel that unbalanced people, even if unbalanced towards the good are still unbalanced. Be interested how others answer.
Long live the Hinayana!
[lobster slips up again]
I think that it all boils down to one's motivation & intention, ie, what lies behind one's actions.....
Does it?
Good people, kind people, may have the best of intentions and motivations. Because they are unbalanced, have no discernment or wisdom, they do good to bad people. In effect facilitating their unskilful behavour.
That is why the dervishes say, 'doing good to the bad may be the equivalent of doing bad to the good' ...
... and now back to the intentional ...
Could you give an example?
Sure
'Won't somebody please think of the children'
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_of_the_children
Giving alcohol to a 'thirsty' alcoholic. Giving a lazy man a fish instead of a rod. Being kind to trolls ( one of my hobbies
) I was going to ask @federica if we could keep our latest ...'I have a theory' poster. Luckily he was banned before I could indulge my troll feeding ...
Good intentions include eugenics, Christian and Islamic fundies (not much fun there) and Hinayanists. Loads of 'good' intentions are ignorant and unbalanced.
No.
If you wish to dispute the decision, feel free to contact Admin.
That's not a bolshy response, or a sulky challenge.
Seriously, if you - or anyone else - feel any action I undertake as a Mod is questionable or irrational, then Linc is - your next link.
That's a reasonable move, if you feel it's warranted.
Although I likely mashed it up a bit, It is Buddhist. I first came across it in one of the Gosho or Writings of Nichiren. I must do due diligence and find that one for you.
Also, Monty Python is wonderful for bringing up the parodies of human fallacies.
By the way, stating the "obvious": Balance is, of course, the Middle Way. Naturally, ignorance and imbalance is not.
Peace to all.
Darn! That Monty Python is addicting!
That followed by a double shot of Irish Whiskey, Scots Mystery Juice and English lighter fliud, er gin, and you won't remember a thing for at least a week.
Are your Right Efforts right?
Only with "Right View/Understanding" will the other 7 "rights" that make up the 8FP be.........alright (all right...... pun intended)...
So I guess @lobster, that's what you meant by having the ability to judge well ie wisdom....coming before one's motivation and or intention
If one lacks "Right View/Understanding" then all the other rights will/could be wrongs..
just saying.......
I like Nietzsche take on impermanence "Everything evolves will come to mean 'nothing is true"
"Right View/Understanding" ( like the other 7) is a state of flux-so will go with the flow of change....what's right today could be wrong tomorrow and visa versa....
I might well be wrong...Or I might well be right.....Either way, just stating a point of 'view' that presents itself at this moment in time,,,,
Yes, good point, the path factors work together and Right View is pivotal. As the Maha-cattarisaka Sutta says in section 1:
"One makes an effort for the abandoning of wrong view & for entering into right view: This is one's right effort. One is mindful to abandon wrong view & to enter & remain in right view: This is one's right mindfulness.[2] Thus these three qualities — right view, right effort, & right mindfulness — run & circle around right view."
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.117.than.html
Can you please tell me that relying on astrology is right effort or not? I am having experience of astrology and found things get as per predictions. I studied it little to a good level. It has lovered my worries and uncertainity of future.
Feddie will be along any moment...in the meantime, I think it's a good thing - in small doses - it's probably just a fluke / coincidence that it 'fits' at this time; not good to rely on it all the time - it's just a fun thing to play around with, but your brain, your psyche and your talents will go to waste - use it or lose it, they say.
It's utter total baloney.
There are over 7 billion people on the planet.
584,000,000,000 of them share your star sign.
You share the same birthday with over 19,000,000 of them.
Are you seriously telling me you think your astrological reading is applicable to all of them?
Gimme a break.....
THIS is my kind of horoscope...
If astrology has lovered your worries, then great. But please don't make any decisions of consequence based on it. It's frivolous, and for some people it's fun, but it is also perfectly bogus.
Nope, i am not talking about sun sign . In moon sign coordinates and hourly changes makes lot difference. It makes lot combinations in birth chart as per moon sign kundali in a day as per place of birth.
Oh please...It's exactly the same premise, only in the dark...
Here is the original quote found in the letter 'The Three Kinds of Treasure':
[The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol 1, Pg 851, 1st paragraph]
"But it is better to live a single day with honor than to live to 120 and die in disgrace. Live so that all the people of Kamakura will say in your praise that N.........is diligent in the service of his lord, in the service of Buddhism, and in his concern for other people. More valuable than the treasures of the storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all. From the time you read this letter on, strive to accumulate the treasures of the heart!"
I hope that was helpful.
It IS possible to study astrology as a 'reflective mandala' in other words by some form of even delusionary practices to gain understanding into twelve different mind states or astrological states. That is quite a rare esoteric usage. However I feel far better models of exploration exist and the fantasy of astrology as a predictive science is best confined to primitive proto-science.
Right effort is about right concentration and right direction. So for example sooth saying was one of the things forbidden monks by the Buddha. Some monks still engage in shamanic practices, spell casting, promoting ignorance etc. That may be cultural, quaint, tradition and a dead end.
Dead end dharma is not right effort no matter how superficially attractive, meaningful or well documented.
Augury manuals on predicting the future and weather from sacrificed animal offal is no substitute for up-dated methods of (far from perfect) weather forecasting or behavour modelling.
Right effort requires integrity, discernment and the discipline enhancement techniques of regular practice.