Dear Friends, As we continue exploring the wise efforts, we now turn to the third: cultivating wholesome states. Joseph Goldstein describes this as “arousing wholesome states that have not yet arisen.” He points us toward the seven factors of awakening as key examples of these states. In his book Mindfulness, Joseph quotes Bhikkhu Bodhi, who writes: The seven… Read More »
Dear Friends, As we discussed earlier, Joseph Goldstein teaches that effort itself generates energy and that the key to skillful effort lies in balance, learning when to engage with curiosity and when to relax with spaciousness. This nuanced approach transforms our practice into an exploration of energy and ease, guiding us toward greater clarity and insight. Going through… Read More »
Dear Friends, Mary Oliver’s poem The Journey offers a reflection on the courage and persistence needed to step away from old habits and toward freedom. As we explore the cycle of effort and energy in our practice, her words complement Joseph Goldstein’s teachings that we contemplated yesterday. Joseph reminds us that effort itself generates energy. Even when we… Read More »
Dear Friends, In his talk on energy as a factor of awakening, Joseph Goldstein offers some insight into the interplay of effort and energy in our practice.Satipatthana Sutta – part 29 – Factors Of Awakening: Energy (the section from about 33:00 through 40:00)https://www.dharmaseed.org/talks/1967/ Joseph highlights something we may have noticed: effort itself can generate energy. He notes, “Usually… Read More »
Dear Friends, As we explore the second wise effort of abandoning unwholesome states, there is an essential element that can transform how we approach this effort: compassion. Compassion invites us to meet unwholesome states not with aversion, but with kindness and understanding. When we notice the mind caught in negativity, frustration, or distraction, we can ask questions like… Read More »
Dear Friends, As we continue exploring the practice of abandoning unwholesome states, I would like to offer a recording of a meditation, talk, and Q&R with Shaila Catherine, titled Beyond Distraction: Five Practical Ways to Focus the Mind.https://sangha.live/dharma-library/beyond-distraction-five-practical-ways-to-focus-the-mind/ The first 30-ish minutes is a guided meditation that focuses on cultivating mindfulness and meeting thinking with interest, for the… Read More »
Dear Friends, As we explore the methods for abandoning unwholesome states, I invite you to reflect on a poem that illustrates what you might have experienced in this journey: Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson.https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/words-of-wonder/autobiography-in-five-short-chapters-portia-nelson/ This poem captures the challenges and gradual progress we make as we learn to let go of unwholesome patterns. It reminds… Read More »
Dear Friends, Our next topic focuses on the second wise effort: abandoning unwholesome states that have arisen. Joseph Goldstein offers this: “Mindfulness of [the unwholesome states] is always the first strategy; if we’re not even aware that they are present, there’s not much possibility of abandoning them. Sometimes mindfulness itself is enough.” (Mindfulness, page 393) However, some unwholesome… Read More »
Dear Friends, Sharon Salzberg offers a wonderful perspective on the balance between relaxation and energy in meditation in a short talk. She highlights how meditation is about finding a middle ground—cultivating calm, peace, and relaxation while also strengthening energy, alertness, connection, and interest.The balance of relaxation and energy in meditation (4:24) Sharon explains that too much relaxation can… Read More »
Dear Friends, I recently came across a quote from Joseph M. Marshall III, a Lakota teacher, historian, and storyteller, that resonates with our exploration of effort and energy in practice. In his book Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance, he writes: … the difference between a small effort and no effort can be gigantic… lack of effort, doing… Read More »
Dear Friends, Joseph Goldstein poses some questions about viriya: “What is effort? When is it balanced? When is it counterproductive?” (Mindfulness, page 242) He highlights how effort can sometimes be unskillful, such as when there’s a forcing of the mind, what he calls an “in-order-to” mindset. Joseph shares a story of his own experience with this, recounting how… Read More »
Dear Friends, In a talk by Gil Fronsdal, he summarizes the four wise efforts as: If you’re not making it worse, don’t.If you are making it worse, stop.If you’re not making it better, make it better.If you are making it better, keep doing it. Talk: First Right Effort and Mettahttps://www.audiodharma.org/talks/9608?code=YLNL The first wise effort involves preventing unwholesome or… Read More »
Dear Friends, Here’s a brief talk you might find helpful to consider before practicing today. Brian Lesage explores the interplay between effort and letting go, highlighting how wise effort arises from a balanced, relaxed approach rather than striving. He reflects on the role of aspiration–driven by a deep love for the teachings–and its power to fuel practice with… Read More »
Dear Friends, Joseph Goldstein suggests reflecting on the preciousness of this human birth as a way to support the first effort of preventing unwholesome states from arising. He reminds us:“It’s precious because now we have the opportunity to weaken and eventually uproot these latent defilements that have been with us throughout our lives.” (page 392) Ajahn Sucitto offers… Read More »
Dear Friends, Energy, or viriya, can be directed toward many different goals. To align our energy with our intentions, we focus it on the four endeavors of wise effort. Over the next few weeks, we will explore each of these in depth. The first endeavor is to prevent unwholesome states from arising. Joseph Goldstein reflects: When we’re leading… Read More »
