This month we begin the sixth step along the Eightfold Path: Right Effort. Thich Nhat Hanh says “Right Effort is the kind of energy that helps us realize the Noble Eightfold Path.” This energy gets us there, so to speak. It keeps us engaged and practicing. But it’s not strictly about trying harder. We all have experiences of adding more effort and just feeling more tired. This is why Hanh prefers to call it “right diligence.” Diligence isn’t quite as intense. And it describes a persevering energy, which is really what we’re aiming for. Obviously, we do have to do the work. But it should feel sustainable and helpful, not frustrating and impossible.
Another way of saying this is that Right Effort is not about intensity but intention.
Right Effort consists of four steps. Hanh explains the steps so accessibly in his book, Good Citizens. He says Buddhism considers consciousness to have two layers. The lower layer is like the basement, the underground. All the seeds of our possible action reside there. The ones we water come up to the top layer, mind consciousness. This is like our living room. In essence, Right Diligence is the practice of watering the good seeds and not allowing the unhelpful seeds to show up in our living room.
We’ll discuss the four steps in the coming posts, but they are:
- prevent unwholesome states
- abandon the unwholesome states that arise
- cultivate wholesome states
- maintain the wholesome states that arise
In other words, keep the unwholesome stuff in the basement, and keep the good stuff on display in your living room. Don’t give your unhealthy habits a seat in your main living area. Don’t offer them a chair, or hang them on the wall, or keep the TV turned to their channel. Fill that room with all the habits and virtues that make you feel centered and joyful and content.
Again, the living room shouldn’t feel like a stressful place. So be a Feng Shui designer, not a frantic one who has too many things going on at once. Right Effort is mindful energy. Moving around in unhelpful ways doesn’t count, and is actually counter-productive.
One last thing. These three final steps on the Eightfold Path all correlate to concentration. First, Right Effort gives us the energy we need to do the task. Then Right Mindfulness gives us clear awareness. And finally, Right Concentration unifies it all as the goal.
This week, just notice your energy. Where are you spending it? Where do you feel tired? In what area of life could you use some more energy to keep going? Where is it being wasted?
This post belongs to my series on practicing the Eightfold Path. Follow along with all my posts this month on Right Effort here.
