The third step of Right Action is to cultivate the good. As a reminder, the first step is to prevent the unwholesome and the second is to abandon the unwholesome. But we can’t just run defense. To fully practice Right Effort, we also need to create good opportunities.
Thich Nhat Hanh says we have many beneficial seeds just waiting for us down in the basement. In step three, we send those seeds an invitation and invite them up. I love this image, because not only does it encourage us to do the basic things like give these new seeds water and sunlight. It also reminds us our good habits don’t start out like powerful oak trees. They’re still fragile and things won’t necessarily go smoothly. Cultivating the good takes time.
One simple way to cultivate more good that we often overlook is simply to remember them. Seriously, just take the time to give yourself a pat on the back for some of the good things you’ve done. Maybe you helped someone out this week, or lent an listening ear. Maybe you had a moment when you got really angry and you didn’t lash out. Perhaps you spoke up for yourself in a powerful and necessary way. Take some time to remember the good deeds you’ve done. And what about some good habits that have some traction? Did you meditate twice last week? Did you say no? Maybe you stuck to a resolution or intention? Awesome, feel good about that! Feeling good actually gives us the energy we need to keep those seeds growing. Don’t underestimate it.
Another teaching you may find helpful is Buddha’s seven factors of enlightenment. They are: mindfulness, investigation, energy, rapture, tranquility, concentration and equanimity. If we take these all together, they offer us a glimpse into enlightenment. We begin by being mindful. Then, as our awareness peaks, we get more curious and begin to investigate. This brings energy to our quest, and we find that we feel rapturous about what we’re learning. But before we get too far, we want to return to a place of tranquility, where we can find our proper concentration. And when this balance arrives, we experience enlightenment.
Perhaps the best news of Right Action is the affirmation that we all have lots of beneficial seeds within us just waiting to be invited up. So, trust that you have all you need to cultivate the good.
Where can you invite some beneficial seeds up this week?
What good stuff already in your life can you recognize and be grateful for today?
This post belongs to my series on practicing the Eightfold Path. Read all my posts on Right Effort here.
