Right Effort

Once started on the path - and concentration not yet quite learned - the meditator will meet the five hindrances in one shape or the other. It is part of anyones progress to overcome these hindrances, which are: sensual desire, ill will, dullness-drowsiness, restlessness-worry, and doubt. Sensual desire and ill will are the unwholesome roots of greed and aversion while dullness-drowsiness, restlessness-worry, and doubt are caused by delusion.

Sensual desire is lust for pleasing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. The term is sometimes interpreted in a broader sense encompassing craving, whether for sense pleasures, wealth, power, position, fame, or anything else desire can settle upon ... read more of The Five Hindrances ...

To make any progress on the Noble Path requires Right Effort, which is exertion of wholesome energy guided by Right View and Right Intention. Right Effort has two sides and is often divided into the 'four great endeavors':

Prevent arising of unwholesome states not yet arisen Abandon unwholesome states already arisen. Arouse wholesome states not yet arisen. Nurture wholesome states already arisen.

The one side of Right Effort aims at overcoming unwholesome states of mind caused by latent defilements – the first effort to prevent the unwholesome states from arising and the second to get rid of unwholesome states that arise despite the first effort ... read more of What is Right Effort? ...