Wise Effort: Practice and Understanding
Wise effort is the sixth piece of the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism. Known as sammā-vyāyāma in the Pali language, it is the first of the meditative practices on the path (together with wise mindfulness and wise concentration). In the West, we focus a lot of our energy and effort on the practices of mindfulness and concentration, sometimes neglecting the actual aspect of effort.
What is Wise Effort?
As with any factor on the Buddhist path, the key to wise effort is the middle path (or middle way). We are instructed to learn how to put effort forth in a way that is not too forceful and not too lazy, and toward qualities and outcomes that are supportive of ourselves and others. This teaching is most simply a calling to tune into the effort we put forth in our lives. Although we may think of right effort as putting forth energy, it can sometimes be a calling to soften our efforts.
I think of wise effort as putting forth effort in a way that is wholesome and helpful to both myself and others. Practicing wise effort means using my energy in a way that lessens the suffering and promotes wellbeing. There are obvious examples of this… I won’t spend my time and energy plotting revenge on somebody. I also don’t find it useful to spend my energy speaking poorly of others. What is useful is my meditation practice and my mindful awareness, so I use my effort to cultivate those qualities.
Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us in his book The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings, “We may appear diligent in our practice, but if it takes us farther from reality or from those we love, it is wrong diligence. When we practice sitting and walking meditation in ways that cause our body and mind to suffer, our effort is not wise and not based on wise view.”
We are called to practice in a way that is fruitful and helpful, rather than hurtful. I don’t eat meat or animal products personally for the most part. That might be a whole other post, but the point here is that I choose to put effort forth in that way to not cause harm in my life. I have a friend who eats the keto diet, and another who eats a carnivore diet. They are very adamant in their positions, and I know it is not worth my effort to discuss/argue with them. However, when someone is actually genuinely curious about my decision, wise effort calls me to mindfully explain my position.
On a different note, wise effort calls us to face some of the difficulties or things we might not want to face. In Food for the Heart, Ajahn Chah says, “Wherever it hurts, wherever there’s friction, we must investigate. Confront the problem, head on. Take that thorn out of your foot, just pull it out.” Sometimes wise effort means buckling down and dealing with something we might not want to deal with.
Buddhist Teachings on Wise Effort
The core of the Buddhist perspective on wise effort can be found in a teaching known as the Magga-vibhanga Sutta. This discourse is a conversation between the Buddha and his followers where he lays out the Noble Eightfold Path. In the section on wise effort, the Buddha outlines four types of wise effort:
Preventing unwholesome seeds from arising
Letting go of unwholesome seeds that have already arisen
Cultivating wholesome seeds that have not yet arisen
Maintaining the wholesome seeds which have arisen
That is paraphrasing, but the teaching is clear. The instruction to put effort forth to cultivate wholesome qualities and let go of unwholesome ones. What does this actually mean? Well, remember that wise effort is actually part of the path that falls under mental discipline or concentration. The instruction from the Buddha is to practice this during periods of meditation.
This can be done a number of ways, and it of course interrelates with other factors on the path. Generally, the teaching is to use your awareness or mindfulness to recognize these four aspects. During a sitting practice, notice what wholesome and unwholesome seeds are arising, and which have not yet arisen.
Practicing Wise Effort
So with all of this being said, how do we actually begin to investigate and practice wise effort? It’s not quite as simple or clear as something like wise speech. I’m going to build off of the traditional Buddhist teaching here, as I think it contains all of the wisdom we need to begin practicing.
Prevent Unwholesome States
First, let’s look at the unarisen unwholesome states. You might start by asking yourself where you find unwholesome states arising. Are there certain conditions, experiences, or triggers? Where do you find yourself experiencing ill-will, jealousy, an unconcentrated mind, or a lack of empathy?
Recognizing where unwholesome states arise, you can further put forth wise effort to either avoid creating such situations or learning to respond differently. I’ve personally found that when I’m tired all kinds of unwholesome states arise. I am more irritable with my partner and kids, lose focus and attention, make unhealthier decisions when it comes to food, and so on. So, I can work with this aspect by making sure I get enough sleep.
You might consider any situation that causes stress, anxiety, irritability, or anger. We can’t simply avoid every difficult situation in our lives. Instead, take action to prevent unwholesome states from arising. Take a few deep breaths before entering the situation, meditate, or make sure to be well fed and well rested.
Abandon the Unwholesome
On to the unwholesome states that have already arisen. Whether it’s anger, judgement, an unconcentrated mind, or stress, we have many tools. First, you might respond with self-compassion. Pause in the moment of difficulty and meet it with compassionate awareness. Rather than trying to push it down or deny it, meet it with empathy and patience.
We also have the tool of noting. This is one of my favorite tools, as I’ve found it to be useful in my own life. Just note what is happening with a simple label. When we find ourselves getting stuck in the thoughts and wrapped in, labeling can help us break that cycle. Offer a simple word or phrase for what’s present, such as “Anger is present,” “This is jealousy”, or “I feel stressed.”
You also might try tuning into the body. Often, we identify strongly with the thoughts associated with unwholesome or difficult emotions and experiences. You can step out of the thinking mind for a moment by tuning into the experience you’re having in the body. What are the physical sensations present? Did the breath change? Can you feel tension or discomfort in the body?
Finally, replace the unwholesome with something more wholesome. If you’re experiencing aversion or ill-will, try to bring up some feeling of generosity or loving-kindness. If there is a lot of craving and clinging present, see if you can let it go. Recognize the impermanent nature of whatever is going on, and cultivate detachment.
Cultivate Wholesome States
So much of the path is about cultivating wholesome states. It seems silly to go too in-depth here on how we can do this. Just practice! Meditate, learn to practice mindfulness in everyday life, and keep the Noble Eightfold Path in mind. The way we cultivate more of the wholesome is by continued effort in our practice.
My recommendation is always to try to meditate every day. Maybe it’s just a five minute meditation, but do it! You also might learn about some wholesome qualities that you recognize are unarisen seeds for you specifically. For example, you might learn about the teachings of equanimity, and realize you aren’t quite there yet. Know when there are qualities or practices you might benefit from, and put forth your energy there.
The other aspect you might consider is the opposite of preventing unwholesome states. Just as you might take care of yourself to not allow the unwholesome to arise, you can take care of yourself to encourage the wholesome to arise. Set yourself up for success by recognizing where you feel grounded, connected, mindful and kind. Then put effort forth to create the conditions that give rise to those experiences.
Maintain the Wholesome
Maintaining wholesome qualities and states must be done with wise effort. That is, we should not cling to or crave them. Remember the middle way. When you do feel something wholesome, pause and appreciate it. Don’t just skip right over it. Maybe it’s a moment of joy watching your kids play or a moment of connection when you embrace a friend. Whatever it is, pause to really feel it (without clinging).
There’s also the idea of “protecting” the conditions. If you find yourself feeling and acting more wholesomely in nature, stay in nature when you can. If being around certain people help you cultivate kindness and empathy, keep spending time with them. Again, we have to steer clear of clinging, but we can lean into the wholesome conditions when they arise.
As always, if you have any questions about this teaching or any other teaching, reach out to me! I answer every email. My email is Matthew@TheMindfulCounselor.me.