6. skillful effort

at every moment we choose wether to embrace wholesome or unwholesome. we are not helpless passive victims of fate. we are not pawns moved by some greater force. in this moment we choose and in the next moment we experience the result of choice.

accomplish anything require effort and skillful effort is stick to it quality that makes the whole path possible.

but if you want to weed the garden, first we have to learn to distinguish weed from the flower. the same way we first need to remove the mental weed like anger, jealousy, lust and replace it with flowers such as loving-kindness, compassion. nonetheless root is always greed with ignorance.

ten fetters
according to buddha these fetters causes your thought to flow in the directions of suffering.

these ten fetters are incredibly powerful. when they arise in our awareness. hot as boiling water. it takes great effort to cool them down.

the five hindrances
out of these ten fetter comes certain crude, extremely unwholesome mind state that prevent us from making skillful effort. if fetter is like a wind these mind states are like tornado.

hindrances can be prevented by concentration and steady mindfulness. they cool the hindrance down. when mind lack any hindrance it automatically becomes the bright. and when we learn to apply skillful effort hindrances cause little to no problems.

1. greed - the hindrance of greed is desire to obtain things. it usually comes as greedy thoughts of food, things you want to posses or lust. this trap of greed is like the way monkeys are captured in some culture. a trapper cuts a small whole on top of coconut and puts some chunk of coconut flash at the bottom. and tied the shell tightly to a tree. and we all can feel sorry for that poor monkey who just can’t let go the trap of greed.

2. ill will - the hindrance of ill will including hatred, anger and resentment, spring from the desire to avoid things we do not like to do. it is like a boiling water. you can not touch it without being scalded. and you can not see the bottom of the water as well. it is like that sickness which makes delicious food so tasteless that we can not enjoy it.

3. dullness or drowsiness - dullness and drowsiness comes out of the fetter of ignorance. it is usually compared with prison. just like prison if you allow your mind to sink into dullness, you don’t know what is happening around you or within you.

4. restlessness and worries - worry causes restlessness, so these two mental state goes together. this is comparable to slavery. the slave work very hard to please his cruel master always worried and nervous in the fear punishment. the more restless slave will get. the more it worries. and slave can enjoy the peace of mind.

5 doubt - the hindrance of doubt is perplexity. not knowing the right direction or where to turn. it is sparked by thinking about something other than what you can observe in the present moment. doubt saps the energy, create confusion and make it impossible to see anything clearly.

four steps to skillful effort
once we know what are the weeds. we can work on them and cultivate better state of mind. buddha taught four step approach to working with the mind.

preventing negative state of mind
your first line of defense is to prevent negative state of mind from arising in the first place. how? by maintaining unremitting mindfulness. just that. mindfulness is the key here. an unwholesome state can not arrive at the same moment of mindfulness. but if you fail to sustain mindfulness. you apply patience , you suffer the consequences and then patiently make the effort to be mindful again. learn to endure the small things.

another thing that is helpful with mindfulness is to realize why other peoples are doing what they are doing. may be they are going through their down period, may be financial worries or family problems. maybe he is suffering with insecurities. and you know very well how you behave when you are one of these problems.

overcoming the negative state of minds -
we can not choose what thoughts will be arrived. and there is no need to be ashamed with reacting with aversion. however we choose which thoughts we will allow to proliferate.

how you respond to a hinderance. depends upon how entrenched it is, even hindrances start with single negative mind moments and then proliferate. the sooner we catch this train of thought the easier it becomes to overcome it.

the method of overcoming hinderances are mild. we simply notice the presence of the negative mind states. by mere attention negative thoughts fades away. and we notice how it’s absence gives rise to thoughts of generosity, loving-friendliness. if hindrance passed the initial stage, you need to make strong measure. first look negative thoughts with complete mindfulness, then notice it’s impact on mind and body. look at it’s impermanent nature, reflect on the harm, reflect how you might cause harm by entertaining it. and the worse harm you might cause by acting upon it.

if the time you get aware of the negative states, you are deeply into it. it is the time to put even stronger effort, may be it is the time to develop insight by examining the problematic thoughts. the reflection on antidote is also good idea. e.g. if you are radiating with loving thoughts their are no room for angry thoughts. so with hindrances begin with gentle methods and be willing to use harsh methods if you have to. oh ya and be aware of multiple hinderance attack.

the same goes with fetters, you abandon through the five application through efforts, suppressing, substituting, destroying, subsiding, escaping.

cultivating positive qualities. -
the mind is like car transmission, as we can not go directly from reverse to drive. mind can not go unwholesome to wholesome. we first need to achieve neutral. and from neutral it can go in either direction.

once we start to recognize the sequence of mental activities. it is like, negative thoughts, calm, then negative thoughts. and soon we realize we should take the advantage of neutral time to cultivate positive qualities. of the best way to do it is to start reflecting upon positive thoughts act while you are in samatha. another way is to reflect upon your past successes on battling against greed, hatred and delusion

maintaining positive qualities -
nothing important can be perfected by doing once. you need to repeat positive thoughts and actions again and again until practice becomes perfected.

clear mindfulness and wholesome state of mind is the basis of developing insight.

here some of strategies that experienced meditator developed over the practice of years

 
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Congrats. Life is in its own way is perfect, I couldn’t ask for more. I am growing in my meditation and spiritual practices. I went through a great deal of Vedanta. Pratices were strong, I was doing 3hrs. + 1hrs. Still kind of strong and... Continue →