Right Effort (sammā-vāyāma)
Skillful qualities / Noble Eightfold Path / Right Effort
Part of key topic The Noble Eightfold Path
Subsumes: Non-arising of unarisen evil unskillful qualities, Abandoning of arisen evil unskillful qualities, Arising of unarisen skillful qualities, Fulfillment of arisen skillful qualities, Four Right Efforts (cattāro sammappadhānā)
Also a subtag of Meditation
See also: Energy
94 excerpts, 6:44:33 total duration

All excerpts (95) Most relevant (52) Questions about (35) Answers involving (49) Stories (2) Quotes (10) Texts (2)

Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend, Session 3 – Apr. 28, 2001

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8. Story: Ajahn Sumedho wants Ajahn Chah to affirm whether he had attained a degree of insight. Told by Ajahn Jitindriyā. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Stages of awakening] [Ajahn Chah] // [Impermanence] [Liberation] [Bowing] [Becoming]

Reference: Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, p. 606

Quote: “We talk about things to develop and thigs to give up, but there’s really nothing to develop and nothing to give up.” — Ajahn Chah. [Right Effort] [Relinquishment] [Emptiness] [Dispassion]

Reference: Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, p. 102


Tudong Stories at Spirit Rock, Session 2 – Jun. 2, 2011

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10. “For Lent, I practiced metta every day for six weeks for a person who I was very angry at. By the end of Lent, I was even more angry. Could you speak to this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] [Aversion] [Christianity] // [Right Effort] [Discernment] [Unwholesome Roots] [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Clinging]

Quote: “If the kilesa (defilements) come at you high, then you duck, and if they come at you low, then you jump over them.” — Ajahn Tongrat. [Ajahn Tongrat] [Right Effort]


Tudong Stories at Spirit Rock, Session 3 – Jun. 2, 2011

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5. Quote: “You’re inspired, and you put forth effort. You’re depressed and fed up, and you put forth effort. You’re rested, and you put forth effort. You’re tired, and you put forth effort. ” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Right Effort] [Ardency] [Faith] [Tudong] [Depression] [Sloth and torpor] // [Gladdening the mind]


Calming the Busy Mind, Session 2 – Aug. 11, 2013

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3. “In the suttas, if you recognize a defilement like ill-will, you need to do something about it. How can we reconcile this with the Ajahn Chah teaching you just read (‘Receiving Visitors’ in In Simple Terms)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sutta] [Right Effort] [Ajahn Chah] [Tranquility] [Proliferation] // [Discernment]

Quote: “Practice is really easy. If the defilements come at you high, you duck, and if they come at you low, you jump over them.” — Ajahn Tongrat. [Ajahn Tongrat] [Unwholesome Roots] [Right Effort]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 3 – Nov. 25, 2013

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1. “Is body scan as a meditation practice done in the Ajahn Chah tradition? Is there a sutta where the Buddha talks about it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Body scanning] [Ajahn Chah lineage] [Sutta] // [Unattractiveness] [Mindfulness of body ] [Elements] [Recollection/Death] [Disenchantment]

Quote: “Ajahn Chah would recommend doing anything that worked.” [Ajahn Chah] [Right Effort]

Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 60: Reflection on the Thirty-Two Parts.

Sutta: MN 10.4: Satipaṭṭhānasutta Sutta, mindfulness of body section.


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 18 – Jan. 29, 2014

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4. “Do you have any advice about how to hold a particularly strong “fighting spirit” teaching, like Ajahn Dtun?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fierce/direct teaching] [Teaching Dhamma ] [Ajahn Dtun] // [Culture/Thailand] [Ardency] [Right Effort] [Restlessness and worry] [Heedfulness] [Discernment] [Goodwill]

Sutta: AN 1.49: The mind is radiant.

Quote: “If you invite visitors into your home [the mind] and they just make a mess, then you want to close the door on them before they come in. You can’t be too polite.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Similes] [Unwholesome Roots] [Right Effort]


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 48 – Mar. 12, 2104

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6. “Could the Ajahn Teean technique work for restlessness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Teean] [Movement meditation] [Restlessness and worry]

Quote: “There’s no such thing as the Ajahn Chah method of meditation.” [Ajahn Chah] [Meditation/Techniques] [Right Effort] [Mindfulness of mind]


The Middle Way of Not-Self, Session 2 – May. 27, 2015

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11. Comment: Before I get to all that [deep reflection on not-self], in the meantime I thing of Luang Por Sumedho’s saying, ‘Every time I think of myself, I get depressed.’ [Ajahn Sumedho] [Self-identity view] [Depression] [Not-self]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Five Precepts]

Quote: “It’s difficult but it’s not that complicated. The Buddha’s teachings go against the grain of our conditioning and habits, but the essence of it is quite simple.” [Proliferation] [Right Effort] [Craving] [Simplicity] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]


Jhāna: A Practical Approach, Session 3 – Oct. 10, 2015

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24. “In the jhāna similies (MN 39.15), ‘He makes...’ seems very active. In dropping away things, is it a conscious dropping or an allowing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Right Concentration] [Relinquishment] [Jhāna] // [Volitional formations] [Conditionality] [Right Effort]

Quote: “Ajahn Chah emphasizes the doing within a sphere of detachment and letting go.” [Ajahn Chah] [Right Effort]


Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 2 – Nov. 20, 2016

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7. “In practice we are often doing battle with our defilements. Can you speak about ways of “gladdening” the heart?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Unwholesome Roots] [Gladdening the mind] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Conflict] [Self-identity view] [Skillful qualities]

Quote: “Quit picking a fight with them.” [Right Effort]