People frequently ask, what is meditation, and what do you do exactly? This sutta describes it succinctly, from the point of view of right effort. Whether beginner, working on first jhana, or non returner working on arahantship, they're following instructions from this sutta, all the time.
What do you think of this English translation, and how it works in audio?
(in contrast with a more literal pali + english translation I did earlier here: AN 4.14 saṃvara (no peyyāla)
What I've come to realize about the oral tradition, and the suttas as recorded, is that the suttas are often terse, formulaic, optimized for memorizing and protecting fidelity of data, not for fluency and ease of comprehension for the listening audience.
So what I'm doing with this new style translation here, is taking the liberty of connecting the dots and inserting instructions from related suttas to make this sutta more self contained and comprehensible.
What do you think?
Whatever is in square brackets [], are not part of the sutta translation.
Reading text, it's clear what's not part of the pali original. But in audio recordings, there's no easy way to indicate that I've added some comments not part of the original pali sutta.
Forum discussion
https://www.reddit.com/r/EarlyBuddhistTexts/comments/mekryy/original_translation_an_414_english_fluent_no/
AN 4.14 English, fluent (no peyyāla)
(trans.
frankk)
There are four types of exertion.
[They are the same as the four aspects of right effort in the noble eightfold path.
👑8☸]
What are the four exertions?
[1] The exertion of restraint.
[2] The exertion of abandoning.
[3] The exertion of development.
[4] The exertion of protection.
[[1] The exertion of restraint.]
And what is the exertion of restraint?
[It is when a monk restrains the six sense faculties.]
[1.1 The eye-faculty]
When the eye sees form,
he does not grab on to its (nimitta) sign,
he does not grab on to its features.
Because if he did not restrain the eye-faculty,
avarice, distress, and evil unskillful
Dharmas would invade his mind.
[Avarice and distress is a reference to the five hindrances.
5niv⛅]
Therefore the monk practices restraint.
He protects the eye-faculty.
He undertakes the restraint of the eye-faculty.
[1.2 The ear-faculty]
When the ear hears sounds,
he does not grab on to its (nimitta) sign,
he does not grab on to its features.
Because if he did not restrain the ear-faculty,
avarice, distress, and evil unskillful
Dharmas would invade his mind.
[Avarice and distress is a reference to the five hindrances.
5niv⛅]
Therefore the monk practices restraint.
He protects the ear-faculty.
He undertakes the restraint of the ear-faculty.
[1.3 The nose-faculty]
When the nose smells odors,
he does not grab on to its (nimitta) sign,
he does not grab on to its features.
Because if he did not restrain the nose-faculty,
avarice, distress, and evil unskillful
Dharmas would invade his mind.
[Avarice and distress is a reference to the five hindrances.
5niv⛅]
Therefore the monk practices restraint.
He protects the nose-faculty.
He undertakes the restraint of the nose-faculty.
[1.4 The tongue-faculty]
When the tongue tastes flavors,
he does not grab on to its (nimitta) sign,
he does not grab on to its features.
Because if he did not restrain the tongue-faculty,
avarice, distress, and evil unskillful
Dharmas would invade his mind.
[Avarice and distress is a reference to the five hindrances.
5niv⛅]
Therefore the monk practices restraint.
He protects the tongue-faculty.
He undertakes the restraint of the tongue-faculty.
[1.5 The body-faculty]
When the body senses tactile-sensations,
he does not grab on to its (nimitta) sign,
he does not grab on to its features.
Because if he did not restrain the body-faculty,
avarice, distress, and evil unskillful
Dharmas would invade his mind.
[Avarice and distress is a reference to the five hindrances.
5niv⛅]
Therefore the monk practices restraint.
He protects the body-faculty.
He undertakes the restraint of the body-faculty.
[1.6 The mind-faculty]
When the mind cognizes
dharma [mind-objects],
he does not grab on to its (nimitta) sign,
he does not grab on to its features.
Because if he did not restrain the mind-faculty,
avarice, distress, and evil unskillful
Dharmas would invade his mind.
[Avarice and distress is a reference to the five hindrances.
5niv⛅]
Therefore the monk practices restraint.
He protects the mind-faculty.
He undertakes the restraint of the mind-faculty.
[The restraint of the six sense faculties]
is called the exertion of restraint.
[[2] The exertion of abandoning.]
And what is the exertion of abandoning?
[It is the abandoning of four types of wrong thought: three types of wrong thought that are opposite of the three right resolves
2💭, and a fourth category of wrong thought that covers any other type of wrong thought not covered by the first three.]
[2.1 thoughts of sensuality
kāma 💘💃]
At the very moment a monk notices a thought of sensuality arising,
he does not tolerate it.
He removes it.
He destroys it.
He annihilates that thought of sensuality.
[2.2 thoughts of ill-will]
At the very moment a monk notices a thought of ill-will arising,
he does not tolerate it.
He removes it.
He destroys it.
He annihilates that thought of ill-will.
[2.3 thoughts of harming]
At the very moment a monk notices a thought of harming arising,
he does not tolerate it.
He removes it.
He destroys it.
He annihilates that thought of harming.
[2.4 thoughts of evil un-skillful
Dharmas]
At the very moment a monk notices a thought of evil un-skillful
Dharmas arising,
he does not tolerate it.
He removes it.
He destroys it.
He annihilates that thought of evil un-skillful
Dharma.
[The abandoning of the 4 categories of wrong thought]
is called the exertion of abandoning.
[[3] The exertion of development.]
And what is the exertion of development?
[It is when a monk develops the seven awakening factors.
7sb☀️]
[3.1 Remembering of
☸Dharma awakening factor]
A monk develops the Remembering [of
☸Dharma] awakening factor.
That factor is dependent on seclusion,
dependent on dispassion,
dependent on cessation,
and it matures into relinquishment [, which is a synonym for
nirvana].
[3.2
☸Dharma-investigation awakening factor]
A monk develops the
☸Dharma-investigation awakening factor.
That factor is dependent on seclusion,
dependent on dispassion,
dependent on cessation,
and it matures into relinquishment [, which is a synonym for
nirvana].
[3.3 Vigor awakening factor]
A monk develops the vigor awakening factor.
That factor is dependent on seclusion,
dependent on dispassion,
dependent on cessation,
and it matures into relinquishment [, which is a synonym for
nirvana].
[3.4 Rapture awakening factor]
A monk develops the rapture awakening factor.
That factor is dependent on seclusion,
dependent on dispassion,
dependent on cessation,
and it matures into relinquishment [, which is a synonym for
nirvana].
[3.5 Pacification awakening factor]
A monk develops the pacification awakening factor.
That factor is dependent on seclusion,
dependent on dispassion,
dependent on cessation,
and it matures into relinquishment [, which is a synonym for
nirvana].
[3.6 Undistractible-lucidity awakening factor]
A monk develops the Undistractible-lucidity awakening factor.
That factor is dependent on seclusion,
dependent on dispassion,
dependent on cessation,
and it matures into relinquishment [, which is a synonym for
nirvana].
[3.7 Equanimous-observation awakening factor]
A monk develops the Equanimous-observation awakening factor.
That factor is dependent on seclusion,
dependent on dispassion,
dependent on cessation,
and it matures into relinquishment [, which is a synonym for
nirvana].
[The development of these seven awakening factors]
is called the exertion of development.
[[4] The exertion of continuous, repeated protection.]
And what is the exertion of protection?
[There are 5 types of excellent (nimitta) signs used in undistractible-lucidity that should be continuously, repeatedly, protected and guarded carefully when they arise.]
[For a skilled meditator, the nimitta images are visual images that appear in the mind's eye of the meditator, whether their eyes are closed or open. It appears as clearly and vividly as if a normal person using their open eyes were looking at a corpse in a graveyard. ]
[For a less skilled meditator, it is ok to use a nimitta image of a mentally created visualization, or just a concept or idea for that nimitta.]
If a monk has an excellent nimitta of samādhi arise, an excellent sign seen while in undistractible-lucidity, he must continuously and repeatedly protect that nimitta [and the high quality of his undistractible-lucidity].
[These are the five types of excellent nimitta images that may arise.]
[4.1] The perception of a skeleton.
[4.2] The perception of a worm infested corpse.
[4.3] The perception of a blackish purplish discolored corpse.
[4.4] The perception of a fissured corpse, full of holes.
[4.5] The perception of a swollen, bloated corpse.
[The repeated, continuous protection and maintenance of these five excellent samādhi nimittas]
is called the exertion of protection.
[That concludes the explanation]
of these four exertions.
(verse)
[Here is a verse that summarizes the discourse, and also serves as a gloss for the important word 'ardency' (ātāpī), which is part of the Satipaṭṭhāna🐘 (
4sp🐘) formula]:
restraint and abandoning,
development (and) protection.
these {four} exertions
(were) taught by- -the kinsman of the sun.
that monk here, ardent,
he arrives at (the) destruction (of) suffering.
