Ep. 232 – Applying Our Effort Skillfully, Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 29
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Jan 17, 2025
Explore the essential role of right effort in achieving happiness and success. Delve into the Pali term 'virya,' highlighting how skillful energy can empower us through spiritual challenges. The journey of courageous determination shows that ordinary people can embody extraordinary resolve. Discover how balancing mental focus enhances meditation practices. Reflect on the significance of mindful living and using our time wisely, as well as the potential for happiness in every experience.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Wise Use of Energy
Carefully consider how you understand and apply effort in your pursuits.
It can lead to joy or discouragement depending on its application.
insights INSIGHT
Variable Nature of Energy
Energy (Virya) is a variable mental factor, meaning it can be associated with both wholesome and unwholesome states.
Even with wholesome purposes, unskillful application of energy can cause trouble.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Marathon Anecdote
A staff member volunteered for a challenging 26-mile marathon in full military gear, including miles of deep sand.
He wanted to test his mental and physical limits, illustrating the power of Virya in overcoming doubt.
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Composed in the eighth century by Shantideva, this treatise is a cornerstone of Mahayana Buddhism. It presents methods to align one's life with the Bodhisattva ideal, inspiring readers to cultivate the perfections of the Bodhisattva. The book centralizes the concept of bodhichitta, the mind that aspires for the enlightenment of all beings, and discusses key Buddhist philosophical concepts such as shunyata (emptiness) and the Middle Way. It has been widely practiced and revered in Tibetan Buddhist tradition and continues to inspire practitioners with its poetic beauty and spiritual depth[1][2][5].
Considering how right effort drives our achievements and potential for happiness, Joseph Goldstein teaches us more about the dhamma.
The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the twenty-ninth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!
In this episode, Joseph lectures listeners on:
Energy as the root of all achievement
How energy can be associated with both unwholesome and wholesome states
Putting our energy to wise use
Taking the opportunity to challenge ourselves and extend our limits
Getting caught in efforting and in the result of an action
Investigating our own minds
Reflection on death and using our time wisely
The possibilities of every happiness
Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE
Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein 