Venerable Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden highlights the importance of steady, careful and intentional spiritual practice in his masterful text, Path to Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism, p 739.
“To develop a great rush of energy to practise Dharma for a short time and then to collapse and do nothing means that you have not understood how to practise joyous effort. The person who sets out on the one thousand kilometres from Melbourne to Sydney at a fast run will be found with a heart seizure at the side of the road well before he reaches Seymour. The person who paces himself and walks steadily and consistently, with appropriate rest breaks to stave off exhaustion and recuperate, will definitely get to where he wants to go.”
How to nurture joyous effort
Geshe Loden teaches that there are important components involved in how to avoid laziness and apply the right amount of energy.
Establishing bodhichitta—the heartfelt wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all living beings—is the joyful first step. We may practise day and night, but if our motivation is centred on ourselves, our practice is heading in the wrong direction. This self-centred attitude is a subtle form of laziness and the opposite of joyous effort.
Analysing the advantages and disadvantage of laziness will help us better engage in the practice of joyous effort, defined as a mental factor taking delight in objects of virtue.
Overcoming obstacles to steady and joyous effort
The wonderful chapter on the perfection of joyous effort, also known as enthusiastic perseverance, details three types of laziness to abandon:
The laziness of procrastination
This laziness involves thinking that Buddhism is an impressive and helpful philosophy, but “I don’t have time for it now, and I will come to it later.” However, even during work, raising children and engaging in life’s many commitments, we can weave the cultivation of positive minds into everything we do such as using short, regular meditations, reciting mantras and actively recalling qualities like patience love, and calm.
Also, the time of our death is very uncertain, and if we procrastinate too long death may come before we get started on our Dharma practice! Geshe-la emphasises the need for a strong decision to overcome procrastination, resolving, “I must start Dharma now.”
The laziness of attraction to meaningless activity
Such laziness could include gambling or fishing or infinite scrolling on our phones, or an addiction to films and television series, without a clear purpose such as relaxation. This does not mean all day-to-day activities are a form of laziness – it depends on our underlying motivation.
Activities undertaken with the motivation of simple self-gratification can be laziness, but the same activities can contribute to our Dharma path if they are motivated by a desire to benefit for all living beings. For example, if we are mindful of our motivation, our work, caring for family, taking a walk and even watching television to relax and unwind, can contribute to our Dharma practice by developing beneficial minds like kindness, compassion, wisdom, concentration, patience and generosity.
The laziness of inadequacy
The laziness of inadequacy involves believing that we lack the capacity to transform our minds to better states, let alone climb the spiritual Mount Everest of enlightenment. If we convince ourselves it is too hard, that will become a justification for doing nothing. To overcome this type of laziness we need to follow the example of those great practitioners who have achieved realisations and enlightenment before us, with an unflinching resolve to apply joyous effort to their practice.
Building four strengths to support joyous effort
Geshe-la next explained that to build our capacity for joyous effort we need to be skilful. By building on our Dharma achievements step by step, we develop the four forces: aspiration, steadiness, joy and discarding.
Aspiration: By contemplating the benefits of developing positive minds repeatedly we gather inspiration. As negative karma and delusions gradually clear, our experience of the world begins to change. Love and compassion arise more naturally, our minds become clearer, more peaceful and joyful, we create the causes for more favourable conditions, and our capacity to benefit others continues to grow.
Steadiness: Geshe-la explains that we should aim to complete whatever task we begin. For example, before committing to a daily or lengthy meditation practice or regular prayers, we should consider whether we can realistically maintain the commitment for the length of time we intend. To help build the quality of steadiness there is a marvellous meditation on the three self-confidences of action, capability and delusions on page 750 of Path to Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism.
Joy: Geshe-la quotes Shantideva from Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds to explain the meaning of joy.
In order to complete the task,
As an elephant tormented by the midday sun
Plunges into the lotus lake,
So one should venture into it.
Fully immersed in our practice we will not want to stop.
Discarding: Resting when we are genuinely tired is the meaning of “discarding.” If we push ourselves beyond our limits we may damage our health. This means recognising when genuine exhaustion calls for rest and relaxation, so that we can continue our practice steadily over the longer term.
Steady and joyous effort leads to enlightenment
In summary, the study of joyous effort offers practical guidance on how to cultivate this beautiful quality. By applying effort with wisdom and balance, we can make steady progress on the path without becoming discouraged. Joyous effort helps us sustain our Dharma practice – steadily overcoming negative minds, gaining realisations of highly beneficial qualities and eventually attaining enlightenment.
Read more: The six perfections: putting bodhichitta into action
For information about classes and retreats held at our meditation centre in Melbourne VIC, please visit tibetanbuddhistsociety.org