In short: right effort is the sixth factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha described four efforts: preventing bad qualities from arising, giving up those that have arisen, developing good qualities, and keeping good qualities growing (SN 45.8).
The Buddha's definition
"They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities don't arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities that have arisen remain, are not lost, but increase, mature, and are fully developed."
SN 45.8 · One of the eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path, the Middle Way.
Read the full guide
The four efforts, simply
| Effort | Plain English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prevent | Don't let bad habits start | Leave the phone outside the bedroom |
| 2. Abandon | Let go of what's already there | Drop a grudge (five ways) |
| 3. Develop | Start something good | Three minutes of practice a day |
| 4. Maintain | Keep good things growing | Don't stop when it starts working |
Not too tight, not too slack
Right effort isn't straining. The Buddha told the over-eager monk Soṇa that energy "too forceful" leads to restlessness and "too slack" to laziness. (The harp-string simile) More: real Buddha quotes on effort.
The whole path
Right view · right intention · right speech · right action · right livelihood · right effort · right mindfulness · right immersion. Intention: right intention.
Try it
Start with a few minutes a day: Practice.
Questions people ask
What are the four right efforts?
To prevent unskillful qualities from arising, to give up those that have arisen, to develop skillful qualities, and to maintain and increase those that have arisen (SN 45.8).