There are four endeavours, monks. [1]
What four?
(1) The endeavour to prevent,
(2) The endeavour to let go;
(3) The endeavour to cultivate; and
(4) The endeavour to protect. [2]
(1) What is the endeavour to prevent?
(A) Here monks,
Seeing a shape with the eye,
one neither dwells on it [with one’s mind]
Nor dwells on any of its features.[3]
Because if one were to live
with the visual faculty unprotected
longing, impatience,
and unskillful, unwholesome states
would take over [one’s mind].[4]
Thus, one practices for its mastery.
One protects the visual-faculty.
One becomes skilled regarding the visual faculty.
(B) Hearing a sound with the ear…
one neither dwells on it [with one’s mind]
Nor dwells on any of its features.
Because if one were to live
with the ear faculty unprotected
longing, impatience,
and unskillful, unwholesome states
would take over [one’s mind].
Thus, one practices for its mastery.
One protects the auditive-faculty.
One becomes skilled regarding the auditive faculty.
(C) Smelling an odor with the nose,
one neither dwells on it [with one’s mind]
Nor dwells on any of its features.
Because if one were to live
with the olfactive faculty unprotected
longing, impatience,
and unskillful, unwholesome states
would take over [one’s mind].
Thus, one practices for its mastery.
One protects the olfactive faculty.
One becomes skilled regarding the olfactive faculty.
(D) Tasting a taste with the tongue,
one neither dwells on it [with one’s mind]
Nor dwells on any of its features.
Because if one were to live
with the gustative faculty unprotected
longing, impatience,
and unskillful, unwholesome states
would take over [one’s mind].
Thus, one practices for its mastery.
One protects the gustative faculty.
One becomes skilled regarding the gustative faculty.
(E) Touching a tangible object with the body,
one neither dwells on it [with one’s mind]
Nor dwells on any of its features.
Because if one were to live
with the touch faculty unprotected
longing, impatience,
and unskillful, unwholesome states
would take over [one’s mind].
Thus, one practices for its mastery.
One protects the touch faculty.
One becomes skilled regarding the touch faculty.
(F) Aware of a mental object in one’s mind
one neither dwells on it [with one’s mind]
Nor dwells on any of its features.
Because if one were to live
with the mental faculty unprotected
longing, impatience and
unskillful, unwholesome states
would take over [one’s mind].
Thus, one practices for its mastery.
One protects the mental faculty
One becomes skilled regarding the mental faculty.
This is called the endeavour of prevetion.
(2) What is the endeavour to let go?
Here, monks,
(I) When a thought of sensory engagement comes up,
One does not continue along with it,
One abandons it, releases it, lets it go,
One undoes it and brings it to an end.[5]
(II) When a thought of anger comes up,
One does not continue along with it,
One abandons it, releases it, lets it go,
One undoes it and brings it to an end.
(III) When a thought of retaliation comes up,
One does not continue along with it,
One abandons it, releases it, lets it go,
One undoes it and brings it to an end.
(IV) One after the other,
When harmful and unwholesome states come up,
One does not continue along with them,
On abandons them, releases them, lets them go,
One undoes them and brings them to an end.
This is called the endeavour of letting go.
(3) What is the endeavour to cultivate?
(A) One develops the support for awakening of awareness,
Which is caused by letting go,
Relaxing,
and culminates in liberation. [7]
(B) One develops the support for awakening of discerning states,
Which is caused by letting go,
Relaxing,
Opening up,
and culminates in liberation.
(C) One develops the support for awakening of determination,
Which is caused by letting go,
Relaxing,
Opening up,
and culminates in liberation.
(D) One develops the support for awakening of joy,
Which is caused by letting go,
Relaxing,
Opening up,
and culminates in liberation.
(F) One develops the support for awakening of calm,
Which is caused by letting go,
Relaxing,
Opening up,
and culminates in liberation.
(G) One develops the support for awakening of collectedness,
Which is caused by letting go,
Relaxing,
Opening up,
and culminates in liberation.
(H) One develops the support for awakening of Steadiness,
Which is caused by letting go,
Relaxing,
Opening up,
and culminates in liberation.
This is called the endeavour of cultivating.
(4) What is the endeavour to protect?
Here, one
Protects the auspicious quality of mental collectedness [8]
With the contemplation of the skeleton,
The contemplation of a body swarming with maggots,
The contemplation of a blueish purple body,
The contemplation of mawed up body,
And the contemplation of a bloated corpse. [9]
This is called the endeavour to protect.
These are the four endeavours, monks.
Prevention, letting go,
Cultivation and protection;
These are the four endeavours
Taught by the kindman of the sun;
Should a seeker be intent here,
One makes an end of trouble.
[1] “Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, padhānāni.
[2] Saṁvarappadhānaṁ, pahānappadhānaṁ, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ.
[3] na nimittaggāhī hoti nānubyañjanaggāhī.
[4] cakkhundriyaṃ asaṃvutaṃ viharantaṃ abhijjhā domanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssaveyyuṃ. I would like to underline here the same words which are being used to describe the four resting places of awareness abhijjhā domanassā. Here, they are paralleled directly with, I believe it is quite ocvious here, both sides of all unwholesome states (pāpakā akusalā dhammā), that is: Wanting and dislike. Confirming yet again that the four resting places of awareness are inseparable from the four wise practices or endeavours by their statement: vineyya loke abhijjhā donanassaṁ. Here we find another confirmation that wise awareness is the first part of wise practice, and in return, wise practice is also found in wise awareness.
[5] uppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ nādhivāseti pajahati vinodeti byantīkaroti anabhāvaṁ gameti;
[6] Here, I deviate from the more traditional definition of nirodha as cessation and choose the semantic pathway that offers the opportunity for rundhati; obstruct, to be ni-rundhati; un-obstruct, unobstructed. Which is this very important flavor and quality to ‘open up’ in the Buddha’s teaching. At the time of the Buddha, expressions and semantics did not lean towards the same pathways we use today. So nowhere we literally find the words ‘to open up’ but we can easily infer its importance, at least from the Buddha’s great emphasis on the cultivation of the boundless mind (appamāna), whether in the obvious practice of mettā , Karunā, muditā and Upekkhā, or mainy other sources like the opening process of the jhānas, the letting go of selfishness and anger, which narrow down the mind and closes it on itself.
[7] vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ,
[8] uppannaṁ bhaddakaṁ samādhinimittaṁ anurakkhati. The way I understand this is not to ‘protect’ the recollections on the loathsome but that those meditation topics, used lightly and wisely, come to protect the auspicious Samādhi that was gained through one’s practice. So that the mind will not tend to flow back to all kinds of distractions afterwards. These topics of contemplation are meant to ground one in the reality of this body and to remain solely in Dhamma, the only refuge.
[9] aṭṭhikasaññaṁ puḷavakasaññaṁ vinīlakasaññaṁ vicchiddakasaññaṁ uddhumātakasaññaṁ.
