四正勤 Four Right Exertions

Four Right Exertions

四正勤

There are four kinds of right exertion (sammappadhāna): 有四類正確的努力，即四正勤 (sammappadhāna):

Exertion to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states. This preventative action is comparable to a health education campaign, which helps to ward off contagious diseases. As you are sure to encounter evil in your daily life, you must be wary of it, and take care to avoid contamination. Second is the exertion to remove the unwholesome states that have arisen, and prevent them from recurring. We must strive to give up the inclination towards unwholesome things that we are predisposed to, otherwise they will overpower us eventually. Seeing, hearing, etc., stimulate the latent predispositions, which are the root causes of defilements. Such latent tendencies, which are stimulated by sense-objects, are called 『arammanānusaya kilesā.』 When the meditator gains the path, all latent tendencies cease completely. Third is the exertion to cultivate wholesome actions that have not yet arisen. Wholesome kamma should be acquired through the practice of charity, morality, and mental culture. I urge you especially to practise insight meditation if you have not done so yet. If you are doing it now to attain insight, continue until the path is attained. Lastly is the exertion to develop arisen wholesome actions until the path is gained. A meditator normally acquires all four of these right exertions in the course of practice. 努力避免尚未生起的不善法生起。這個預防行為如同健康鍛鍊運動，它有助于預防傳染性疾病。因為你在日常生活中必定會遇到不善(的現象)，你必須警惕它，小心避免被污染。 第二是努力去除已經生起的不善法，以及防止它們再次生起。我們必須努力停止朝向我們傾向的不善法的趨勢，否則它們將會最終戰勝我們。看到，聽到…等等，刺激潛伏的趨勢，這是煩惱的根本來源。這些被感官對象刺激的潛伏趨勢，稱為 『arammanānusaya kilesā.所緣隨眠煩惱』 。禪修者獲得道(智)後，所有的潛伏趨勢完全地止息。 第三是努力培育尚未生起的善行生起。善業應該通過布施、持戒、和禪修來獲得。我特別地鼓勵你去修習內觀，如果你還沒這麼做的話。如果你正在修內觀來獲取內觀(智)，繼續，直到到達道(智)。 最後是努力培育已經生起的善行，直到獲得道(智)。通常地，禪修者在修習過程中能得到全部四種正精進。