Padhānasutta

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, padhānāni. Katamāni cattāri? Saṁvarappadhānaṁ, pahānappadhānaṁ, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ. Katamañca, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ.

“Mendicants, there are these four efforts. What four? The efforts to restrain, to give up, to develop, and to preserve. And what, mendicants, is the effort to restrain? It’s when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise. This is called the effort to restrain.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to give up? It’s when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities are given up. This is called the effort to give up.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to develop? It’s when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. This is called the effort to develop.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ. Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri padhānānīti.

And what, mendicants, is the effort to preserve? It’s when you 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. This is called the effort to preserve. These are the four efforts.

Saṁvaro ca pahānañca, bhāvanā anurakkhaṇā; Ete padhānā cattāro, desitādiccabandhunā; Yo hi bhikkhu idhātāpī, khayaṁ dukkhassa pāpuṇe”ti. Navamaṁ.

Restraint and giving up, development and preservation: these are the four efforts taught by the Kinsman of the Sun. Any mendicant who keenly applies these may attain the ending of suffering.”