The Buddha describes the four efforts—to restrain, give up, develop, and preserve skillful and unskillful qualities.

AN 4.69 Effort

“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.

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

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

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.

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

Navamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, padhānāni.

“Mendicants, there are these four efforts.

Katamāni cattāri?

What four?

Saṁvarappadhānaṁ, pahānappadhānaṁ, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ.

The efforts to restrain, to give up, to develop, and to preserve.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ?

And what, mendicants, is the effort to restrain?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.

It’s when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, saṁvarappadhānaṁ.

This is called the effort to restrain.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ?

And what, mendicants, is the effort to give up?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.

It’s when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities are given up.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, pahānappadhānaṁ.

This is called the effort to give up.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ?

And what, mendicants, is the effort to develop?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.

It’s when you generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhāvanāppadhānaṁ.

This is called the effort to develop.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ?

And what, mendicants, is the effort to preserve?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.

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 fulfilled by development.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, anurakkhaṇāppadhānaṁ.

This is called the effort to preserve.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri padhānānīti.

These are the four efforts.

Saṁvaro ca pahānañca,

Restraint and giving up,

bhāvanā anurakkhaṇā;

development and preservation:

Ete padhānā cattāro,

these are the four efforts

desitādiccabandhunā;

taught by the Kinsman of the Sun.

Yo hi bhikkhu idhātāpī,

Any mendicant who keenly applies these

khayaṁ dukkhassa pāpuṇe”ti.

may attain the ending of suffering.”

Navamaṁ.

Qualities:

Cultivation

Cultivation

The active practice of 'bringing into being' wholesome states. It is the deliberate nurturing of the bright state of mind.

Also known as: development, improvement, meditation, nurturing, growth
Pāli: bhāvanā
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Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Harm

Harm

Intention or action that causes injury or suffering to oneself or others. It arises from aversion and heedlessness and destroys trust and safety. The opposite of non-harm, it obscures compassion and leads to regret.

Also known as: injury causing behavior, destructiveness, bad, evil
Pāli: pāpaka
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Unwholesome

Unwholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of poor health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameworthy, unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, karmically unprofitable
Pāli: akusala
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Vigour

Vigour

Energetic effort and resilience in practice. It is the refusal to shrink back, the 'uphill' force that initiates and sustains wholesome actions against the gravity of habit.

Also known as: energy, effort, enthusiasm, zeal, application of will, persistence
Pāli: vīriya
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Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Last updated on July 27, 2026