Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthi.
Tatra kho bhagavā etadavoca:
There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:
“cattārome, bhikkhave, sammappadhānā. Katame cattāro?
“|Bhikkhus,::::| there are these four right efforts. What four?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.
Here, |bhikkhus,::::| a bhikkhu produces |a wholesome motivation::an aspiration, a goal, an interest, an objective [chanda]|, |exerts effort::engages in intentional effort [vāyamati]|, |initiates and sustains energy::the initial spark of motivation and action along with the persistence needed to follow through, even as challenges arise [vīriya + ārabhati]|, |uplifts::befriends and holds it up [paggaṇhāti]| the mind, and strives to prevent the arising of unarisen |harmful::injurious, bad, or evil. Encompasses the deceptively alluring that is ultimately detrimental or ruinous [pāpaka]| and |unwholesome::unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]| mental states.
Uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.
He produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives for the |giving up::letting go, abandoning, removing [pahāna]| of arisen harmful and unwholesome mental states;
Anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.
He produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives for the |arising::appearance, coming into being [uppāda]| of unarisen |wholesome::healthy, beneficial, useful [kusala]| mental states;
Uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro sammappadhānāti.
He produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives for the |stability::establishment, constancy, continuity [ṭhiti]| and |retention::non-confusion and non-decline [asammosa]|, |growth::further development, multiplication [bhiyyobhāva]| and |full development::expansion and maturity [vepulla]| of arisen wholesome mental states.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cattāro sammappadhāne bhāvento cattāro sammappadhāne bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro.
Just as the river Ganges slants toward the east, slopes toward the east, and inclines toward the east, so too, |bhikkhus,::::| a bhikkhu who cultivates and frequently practices the four right efforts slants toward |Nibbāna::complete cooling, letting go of everything, deathless, freedom from calamity, the non-disintegrating; lit. blowing away [nibbāna]|, slopes toward Nibbāna, and inclines toward Nibbāna.
Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cattāro sammappadhāne bhāvento cattāro sammappadhāne bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro?
And how, |bhikkhus,::::| does a bhikkhu who cultivates and frequently practices the four right efforts slant toward Nibbāna, slope toward Nibbāna, and incline toward Nibbāna?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.
Here, |bhikkhus,::::| a bhikkhu produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives to prevent the arising of unarisen harmful and unwholesome mental states.
Uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.
He produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives for the giving up of arisen harmful and unwholesome mental states.
Anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.
He produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives for the arising of unarisen wholesome mental states.
Uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati.
He produces a wholesome motivation, exerts effort, initiates and sustains energy, uplifts the mind, and strives for the stability, constancy, and continuity of arisen wholesome mental states.
Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cattāro sammappadhāne bhāvento cattāro sammappadhāne bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro”ti.
Thus, |bhikkhus,::::| a bhikkhu who cultivates and frequently practices the four right efforts slants toward Nibbāna, slopes toward Nibbāna, and inclines toward Nibbāna.”
Dvādasamaṁ.
Twelfth.
Gaṅgāpeyyālavaggo paṭhamo.
Chapter 1 of the Connected Discourses on the Right Efforts.
(Sammappadhānasaṁyuttassa gaṅgāpeyyālī sammappadhānavasena vitthāretabbā.)
(Discourses 7 through 12 follow the exact same template of the four right efforts, matching the Ganges river flowing, slanting, and inclining toward the ocean.)
Tassuddānaṁ
Summary
Cha pācīnato ninnā,
cha ninnā ca samuddato;
Dvete cha dvādasa honti,
vaggo tena pavuccatīti.
Six about slanting to the east,
and six about slanting to the ocean;
these two sixes make twelve,
and that’s how this chapter is recited.