SN 49.1

Pācīnādisutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tatra kho bhagavā etadavoca: “cattārome, bhikkhave, sammappadhānā. Katame cattāro? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro sammappadhānāti.

Sloping East, Etc.

At Sāvatthī. There the Buddha said: “Mendicants, there are these four right efforts. What four? It’s when a mendicant generates enthusiasm, tries, makes an effort, exerts the mind, and strives so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. They 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. These are the four right efforts.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gaṅgā nadī pācīnaninnā pācīnapoṇā pācīnapabbhārā; evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cattāro sammappadhāne bhāvento cattāro sammappadhāne bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro. Kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cattāro sammappadhāne bhāvento cattāro sammappadhāne bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu anuppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ anuppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Uppannānaṁ pāpakānaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pahānāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Anuppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ uppādāya chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Uppannānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṁ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṁ ārabhati cittaṁ paggaṇhāti padahati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cattāro sammappadhāne bhāvento cattāro sammappadhāne bahulīkaronto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapoṇo nibbānapabbhāro”ti.

The Ganges River slants, slopes, and inclines to the east. In the same way, a mendicant who develops and cultivates the four right efforts slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment. And how does a mendicant who develops the four right efforts slant, slope, and incline to extinguishment? They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities don’t arise. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that bad, unskillful qualities that have arisen are given up. They generate enthusiasm, try, make an effort, exert the mind, and strive so that skillful qualities arise. They 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. That’s how a mendicant who develops and cultivates the four right efforts slants, slopes, and inclines to extinguishment.”

(Sammappadhānasaṁyuttassa gaṅgāpeyyālī sammappadhānavasena vitthāretabbā.)

(Tell in full as in SN 45.92–102.)