Integral Effort (Sammāvāyāma)
Integral effort is related to the faculty of energy (vīriyindriya) and exertion (padhāna). Effort is used to prevent unskillful qualities from arising and to abandon unskillful qualities which have arisen, as well as to develop skillful qualities which have yet to arise and maintain skillful qualities which have arisen. SN 45.8 Vibhaṅga Sutta:
And what, monks, is integral effort?
Here, monks, a monk generates desire, makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives for the non-arising of worthless unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen.
He generates desire, makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives for the abandoning of worthless unskillful qualities that have arisen.
He generates desire, makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives for the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen.
He generates desire, makes an effort, arouses energy, applies his mind, and strives for the maintaining of skillful qualities that have arisen, for their non-decay, increase, expansion, and fulfillment through development.
This, monks, is called integral effort.
As already mentioned, integral effort is closely related to integral exertion (sammāppadhāna) — offering methods to support one’s efforts. These are the exertion of restraint (saṃvarappadhāna), the exertion of abandoning (pahānappadhāna), the exertion of development (bhāvanāppadhāna), and the exertion of maintaining (anurakkhaṇāppadhāna). These four methods demonstrate how effort and exertion are related to the integral structure of the path. AN 4.14 Saṃvara Sutta:
Monks, there are these four exertions. Which four? The exertion of restraint, the exertion of abandoning, the exertion of development, and the exertion of maintaining.
And what, monks, is the exertion of restraint? Here monks, a monk, on seeing a form with the eye, does not grasp at any representation or features, since, if he left the eye faculty unguarded, worthless unskillful qualities such as covetousness or unhappiness might assail him. He practices the way of its restraint, he guards the eye faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty. (Similarly with the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.) This, monks, is called the exertion of restraint.
And what, monks, is the exertion of abandoning? Here monks, a monk does not give in to a thought of sensual pleasure that has arisen. He abandons it, destroys it, dispels it, brings about the utter cessation of its existence. He does not give in to a thought of aversion... a thought of violence... any worthless, unskillful qualities that have arisen. He abandons them, destroys them, dispels them, brings about the utter cessation of their existence. This, monks, is called the exertion of abandoning.
And what, monks, is the exertion of development? Here monks, a monk develops the awakening factor of mindfulness dependent upon seclusion, dispassion, cessation, resulting in letting go. He develops the awakening factor of dhamma-investigation dependent upon seclusion, dispassion, cessation, resulting in letting go. He develops the awakening factor of energy dependent upon seclusion, dispassion, cessation, resulting in letting go. He develops the awakening factor of joy dependent upon seclusion, dispassion, cessation, resulting in letting go. He develops the awakening factor of tranquility dependent upon seclusion, dispassion, cessation, resulting in letting go. He develops the awakening factor of meditative composure dependent upon seclusion, dispassion, cessation, resulting in letting go. He develops the awakening factor of equanimity dependent upon seclusion, dispassion, cessation, resulting in letting go. This, monks, is called the exertion of development.
And what, monks, is the exertion of maintaining? Here monks, a monk maintains an auspicious representation of meditative composure when it has arisen, [such as] the recognition of a skeleton, the recognition of a worm-infested-[corpse], the recognition of a discolored-[corpse], the recognition of a rotting-[corpse], the recognition of a decayed-[corpse], the recognition of a bloated-[corpse]. This, monks, is called the exertion of maintaining.
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