If we have armour-like effort we will have a long-term perspective that prevents us from being discouraged by unfavourable external conditions, and we will joyfully persevere with our practice even if it takes a long time to attain Dharma realizations. In the past when soldiers went to war they wore armour to protect their bodies; similarly when Dharma practitioners wage war against their delusions they need to wear armour-like effort to protect their minds against difficult external conditions.
We need armour-like effort at the outset because without it we may soon become discouraged by the length of time it takes to attain realizations, and as a result we may abandon our Dharma practice. Sometimes, when we find it difficult to fulfil our spiritual expectations, encounter others who are trying to dissuade us from practising or have difficulty in finding the resources to support our practice, we may consider giving up Dharma. If this happens it indicates that we lack armour-like effort. At such times we need to recall our initial enthusiasm, and strengthen our resolve by reminding ourself of the benefits of our practice.
Whereas armour-like effort protects our practice against external obstacles, the effort of non-discouragement protects us against the internal obstacle of discouragement. We may wonder ‘How is it possible for someone like me who has so many delusions and so little time to practise Dharma to realize emptiness, develop bodhichitta, and attain liberation and enlightenment?’ By indulging in such thoughts we may conclude that we are incapable of attaining realizations. To counteract this kind of discouragement we need to generate the effort of non-discouragement by contemplating correct reasons. For example, we can contemplate:
Sometimes my delusions are strong and sometimes they are weak. This indicates that they are impermanent. If they can be reduced temporarily, they can be eradicated altogether; so why can I not attain liberation? Buddha said that everyone has Buddha nature. If I rely sincerely upon my Spiritual Guide and practise sincerely what he or she teaches me there is no reason why I cannot attain enlightenment. With my mind empowered by my Guru’s blessings I can accomplish anything.
The effort of application is a mind that engages in the practice of Dharma with delight. This effort inspires us to listen to (or read), contemplate, and meditate on Dharma teachings. It is the source of all our understanding and experience of Dharma. This effort can be either forceful or steady. Sometimes it is appropriate to use forceful effort to reach a specific goal or to overcome a particular obstacle, but it is difficult to sustain this kind of effort and it may soon lead to tiredness or discouragement. For the most part we should practise with steady effort, like a broad river flowing constantly. We should adjust our expectations and not hope for quick results, but practise steadily and constantly over a long period.
The effort of non-satisfaction encourages us continually to deepen our understanding and experience of Dharma by not being satisfied with a merely superficial experience or understanding. After having studied Dharma for two or three years we may feel contented with our understanding and feel that we have no need to listen to more teachings or to continue to meditate. Such a complacent attitude prevents us from developing deep experience and understanding. We cannot expect great results after only a few years’ practice. Until we have reached the final realizations of great enlightenment we need continuously to listen to teachings and meditate on their meaning.
Bodhisattvas on the first ground are not satisfied with their realizations, even though compared to ordinary beings they have attained exalted states of mind. Spurred on by the effort of non-satisfaction they ascend to the second ground, where again the same effort prevents them from becoming complacent and urges them to strive for higher goals. In this way they progress through all ten grounds to the final goal of great enlightenment.
Great enlightenment is called the ‘Path of No More Learning’ because it is the only state of complete fulfilment. Before we reach this stage we still have things to learn and so our Dharma practice is not yet complete. We should not be discouraged by the fact that we will have to practise Dharma for a long time. If we abandon the path to liberation or enlightenment we will never find a better path. All other paths will lead us into samsara; and no matter how much effort we put into following samsaric paths we will never experience true happiness. In our previous lives we put great effort into accumulating material wealth, but now everything we owned has vanished; our effort was in vain. In the past we have enjoyed every conceivable samsaric pleasure, but now we have nothing to show for it. All that remain are the imprints of the negative actions we committed in fulfilling our desires. Now that we have the opportunity to follow a perfect path that definitely leads to ultimate happiness it would be a great shame if we were to abandon it for a worldly path.
In summary, at the outset of our practice we should generate armour-like effort and arm ourself with a strong determination to complete our practice, no matter how long it may take or how many external obstacles we may have to overcome. Armed with this effort we should then generate the effort of application and apply ourself steadily and confidently to our practice. To prevent ourself from becoming discouraged by the extent and duration of our practice we should develop the effort of non-discouragement; and to prevent complacency and ensure that we bring our practice to completion we should rely upon the effort of non-satisfaction.
In Compendium of Abhidharma Asanga presents a fivefold division of effort:
1 Armour-like effort
2 Effort of non-discouragement
3 Effort of application
4 Effort of non-satisfaction
5 Effort of irreversibility
The first four are the same as the four just explained. The fifth, the effort of irreversibility, is a type of effort that prevents harmful conditions, such as wrong advice or bad friends, from diverting us from our virtuous activities. It is called ‘irreversibility’ because it ensures that we continue until our goal is reached with no lessening or diversion of our energy. If we have armour-like effort and the effort of non-discouragement we will automatically have the effort of irreversibility.
In the Lamrim teachings, three types of effort are explained:
1 Armour-like effort
2 Effort of gathering virtuous Dharmas
3 Effort of benefiting others
In this classification armour-like effort is the same as that previously explained, and the other two are included within the effort of application. Because there are two types of virtuous action – gathering virtuous Dharmas and benefiting others – there are two types of effort of application that correspond to these.
Effort does not arise naturally but is generated by using special methods. In Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life Shantideva explains four powers that are the methods for sustaining and increasing effort: the power of aspiration, the power of steadfastness, the power of joy and the power of rejection.
The power of aspiration is a strong wish to practise Dharma. This is cultivated by contemplating both the benefits of training in Dharma and the disadvantages of not training in Dharma. All our problems are the result of taking rebirth in samsara, and the reason we continue to take uncontrolled rebirth is that we do not have sufficient experience of Dharma. Since experience of Dharma depends upon training in Dharma we can say that all our problems are the result of not training in Dharma.
If we do not train in Dharma we will never find real inner peace, and we will remain ignorant of profound and important truths such as the hidden objects that are explained in Dharma. We will not be able even to identify the self-grasping mind that imprisons us in samsara, let alone abandon it. Even though many of the fifty-one mental factors manifest in our mind, if we do not train in Dharma we will not be able to recognize them, and so we will not be able to distinguish those that should be cultivated from those that should be rejected.
One of the main benefits of training in Dharma is that day by day our wisdom grows sharper and our ignorance becomes weaker. The more wisdom we have, the more peaceful our mind will be. Through training in Dharma we gradually attain all the spiritual realizations that directly protect us from suffering. All our problems are caused by desirous attachment, anger, jealousy and other negative minds. By gaining experience of virtuous minds such