Four Right Exertions

四正勤

There are four kinds of right exertion (sammappadhāna): 有四类正确的努力，即四正勤 (sammappadhāna):

1. Exertion to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states. This preventative action is comparable to a health education campaign, which helps to ward off contagious diseases. As you are sure to encounter evil in your daily life, you must be wary of it, and take care to avoid contamination.
2. Second is the exertion to remove the unwholesome states that have arisen, and prevent them from recurring. We must strive to give up the inclination towards unwholesome things that we are predisposed to, otherwise they will overpower us eventually. Seeing, hearing, etc., stimulate the latent predispositions, which are the root causes of defilements.  Such latent tendencies, which are stimulated by sense-objects, are called ‘arammanānusaya kilesā.’ When the meditator gains the path, all latent tendencies cease completely.
3. Third is the exertion to cultivate wholesome actions that have not yet arisen. Wholesome kamma should be acquired through the practice of charity, morality, and mental culture. I urge you especially to practise insight meditation if you have not done so yet. If you are doing it now to attain insight, continue until the path is attained.
4. Lastly is the exertion to develop arisen wholesome actions until the path is gained. A meditator normally acquires all four of these right exertions in the course of practice.

1. 努力避免尚未生起的不善法生起。这个预防行为如同健康锻炼运动，它有助于预防传染性疾病。因为你在日常生活中必定会遇到不善(的现象)，你必须警惕它，小心避免被污染。
2. 第二是努力去除已经生起的不善法，以及防止它们再次生起。我们必须努力停止朝向我们倾向的不善法的趋势，否则它们将会最终战胜我们。看到，听到…等等，刺激潜伏的趋势，这是烦恼的根本来源。这些被感官对象刺激的潜伏趋势，称为 ‘arammanānusaya kilesā.所缘随眠烦恼’ 。禅修者获得道(智)后，所有的潜伏趋势完全地止息。
3. 第三是努力培育尚未生起的善行生起。善业应该通过布施、持戒、和禅修来获得。我特别地鼓励你去修习内观，如果你还没这么做的话。如果你正在修内观来获取内观(智)，继续，直到到达道(智)。
4. 最后是努力培育已经生起的善行，直到获得道(智)。通常地，禅修者在修习过程中能得到全部四种正精进。