“Easeful Effort” with Benjamin this Sunday at Minneapolis Insight

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Dear Community,

Sunday 10am Community Practice & Discussion

This Sunday Benjamin will lead a practice and exploration of “Easeful Effort,” based on Ajahn Amaro’s chapter by this title in his book Mind is What Matters (freely available here). Below is an excerpt (pages 111 - 112):

In the application of Right Effort, there is no sense of self – that’s what makes it Right. Once again, there is a heartful participation, engagement, attunement to the field of experience and potential for liberation, yet it is wholly easeful, unentangled, stressless. There is a recognizing of the unwholesome and the wholesome. And there is a doing, a directing, a choosing. But those choices are not coloured by self-view. They are not influenced by ‘I-me-mine’. They are guided by mindfulness and wisdom, attunement of the heart, the recognition of what is skilful, what is beneficial, what is harmful, what is confusing. There is no ‘self’ involved in any way. This is the type of effort we apply in order to carry out our wholesome intentions, our journey towards what is liberating, clarifying, fulfilling.

If the mind is guided by self-view, then our effort gets corrupted, taken over by ‘I-me-mine’. This then leads to more dukkha, more distress, more alienation and more insecurity. Self-view in practice creates deeper attachment, entanglement and confusion.

… When our effort is guided by mindfulness and wisdom rather than self-view, there is a vast spaciousness, a liberality, a freedom in the heart. We are not imprisoned by either the longing for success or the fear of failure. Instead, we are guided by what brings benefit to ourselves and others, which is what the heart naturally cherishes, nurtures and maintains. And with that which causes difficulty, struggle and pain for ourselves and others, the heart naturally lets go, allows it to fall away and doesn’t strengthen it. This is being guided by Right Effort (Sammā-vāyāmo).

… Therefore, it is profoundly helpful to distinguish between effort guided by self-view and effort guided by mindfulness and wisdom. It makes all the difference in the world.

All are welcome to join this exploration on Sunday! Registration and Zoom information available here.

With mettā,
Minneapolis Insight