..续本文上一页y scientists, psychologists and doctors. Some of you may be aware of some of the techniques that are being used by medical practitioners in the west. A number of doctors have successfully employed techniques very similar to the techniques of meditation in order to help patients overcome chronic diseases and disorders. This is now a recognized fact within the medical profession. Not long ago I was told of a case involving the wife of a professor. Their family doctor has begun to use techniques of mental development to treat patients who are suffering from certain complaints. The lady was told that she would need an operation to correct a certain disorder. Alternatively, it was suggested that she practice this technique of mental development twice a day for a period of two months. Having practised this, it was found that she no longer required the operation. We can all understand the influence the mind has on our attitude by looking at our own experience. We know how we occasionally feel happy and have a positive attitude towards our activities, and when this happens we are efficient, we respond and we are able to carry out our activities in the best possible way. On other occasions when our mind is disturbed and depressed, we find that we cannot even discharge simple tasks efficiently. In this way, we can see how important the mind is in all spheres of activity.

　　There are three steps of the Noble Eightfold Path that are included in this mental development group and they are Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. Together these three steps encourage and enable one to be self reliant, attentive and calm. First of all, in its most general sense Right Effort means cultivating a positive attitude towards our undertakings. We can call Right Effort enthusiasm as well. It means undertaking our tasks with energy, with a will to carry them through. It is said in one text that we ought to embark upon our tasks in the same way as an elephant enters a cool lake during the heat of the midday sun. With this kind of effort, we can then be successful in whatever we plan to do, whether in our career, in our study, or in our practice of the Dharma. In this sense effort is also related to confidence. It is a practical application of confidence. If we fail to put effort into whatever we do, we cannot hope to succeed. But effort must be controlled, must be balanced, and here we can recall what we said regarding the Middle Path, the strings of the lute, the overly tight string and the overly loose string. So effort should never become too tense, too extreme, and similarly, it should not become too slack, should not be abandoned. This is what we mean by Right Effort, a controlled, sustained, enthusiastic, cheerful determination.

　　Right Effort is defined as four fold. It is the effort to prevent unwholesome thoughts from arising. It is the effort to reject unwholesome thoughts once they have arisen. It is the effort to cultivate wholesome thoughts. It is the effort to maintain wholesome thoughts. This last is particularly important because it is often the case that even when we have succeeded in cultivating wholesome attitudes, all too often these are short-lived. Between them, these four aspects of Right Effort focus the energy of Right Effort upon our mental states in such a way as to reduce and eventually eliminate the number of unwholesome mental states that we entertain in our mind and to increase and firmly establish wholesome thoughts as a natural integral part of our mental states.

　　The second step of the Noble Eightfold Path that is included in the group of mental development is Right Mindfulness. Right Mindfulness is essential even in our daily life. This Buddhist teaching, in fact I would venture to say all Buddhist teachings,…

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