Joseph Goldstein – Insight Hour – Ep. 68 – Factors of Awakening: Energy

================
Joseph Goldstein explores how to skillfully use energy, which is the Buddha’s third factor of awakening and a fundamental force on the spiritual path.

Strength and Courage
Joseph introduces the Buddha’s third factor of awakening, viriya, or energy. It’s critical to examine how energy is used, because if not applied skillfully it can cause great trouble. Joseph breaks down the many ways viriya is translated in English – energy, effort, strength, courage, and more – and how each translation gives nuance to this factor of awakening.

“Energy is needed to bring any endeavor that we undertake to fulfillment, to completion, but how we understand what this energy is and how we apply it takes a great deal of care. Because how we apply it, and how we understand energy, can determine whether it is the source of joyful interest, which is the next factor of awakening, or the source of great discouragement and frustration.” – Joseph Goldstein

Energy and Effort (23:45)
What is effort? When is it too much, and when is it not enough? Joseph examines the relationship between viriya as courageous effort and viriya as energy. He talks about finding balance, and how effort creates energy when done in the right spirit.

“We have to pay attention to how we’re applying this quality of ‘viriya’ in the moment. If we’re too tight, we need to relax, we need to soften, we need to open up. It’s also possible to be too loose, where we’re not arousing enough effort, we’re not arousing this quality, and then we’re just sitting back in the name of relaxation, and the mind is wandering off and not paying attention at all. That’s when we need to tighten the strings a little bit.” – Joseph Goldstein

Explore energy and effort with Jack Kornfield on Heart Wisdom Ep. 62
Spiritual Urgency (40:30)
What causes this factor of awakening to arise? Joseph talks about how the quality of spiritual urgency calls forth viriya. He explores the reflections that help produce spiritual urgency, including reflecting on the preciousness of birth and the truth of death.

“Every happiness is available to us if we understand the causes for happiness. We’re in this amazing situation of being in a place where we can both understand it and actually put it into practice. This is a tremendous good fortune. Reflecting on this arouses this sense of ‘viriya,’ of spiritual urgency.” – Joseph Goldstein

================
Make sure not to miss a single video podcast from Be Here Now Network! Click here to Subscribe:

================
Be Here Now Network
Podcasts, Courses, and Articles to help you live a Life in Balance.
Heart Centered wisdom from Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das + many more!
Get a Free Guided Meditation from Sharon Salzberg when you first sign up at:

================
Follow Be Here Now Network:
====================================

[drm]

This is exactly what I needed this morning. Thank you Joseph.

[sapofish]

This scares me "wisdom wanes when we don't practice." After 4 years of resisting the very scary + dangerous administration of 45, I'm baaack! and boundlessly grateful! What if I had died during those years, and the Dharma was far from mind and heart?!?! The courage aspect of virya, inspired by challenges, saying Yes! to extending our limits, still with the mind tuned to ease and relaxation. Let me make this vow to you, Insight Hour community, that I will move into some difficulty (addressing sloth and torpor and its relationship to my tv watching habits) and see if more wholesome/skillful activity will arouse energy for night time practice. (It's really amazing to realize how habitual and mindless this tv-watching practice has become, it has an addictive quality to it.) I'm inspired! I'm goin' for it! because this one precious life is rare, death will come, all the accumulation of things will end in dispersion, I have this rare and beautiful opportunity to practice that should not be squandered, and lastly, failing to engage with the Dharma will result in the endless cycles of samsara. How can I ever thank you enough??? __/\__ Sadhu x 3!