Douglass Smith on effort and non effort in Buddhist practice
In this talk Douglass Smith offers profound insights into the conflicting perspectives surrounding the role of effort in Buddhist teachings.
Doug explores the dichotomy between the caution against effort, as suggested in texts like the Mahayana Heart Sutra, and the emphasis on right effort in teachings such as the Eight-Fold Path.
He attributes this disparity to the evolutionary trajectory of Buddhism, wherein early texts portray the Buddha as a diligent seeker while later teachings emphasize inherent Buddha nature, rendering intense striving unnecessary.
Doug discerns between correct effort and non-effortful practice, elucidating that the latter doesn’t imply zero effort but rather a more effortless approach to meditation.
He warns against the pitfalls of excessive effort, which can lead to conceit, stress, and hindered progress.
Through historical analysis, Doug illustrates how the emergence of the concept of Buddha nature altered perceptions of effort, collapsing the distinction between ordinary enlightenment and full Buddhahood.
Furthermore, Doug delves into the concept of non-effortful practice, likening it to tuning a lute – finding the optimal balance between too much and too little effort.
He suggests that the choice between effort and non-effort hinges on individual disposition and approach to practice.
Additionally, Doug introduces the notion of Beginner’s Mind in Zen Buddhism, encouraging viewers to explore this concept further.
References
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The concept of “non-striving” or “non-effort” originates from Zen Buddhism but also has equivalents in Mahamudra and Dzogchen.
It is important in practice, applicable to both beginners and advanced students.
The analogy from the Pali Canon, where the Buddha compares maintaining neither too tight nor too loose strings on a musical instrument, illustrates the balance needed in practice.
In meditation and chanting, struggling or suppressing the mind only strengthens the ego, akin to having the string too tight.
Conversely, being too loose leads to inertia and lack of practice.
The ideal is to find a point of stillness, a state of non-effort, where striving occurs without explicit effort.