“Bhikkhus, there are these four strivings. What four? Striving by restraint, striving by abandonment, striving by development, and striving by protection.

(1) “And what, bhikkhus, is striving by restraint? Here, having seen a form with the eye, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the eye faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it, he guards the eye faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the eye faculty. Having heard a sound with the ear, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the ear faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it, he guards the ear faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the ear faculty. Having smelled an odor with the nose, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the nose faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it, he guards the nose faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the nose faculty. Having tasted a taste with the tongue, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the tongue faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it, he guards the tongue faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the tongue faculty. Having felt a tactile object with the body, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the body faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it, he guards the body faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the body faculty. Having cognized a mental phenomenon with the mind, a bhikkhu does not grasp its marks and features. Since, if he left the mind faculty unrestrained, bad unwholesome states of longing and dejection might invade him, he practices restraint over it, he guards the mind faculty, he undertakes the restraint of the mind faculty. This is called striving by restraint.

(2) “And what is striving by abandonment? Here, a bhikkhu does not tolerate an arisen sensual thought; he abandons it, dispels it, terminates it, and obliterates it. He does not tolerate an arisen thought of ill will; he abandons it, dispels it, terminates it, and obliterates it. He does not tolerate an arisen thought of harming; ; he abandons it, dispels it, terminates it, and obliterates it. He does not tolerate bad unwholesome states whenever they arise; he abandons them, dispels them, terminates them, and obliterates them. This is called striving by abandonment.

(3) “And what is striving by development? Here, a bhikkhu develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops the enlightenment factor of discrimination of phenomena, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops the enlightenment factor of energy, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops the enlightenment factor of rapture, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops the enlightenment factor of tranquility, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops the enlightenment factor of concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops the enlightenment factor of equanimity, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. This is called striving by development.

(4) “And what is striving by protection? Here, a bhikkhu protects an arisen excellent object of concentration: the perception of a skeleton, the perception of a worm-infested corpse, the perception of a livid corpse, the perception of a festering corpse, the perception of a fissured corpse, the perception of a bloated corpse. This is called striving by protection.

“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of striving.”

Restraint and abandonment,
development and protection:
these four strivings were taught
by the Kinsman of the Sun.
By these means an ardent bhikkhu here
can attain the destruction of suffering.

from the Aṅguttara Nikāya – The Book of Fours – Sutta 14
“The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha”

© Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, 2012)

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