Number six is “right effort”, the cultivating of positive qualities and releasing negative ones. Buddhism fine tunes right effort into sub categories called “four big efforts”.
1. The effort to avoid negative not yet existing in our lives.
2. The effort to overcome negative which already exits in our thoughts and acts.
3. The effort to preserve the positive already developed in our thinking and acting.
4. The effort to develop the positive not yet existing in our minds, hearts and actions.
Driving the four big efforts teaching is the understanding that too many people have right intentions but neglect to put good ideas into practice, into daily life. This weakness is further strengthened by putting off for another day what we know should be done today. That’s why it’s important to cultivate the four great efforts daily – to avoid, overcome, preserve, and develop.