Question 52: DURING THE STAGE OF RIGHT ENDEAVOR, WHEN THERE ARE NO RESULTS FROM MEDITATION YET, HOW SHOULD A PRACTITIONER HANDLE IT?

Answer: A practitioner typically needs to try various meditation methods rather than sticking to one method to achieve success. When we discuss the Four Foundations of Mindfulness later on, we will see that practitioners must gradually adjust their practice according to their increasingly deep levels of mindfulness.

When the mind lacks mindfulness, practitioners can easily be led astray by wandering thoughts, causing them to lose focus on their meditation practice. For instance, a practitioner might be focusing on his breath but when a thought arises, he would forget about the breath. Another might be contemplating the impermanence of the body but then gets distracted by thoughts and forgets the contemplation of impermanence…

Initially, a practitioner might have a bit of mindfulness, but it may not be strong enough to prevent subtle wandering thoughts from arising and diverting the mind.

We can outline the stages of practice as follows:

UNWHOLESOME MIND – MIXED WHOLESOME AND UNWHOLESOME MIND – PURELY WHOLESOME MIND – MINDFULNESS – DEEP MINDFULNESS (RIGHT MINDFULNESS) – ENTRY INTO FIRST JHANA

At the beginning, being aware that one is distracted by wandering thoughts is a form of mindfulness, but this mindfulness is still weak and not strong enough to prevent wandering thoughts from arising.

Mindfulness can be strengthened as merit increases and sins decrease, combined with the proper practice of contemplation. If mindfulness is weak, practitioners should step back and evaluate their merit and sin rather than hastily moving forward. We have different levels of self-assessment for our merit and sin, such as: 

• This mind is heavily laden with karmic obstructions.
• This mind is filled with faults.
• This mind is still ordinary and harbours many faults.
• Deep within, this mind is still ignorant and sinful.

When we accurately recognize the true nature of the mind, our negative karma naturally diminishes, allowing the conditions for mindfulness to arise. 

In general, practitioners need to make various adjustments (using correct techniques) during the stage of Right Endeavour to develop strong mindfulness, paving the way for deep meditation.