Virya Paramita by Zochi

So, today I’m going to talk about the fourth Paramita, diligence or Virya in the Pali.  There are probably a number of synonyms including devotion, attentive care, or heedfulness.  When I started examining Virya I felt a little bit of a conundrum.   If you’re like me, you might look on diligence as a form of perseverance that is demanding of us psychologically and physically.  You know the old football coaches’ phrase – When the going gets tough the tough get going!  But, maybe there’s a slightly different interpretation that doesn’t seem as aggressive.  The root meaning of Virya is something like energy or zeal - that seems more positive to me.  One author wrote, “Virya refers to joyful effort – a sustained, enthusiastic commitment to virtuous actions and spiritual practice.”  Another author put it this way – “In the Bodhisattva path, virya is the quiet fire that sustains the journey.”  So, maybe we can see it as not a frantic effort or ambition, but as a steady, whole hearted engagement with what is true and beneficial.

We can look on Virya in two ways – first, in our zazen or meditation practice and second, in our daily lives.  We should also recognize that Virya is a part of a whole of all the Paramitas (whether six in our tradition or 10 in the Theravadan tradition) and all of which ask for continuous cultivation in our daily lives.  And that is a cultivation that in our Zen tradition calls for “effortless effort.”  Suzuki Roshi said, “When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.” This is vīrya: not pushing, but being fully present and, without clinging to results.  Or as Dogen wrote in the Bendowa, “diligently practicing the Way means letting all things be what they are in their Self-nature, as you put your essential oneness into operation by following the road away from discriminatory and dualistic thinking”.

Briefly, in our meditation practice, Virya is the gentle returning to breath, to posture, to awareness – even after distraction.  Now I’ve heard any number of comments about toughing it out in meditation.  There must have been a few old football coaches who became Zen teachers.  But really, this zazen is about joyful ease.  Our challenge is to learn how to relax into our sitting.  Effortless effort.  Again, as is often quoted from the Fukanzazengi, Dogen wrote, “What I call zazen is not developing concentration by stages and so on. It is simply the Awakened One's own easy and joyful practice, it is realized-practice within already manifest enlightenment. It is the display of complete reality.”  In fascicle 56 (On the Model for Doing Meditation) he ends with this comment, “Seated meditation is a practice and not something for intellectual study. It is the Dharma Gate to peace and joy. It is unstained training to realize the Truth.”  So, in our Zen tradition diligence is often seen not as forced striving, but as natural wholeheartedness. Suzuki Roshi described it as “just to sit, with no gaining idea.”  Diligence becomes the quiet, persistent flame of presence and sincerity.

We can see how this Virya easily comports not just in meditation but in our daily lives.  Here we are in this imperfect world as imperfect human beings surrounded by imperfect human beings.  How do we deal with this mess?

Let me repeat some of my opening comments - In the Bodhisattva path, vīrya is the quiet fire that sustains the journey. It’s not frantic effort or ambition, but a steady, wholehearted engagement with what is true and beneficial. Vīrya is the energy of not turning away — from suffering, from practice, from the moment.  Effortless effort.  This diligence is not perfectionism.  Rather, it’s showing up, again and again, with sincerity.  It is not force.  It is the natural vitality that arises when we align with reality.  Finally, it is not stubbornness.  It is the willingness to meet each moment freshly, even when we are tired or uncertain.  It is being kind to ourselves.  Or as Suzuki Roshi said, “The most important thing is to find out what is the most important thing—and to keep it in mind. This is diligence: not frantic doing, but sustained, wholehearted presence”.

Virya can be considered in three key forms.  First is an armor-like diligence.  This is a courageous resolve to never give up, no matter how difficult the path becomes.  Reminds me of Winston Churchill’s comment in WWII.  It can be considered as mental preparation to face challenges.  Second is diligence in action or the actual effort in practicing virtue, meditation, and helping others. And finally, diligence that never turns back.  We can look on this as a deep commitment to continue progressing toward awakening without retreat.  It’s especially important for bodhisattvas who vow to benefit all beings.

I think Dogen had another term for Virya – ceaseless practice – it appears over 200 times in the Shobogenzo fascicle 29 – Gyoji or On Ceaseless Practice.  The word practice itself appears over 950 times in the Shobogenzo.  Joy and ease appear many times as well throughout it.  So, learning to live a full, wholesome life really asks us to cultivate those six paramitas joyfully and with ease. Remember them? Dana or generosity, Sila or ethical conduct, Kshanti or patience, Virya or Diligence, Dhyana or mindfulness, and finally Prajna or Wisdom.

How did Dogen look on this?  He wrote, “All Buddhas, without exception, make full use of Their everyday behavior for Their practice. This is what is meant by ‘a Buddha doing His practice’.   ‘Keep in mind that Buddhas, being within the Buddha’s Way, do not go looking for realization. Becoming proficient in one’s daily conduct whilst on the path towards Buddhahood is what is meant by ‘a Buddha just doing His practice’.

So, there it is – virya or diligence.  Just everyday effort.  We can look at it from two perspectives – first, the internal practice of zazen guiding us toward awakening or realization and, second, the outward effort to benefit all beings.