Virya

Translations of vīrya
English	diligence, energy, perseverance, enthusiasm, sustained effort
Pali	viriya
Sanskrit	vīrya
Chinese	勤(T) / 勤(S), 精進(T) / 精进(S)
Japanese	精進 (rōmaji: shōjin)
Korean	근, 정진 (RR: geun, jeongjin)
Sinhalese	වීර්ය
Tibetan	བརྩོན་འགྲུས། (Wylie: brtson 'grus; THL: tsöndrü)
Vietnamese	Tinh Tấn

Virya is one of the six (or ten)
Paramitas

Virya (Sanskrit: vīrya; Pāli: viriya) is a Buddhist term commonly translated as "energy", "diligence", "enthusiasm", or "effort". It can be defined as an attitude of gladly engaging in wholesome activities, and it functions to cause one to accomplish wholesome or virtuous actions.

Etymology

Virya (viriya in Pali) has been translated as "energy," "persistence," "persevering," "vigour," "effort," "exertion," or "diligence."

In Buddhism, virya generally refers to a practitioner's "energy" or "exertion," and is repeatedly identified as a necessary prerequisite for achieving liberation.

In Vedic literature, the term is often associated with heroism and virility. In this context, the term has been translated as "vigour", "heroic exertion" or "valour."

Virya paramita

The paramita of virya (viriya) is identified as:

• one of the six paramitas of the Mahayana tradition
• one of the ten paramis of the Theravada tradition

Mental factor

Within the Abhidharma teachings, virya is identified as:

• One of the six occasional mental factors within the Theravada Abhidharma
• One of the eleven virtuous mental factors within the Mahayana Abhidharma

Theravada

The Visuddhimagga (XIV, 137) gives the following definition:

Energy (viriya) is the state of one who, is vigorous (vira). Its characteristic is marshalling (driving). Its finction is to consolidate conascent states (the accompanying citta and cetasikas). It is manifested as non-collapse. Because of the words "Bestirred, he strives wisely" (Gradual Saying II. I l5), its proximate cause is a sense of urgency; or its proximate cause is grounds for the initiation of energy. When rightly initiated, it should be regarded as the root of all attainments.

Mahayana

In the Mahayana abhidharma, virya is defined as the attitude of gladly engaging in what is wholesome; its function is to cause one to accomplish wholesome actions.

The Abhidharma-samuccaya states:

What is virya? It is the mind intent on being ever active, devoted, unshaken, not turning back and being indefatigable. It perfects and realizes what is conducive to the positive.

In the context of the Mahayana Abhidharma, virya is commonly translated as diligence.

Pali literature

In Pali literature, viriya is identified as critical component in each of the following sets of qualities conducive to Enlightenment (bodhi-pakkhiyā-dhammā):

• the five spiritual faculties (indriya)
• the five powers (bala)
• the ten or six "perfections" (pāramitās)
• the seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhaṅga).

It is also associated with "Right Effort" (sammā-vāyāma) of the Noble Eightfold Path (Pāli: aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo; Skt.: aṣṭāṅga mārga) and with the "Four Right Exertions" (samma-ppadhāna).

In the Kīṭāgiri Sutta (MN 70), the Buddha instructs his followers:

... For a faithful disciple who is intent on fathoming the Teacher's Dispensation, it is natural that he conduct himself thus: 'Willingly, let only my skin, sinews, and bones remain, and let the flesh and blood dry up on my body, but my energy [Pali: viriya] shall not be relaxed so long as I have not attained what can be attained by manly strength [purisa-tthāmena], manly energy [purisa-viriyena], and manly persistence [purisa-parakkamena]...."

See also

• Four Right Exertions
• Five Faculties
• Five Powers
• Noble Eightfold Path

Sources

• Bullitt, John T. (2005). A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms. Available from "Access to Insight" (ATI) on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html .
• Griffith, Ralph T.H. (1896). Rig Veda. Available from "Wikisource" at http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rig_Veda .
• Guenther, Herbert V. & Leslie S. Kawamura (1975), Mind in Buddhist Psychology: A Translation of Ye-shes rgyal-mtshan's "The Necklace of Clear Understanding". Dharma Publishing. Kindle Edition.
• Ireland, John D. (trans.) (1998). "Meghiya Sutta: Meghiya" (Ud. 4.1). Retrieved 7 Feb. 2011 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.4.01.irel.html .
• Kunsang, Erik Pema (translator) (2004). Gateway to Knowledge, Vol. 1. North Atlantic Books.
• Monier-Williams, Monier (1899; rev. 2008). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press. A general on-line search engine for this dictionary is available from "U. Cologne" at http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/index.html.
• Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu (trans.) & Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed.) (2001). The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-072-X.
• Piyadassi Thera (1999). "Gilana Sutta: Ill (Factors of Enlightenment)" (SN 46.14). Retrieved 7 Feb. 2011 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn46/sn46.014.piya.html .
• Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for this dictionary is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.
• Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2005). "Kitagiri Sutta: At Kitagiri" (MN 70). Retrieved 6 Feb. 2011 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.070.than.html .
• Walshe, Maurice O'Connell (trans.) (2009). "Pade Sutta: In the Foot " (SN 48.54). Retrieved 7 Feb. 2011 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn48/sn48.054.wlsh.html .