The fourth and final step of Right Action is to maintain the wholesome. Once we call up the beneficial seeds and cultivate them, we want to keep them thriving. Buddha says, “Herein the disciple rouses his will to maintain the wholesome things that have already arisen, and not to allow them to disappear, but to bring them to growth, to maturity, and to the full perfection of development.”

This “endeavor to maintain” is basically the work of intention and attention. We want to keep them going consciously, and we can’t do that unless we remain aware of how we can continue to grow them well. Bhikkhu Bodhi says this is also a matter of protection. We guard and keep watch over them, because they are valuable to us. But how? Much of this is about creating the kind of environment that works for the kind of life we want to live. We want to set up our living room in a way that we actually want to live in it.

Think about who you surround yourself with. Do they help you become a better version of the person you want to be, or do they hinder it? (Sometimes, it’s both, because the world is complicated. In which case…do they help the most important things and not hinder those same most important things?)

Think about how you spend your time. Are your activities bringing you closer to the wholesome? Do they empower your most beneficial seeds, or do they hamper them? Think about your mental practices. Is your inner voice running this show into the ground, or do you feel you’ve got some control over your passing thoughts and emotions? What about your spiritual practices?

Consider the work you’re doing in the world, both paid and unpaid, job and volunteer. Does this give you a sense of purpose? Does it bring you joy?

All of these factors contribute to the ways you can maintain the wholesome. Perhaps the best question we can ask ourselves is: are you focusing your energies on the things that bring you the most good?

Lastly, remember you are born with- and still possess- basic human goodness. The ground soil of your soul is fertile ground. Which means you can do this! Those beneficial seeds can thrive and grow to full maturity with love and intention. Trust in that.

This week, what can you bring to growth? Where can you celebrate joy and beauty? Where can you better align your energy and time?

This post belongs to my series on practicing the Eightfold Path. Read all my posts on Right Effort here.