Vīrya (Sanskrit; Pāli: ''viriya'') is a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

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 Virtue ( la, virtus) is moral excellence. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. In other words, it is a behavior that shows high moral standards ...

actions.

Etymology

''Vīrya'' literally means "state of a strong human or "manliness."See, e.g., which Monier Williams (1899), entry for "Vīyà," defines ''vīyà'' in part as: "manliness, valour, strength, power, energy, RV Rig_Veda_.html" ;"title="Rig_Veda.html" ;"title="Rig Veda">Rig Veda ">Rig_Veda.html" ;"title="Rig Veda">Rig Veda &c. &c.; heroism/heroinism, heroic deed, ibid.; manly vigour, virility, semen virile, MBh. [ Mahabharata ]; Kāv.&c; ...." Retrieved 3 February 2011 from "U.Cologne" at https://web.archive.org/web/20090303213620/http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/cgi-bin/monier/serveimg.pl?file=/scans/MWScan/MWScanjpg/mw1006-virabhaTa.jpg In

Vedic literature upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...

, the term is often associated with heroism and virility. In

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

, the term more generally refers to a practitioner's "energy" or "exertion", and is repeatedly identified as a necessary prerequisite for achieving liberation. In Buddhist contexts, ''virya'' has been translated as "energy", "persistence", "persevering," "vigour", "effort", "exertion", or "diligence."

Mental factor

Within the Buddhist 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 In this context, ''virya'' is defined as the attitude of gladly engaging in what is wholesome; its function is to cause one to accomplish wholesome actions.Guenther (1975), Kindle Locations 578-580.Kunsang (2004), p. 25. The

Abhidharma-samuccaya The Abhidharma-samuccaya (Sanskrit; ; English: "Compendium of Abhidharma") is a Buddhist text composed by Asaṅga. The ''Abhidharma-samuccaya'' is a systematic account of Abhidharma. According to J. W. de Jong it is also "one of the most import ...

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

Pali literature Pali literature is concerned mainly with Theravada Buddhism, of which Pali is the traditional language. The earliest and most important Pali literature constitutes the Pāli Canon, the authoritative scriptures of Theravada school. Pali literat ...

, ''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 ''Indriya'' (literally "belonging to or agreeable to Indra") is the Sanskrit and Pali term for physical strength or ability in general, and for the senses more specifically. The term literally means "belonging to Indra," chief deity in the Rig Veda ...

'') :*the

five powers The Five Strengths (Sanskrit, Pali: ') in Buddhism are faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. They are one of the seven sets of Bodhipakkhiyadhamma ("qualities conducive to enlightenment"). They are paralleled in the five spir ...

(''bala'') :*the ten or six "perfections" (''

pāramitā ''Pāramitā'' (Sanskrit, Pali: पारमिता) or ''pāramī'' (Pāli: पारमी), is a Buddhist term often translated as "perfection". It is described in Buddhist commentaries as noble character qualities generally associated with ...

s'') :*the

seven factors of enlightenment In Buddhism, the Seven Factors of Awakening (Pali: ''satta bojjhagā'' or ''satta sambojjhagā''; Skt.: ''sapta bodhyanga'') are: * Mindfulness ('' sati'', Sanskrit ''smrti''). To maintain awareness of reality, in particular the teachings (' ...

(''bojjhaṅga'').See, e.g., Bullitt (2005), entry for "viriya," which defines this term as:
Persistence; energy. One of the ten perfections (paramis), the five faculties (bala; see bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamma), and the five strengths/dominant factors (indriya; see bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamma)
. Retrieved 3 February 2011. It is also associated with " Right Effort" (''sammā-vāyāma'') of the

Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path ( Pali: ; Sanskrit: ) is an early summary of the path of Buddhist practices leading to liberation from samsara, the painful cycle of rebirth, in the form of nirvana. The Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: ...

(Pāli: ;

Skt. Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the l ...

: ) and with the "

Four Right Exertions The Four Right Exertions (also known as, Four Proper Exertions, Four Right Efforts, Four Great Efforts, Four Right Endeavors or Four Right Strivings) (Pali: '; Skt.: ' or ') are an integral part of the Buddhist path to Enlightenment (understand ...

" (''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 ali: ''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''..."Ñāṇamoli & Bodhi (2001), "Kīṭāgiri Sutta" (MN 70), pp. 583-4.

Other characterizations

It stands for strenuous and sustained effort to overcome unskillful ways (''akusala dhamma''), such as indulging in sensuality, ill will and harmfulness (see, e.g., '' ahiṃsa'' and ''

nekkhamma ''Nekkhamma'' (Sanskrit: नैष्क्राम्य, Naiṣkrāmya) is a Pali word generally translated as "renunciation" or "the pleasure of renunciation" while also conveying more specifically "giving up the world and leading a holy life" ...

''). Viriya can also be aroused by strong feelings of Saṃvega and the practice of the charnel ground meditations as outlined in the

Satipatthana sutta The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta ( Majjhima Nikaya 10: ''The Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness''), and the subsequently created Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Dīgha Nikāya 22: ''The Great Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness''), are ...

. It stands for the right endeavour to attain '' dhyāna''. ''Vīrya'' can also signify courage and physical strength and was cultivated by Buddhist guardians including the Shaolin monks. It signifies strength of character and persistent effort for the well-being of others as well as the ability to defend the

Triratna The Triratna ( pi, or ; sa, or ) is a Buddhist symbol, thought to visually represent the Three Jewels of Buddhism (the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha). Symbol The Triratna symbol is composed of: * A lotus flower within a circle. * A dia ...

from attacks. In the absence of sustained effort in practicing meditation, craving creeps in and the meditator comes under its influence. Right effort (''vīryabala'') is thus required to overcome unskillful mental factors and deviation from ''dhyāna''.

Other meanings

Hindi Language: Virya means semen in Hindi Language.

Notes

Sources

*Bullitt, John T. (2005). ''A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms''. Available from
Access to Insight
(ATI). *Griffith, Ralph T.H. (1896). ''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 February 2011 from "Access to Insight". * 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". * Ñāamoli, Bhikkhu (trans.) &

Bhikkhu Bodhi Bhikkhu Bodhi (born December 10, 1944), born Jeffrey Block, is an American Theravada Buddhist monk, ordained in Sri Lanka and currently teaching in the New York and New Jersey area. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publicat ...

(ed.) (2001). ''The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya''. Boston: Wisdom Publications. . *Piyadassi Thera (1999).
Gilana Sutta: Ill (Factors of Enlightenment)
( SN 46.14). Retrieved 7 February 2011 from "Access to Insight". * Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5).
The Pali Text Society's Pali–English Dictionary
'. Chipstead:

Pali Text Society The Pali Text Society is a text publication society founded in 1881 by Thomas William Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pāli texts". Pāli is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism are preserved. The Pā ...

. * Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2005).
Kitagiri Sutta: At Kitagiri
( MN 70). Retrieved 6 February 2011 from "Access to Insight". *Walshe, Maurice O'Connell (trans.) (2009).
Pade Sutta: In the Foot
( SN 48.54). Retrieved 7 February 2011 from "Access to Insight". {{Buddhism topics Wholesome factors in Buddhism Sanskrit words and phrases