Item 4 in Six Perfections
Diligence
Sustain constructive effort rather than surrendering to apathy.
- Position
- 4
- Form
- Mixed formulation
- Obligation
- Context-dependent
- Wording status
- Translation
- Intended audience
- Bodhisattva practitioners, with wider ethical application
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2026
Names and terminology
Canonical name: Diligence
Source wording
Sustain constructive effort rather than surrendering to apathy.
Broader interpretation
Sustain constructive effort rather than surrendering to apathy.
Practical meaning
Sustain constructive effort rather than surrendering to apathy.
Ethical purpose
This principle is intended to guide conduct, character and relationships in accordance with the parent framework.
Variations across schools or traditions
Interpretation and application may vary across communities, translations and individual circumstances.
Criticism and difficult cases
This principle should be applied with attention to evidence, consent, equality, power, foreseeable harm and realistic alternatives.
Truth By Reason analysis
Sustain constructive effort rather than surrendering to apathy. Its ethical force depends on whether its application reduces avoidable harm and respects equal human dignity.
Ethical themes
Sources
- The Dhāraṇī of the Essence of the Six Perfections Mainstream secondary source