For students

The Basis for Success

(Iddhipada)
	In our life, everyone wants to be successful at work. Successful people are recognized and respected. The stories of their lives are recorded and studied by both their contemporaries and later generations. Successful individuals are looked upon as sources of creative inspiration for those who want to succeed. Here we shall study about the basis for success according to Buddhism. Buddha taught us ways to succeed in many of his sermons. “Iddhipada” is one of those sermons. Iddhipada tells of the Four Virtues that, when developed, lead to success and enable one to achieve goals in life. They are Will (Chanda), Effort (Viriya), Thoughtfulness (Citta), and Investigation (Vimamsa). The first virtue is will or inspiration . Being happy to work, or being ready to work with one’s best ability, means one should have interest and determination to work properly. Will or inspiration is the primary requirement, without which nothing can be accomplished. The second virtue is putting effort or endeavor in to one’s undertaking . It implies the ceaseless application of energy to finish the work as one wants. When a student has assignments to do, he or she should exert himself or herself fully and continually to complete the work. The student should work, however, without worry and strain; he or she should work with balanced effort. If they do not actively commit themselves, the chances for success would be very slim indeed. Poverty can be defeated by effort and endeavor. Effort or endeavor, therefore, is a very important factor for success, and it should be cultivated in our minds. The third virtue is Thoughtfulness. It means to pay full attention to the work one is doing. Whatever we do, be it great or small, we must apply mindfulness and active thought to it again and again, until it is completed. If we do not succeed the first time, try again with endeavor and mindfulness and work hard. The fourth virtue is Investigation or examination. Without investigation, work may not be completed perfectly. Investigation and examination should be done carefully. It is the wisdom level applied to all kinds of work. When we work we should always “amine the work we are expected to do. A good plan and understanding of the work should be kept in mind. To work hard is not enough. We should also work wiser and intelligently. Working with wisdom will ensure and reap a high degree of success. It is, therefore, very important for us to learn how to cultivate the Four Virtues in our minds and how to use them in our activities, so that we will be successful in our life. Iddhipada is an example of an effective tool for working in Buddhism. (Source:  Buddhism For Young Students, Chuen  Phangcham, Ph.D.)