Vīrya

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

Vīrya (Sanskrit; 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.

Vīrya literally means "state of a strong man" or "manliness." In Vedic literature, the term is often associated with heroism and virility. In Buddhism, 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, viriya has been translated as "energy," "persistence," "persevering," "vigour," "effort," "exertion," or "diligence."

Within the Buddhist Abhidharma teachings, virya is identified as:

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.

The Abhidharma-samuccaya states:

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

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

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:

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).

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Wikipedia