on what the Buddha taught
Aṅguttara Nikāya
Catukkanipātapāḷi
Paṭhamapaṇṇāsakaṃ
Caravaggo
Saṃvarasuttaṃ
AN4.14
'These four, almsmen, exertions.
Which four?
And which, almsmen, exertion of restraint?
Here, almsmen, an almsman, seeing a form by eye, is not a holder of signs nor a holder of details by reason of which there to, the strength of the eye abiding unrestrained, he would befall to avarice and distress, evil, unwholesome principles. To restrain that he goes against, he guards against, the strength of the eye. The strength of the eye undergoes the restraint. Hearing a sound by ear... Smelling a scent by nose... Tasting a taste by tongue... Touching a tangible by body... Knowing a principle by intellect, is not a holder of signs nor a holder of details by reason of which there to, the strength of the intellect abiding unrestrained, he would befall to avarice and distress, evil, unwholesome principles. To restrain that he goes against, he guards against, the strength of the intellect. The strength of the intellect undergoes the restraint. This is called, almsmen, exertion of restraint.
And which, almsmen, exertion of rejection?
Here, almsmen, an almsman does not give in, get rids of, dispels, destroys, annihilates arisen lustful thoughts ... arisen angry thoughts... arisen cruel thoughts... does not give in, gets rid of, dispels, destroys, annihilates whichever arisen evil, unwholesome principles. This is called, almsmen, exertion of rejection.
And which, almsmen, exertion of cultivation?
Here, almsmen, an almsman cultivates the awakening factor of recollection... the awakening factor of investigation into principles... the awakening factor of vigour... the awakening factor of pleasantness... the awakening factor of calmness ... the awakening factor of concentration... the awakening factor of neutrality, bent on seclusion, bent on fading, bent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment. This is called, almsmen, exertion of cultivation.
And which, almsmen, exertion of preservation?
Here, almsmen, an almsman preserves an arisen auspicious sign for concentration: the perception of a skeleton, the perception of a maggot infested cadaver, the perception of a discoloured cadaver, the perception of a festering cadaver, the perception of a fissured cadaver, the perception of a bloated cadaver. This is called, almsmen, exertion of preservation.
OK these, almsmen, are the four exertions.'
'Restraint and rejection and cultivation and preservation
these four exertions are pointed out by the Kinsman of the Sun
by which the here ardent almsman,
ought to attain the barrenness of suffering.'