Working with Triple Effort – The Secret to Great Merit and a Nation’s Glory

**Summary:** An inspiring dharma talk on practice: from cherishing a dry leaf, treasuring every moment, to working with triple effort to create great merit and a glorious nation.

A Buddhist once told his teacher that he had filled one pothole on the road that morning. The teacher smiled gently and asked, since he could have filled three potholes but only managed one, it was still not enough. This small story reveals a profound teaching on how we live, practice, and contribute to the world.

**From One Who Knows Practice to One Who Knows Pain**

As one’s practice progresses, a Buddhist begins to transform from within. Anger gradually lessens, greed is let go of, and a selfish heart turns toward altruism. Yet there is a more subtle sign: they begin to see the world with eyes of appreciation. They no longer see trash, nor anything as useless.

"What does it mean to practice?" the teacher asks. "It means never again seeing anything as trash. Nothing in this life is excessive, to be thrown away, or useless."

Even a single dry leaf holds value in the practitioner’s eyes. The teacher instructs: "Practice until you can cherish every green leaf, every blade of grass by the roadside." But what about us, when we tear open a snack packet and throw away the plastic wrapper? The teacher reminds us: "The one who easily tosses away packaging without a second thought, who no longer cares about it, that person lacks wisdom. They lack ethics in their practice. If you feel a pang of distress not knowing how to handle the plastic wrapper, that is ethics, that is spiritual practice."

**Not a Single Moment is Meaningless**

A practitioner who has reached a high level does not allow a single second to pass meaninglessly. Seeing the teacher stroll in the garden with hands clasped behind his back, some might think he is relaxing. But his mind is held in mindfulness, without waste. He affirms:

"The person whose practice has developed wisdom and ethics will not waste a meaningless second. They will not let any moment pass that is idle and purposeless."

Often, people entertain themselves with karaoke, chess, or scrolling through social media. But if one knows how to practice, every empty moment becomes an opportunity to cultivate compassion, reflect on impermanence, do charitable work, or simply live a life of service and dedication.

**Service and Dedication – Yet Still Not Enough**

During a dharma talk, various answers were offered: contemplating compassion, mindfulness, doing charity, dedicating oneself. The teacher nodded and said we were getting close to the teaching, but it was still not enough. Why? Because we must "work with triple effort." He spoke of the pothole: filling one is good, but three should have been done. That is how one becomes truly productive. He said:

"Our weakness is our low productivity. That is why we have little merit."

And he recited a verse for us to remember:

*Work with triple effort, each one of us. You create your own merit, and the nation glories thus.*

Every day, we enjoy the air, water, roads, peace, and our bowl of rice. If we give back too little to life, we are merely repaying a debt. But if we work with triple effort, double effort, tenfold effort, we not only repay what is due but accumulate a surplus of merit. The nation then glories in that virtue.

**Working with Triple Effort – Starting Today**

So from today, ask yourself: have I been working with triple effort? Do not let any moment pass meaninglessly. Cherish every leaf, value every wrapper, and dedicate yourself wholeheartedly. Merit is not somewhere far away; it lies in every moment we live with true meaning.