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wrong effort: an idle mind is the devil's playground

 


Is “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop” in the Bible?

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/where-did-the-saying-an-idle-mind-is-the-devils-workshop-come-from.html

While this exact phrase is not in the Bible, there are a number of passages that reflect this truth. However, one personal paraphrased version of the Bible, The Living Bible (TLB), authored by Kenneth N. Taylor and published in 1971, does contain this phrase verbatim. A paraphrased Bible is more of a commentary on the text of Scripture than an accurate translation of what the text says.


What does the bible actually say?

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2016%3A27-29&version=TLB

Proverbs 16:27 
Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; 
idle lips are his mouthpiece, 
literally, “A worthless man devises mischief; 
and in his lips there is a scorching fire.”



Comparison of that verse and Buddha's right effort

Right effort involves the mind, thoughts, speech, physical actions.
Whereas proverbs 16:27 only cover speech and physical actions.
The saying "an idle mind is the devil's playground" is actually more thorough than the the bible.
To draw the relation to right (and wrong effort),
an idle mind is not actively engaged in one of the four right efforts,
and therefore just waiting for an opportunity for the defilements and hindrances to lead the way to unskillful thoughts and actions.


But not being actively engaged in right effort is not the same as wrong effort

Buddha defines wrong effort in MN 117

https://lucid24.org/mn/main/mn117/index.html#117.4


So where in the Dhamma would you map the saying "an idle mind is the devil (or Māra's) playground/workshop?"

I would map it to the 3rd of 5 hindrances.
See SN 46.2
https://lucid24.org/sn/main/sn46/index.html#46.2
arati (discontent, dissatisfaction) as a nutriment for the hindrance of sloth and torpor.
An idle mind of an unenlightened being is usually very close to arati. 


What's the antidote?

Following the advice of MN 20,
we should curb idleness by seeing it as a problem, as fuel for the 5 hindrances,
and replace it immediately with a right thought,
which leads to right actions.
https://lucid24.org/mn/main/mn020/index.html#20.5.1










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