ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Four Right Exertions

The Four Right Exertions are like rules that Buddha created to help people live a good and healthy life. Imagine you have a set of toys that you want to play with - you have to make sure that you use them properly and take care of them, so that they last and you can keep playing with them.

Similarly, the Four Right Exertions are like rules that help you to take care of your own self, your thoughts, and the world around you. They are:

1. Preventing unhealthy thoughts: Just like how you avoid eating too much cake or unhealthy food, you need to make sure that you don't have unhealthy thoughts. You have to be careful about what you think, because your thoughts can sometimes make you sad or angry. You have to try and think happy and positive thoughts.

2. Removing unhealthy thoughts: If you do end up having some unhealthy thoughts, then you must try to remove them as soon as possible. Just like how you clean up a mess you made, you need to clean up your mind from bad thoughts.

3. Creating healthy thoughts: It's important to have good thoughts, and make sure that you are always striving towards being happy and positive. You can do this by practicing gratitude, being empathetic towards others, and being mindful of your surroundings.

4. Maintaining healthy thoughts: Finally, you have to make sure that you continue to maintain these healthy thoughts and not slip back into negative thoughts. It's like brushing your teeth every day to make sure they don't get dirty and rot - you have to continuously practice good habits to keep your mind healthy and happy.

So, these Four Right Exertions are all about taking care of yourself and your thoughts, and making sure that you are always striving towards positive and healthy things in your life.