this topic seems to be allover the place but on the importance of sila i’ve heard the training without perfected conduct being likened to inflating a punctured tire which won’t inflate obviously and so phenomena do not manifest if one doesn’t have sufficiently purified conduct. There are sutta on this;
(1)–(2) “Bhikkhus, for a virtuous person, one whose behavior is virtuous, no volition need be exerted: ‘Let non-regret arise in me.’ It is natural that non-regret arises in a virtuous person, one whose behavior is virtuous.
(3) “For one without regret no volition need be exerted: ‘Let joy arise in me.’ It is natural that joy arises in one without regret.
(4) “For one who is joyful no volition need be exerted: ‘Let rapture arise in me.’ It is natural that rapture arises in one who is joyful.
(5) “For one with a rapturous mind no volition need be exerted: ‘Let my body be tranquil.’ It is natural that the body of one with a rapturous mind is tranquil.
(6) “For one tranquil in body no volition need be exerted: ‘Let me feel pleasure.’ It is natural that one tranquil in body feels pleasure.
(7) “For one feeling pleasure no volition need be exerted: ‘Let my mind be concentrated.’ It is natural that the mind of one feeling pleasure is concentrated.
(8) “For one who is concentrated no volition need be exerted: ‘Let me know and see things as they really are.’ It is natural that one who is concentrated knows and sees things as they really are.
(9) “For one who knows and sees things as they really are no volition need be exerted: ‘Let me be disenchanted and dispassionate.’ It is natural that one who knows and sees things as they really are is disenchanted and dispassionate.
(10) “For one who is disenchanted and dispassionate no volition need be exerted: ‘Let me realize the knowledge and vision of liberation.’ It is natural that one who is disenchanted and dispassionate realizes the knowledge and vision of liberation. SuttaCentral
(1) “Bhante, what is the purpose and benefit of wholesome virtuous behavior?”
(2) “Ānanda, the purpose and benefit of wholesome virtuous behavior is non-regret.”
(3) “And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of non-regret?”
“The purpose and benefit of non-regret is joy.”
(4) “And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of joy?”
“The purpose and benefit of joy is rapture.”
(5) “And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of rapture?”
“The purpose and benefit of rapture is tranquility.”
(6) “And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of tranquility?”
“The purpose and benefit of tranquility is pleasure.”
(7) “And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of pleasure?”
“The purpose and benefit of pleasure is concentration.”
(8) “And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of concentration?”
“The purpose and benefit of concentration is the knowledge and vision of things as they really are.”
(9) “And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of the knowledge and vision of things as they really are?”
“The purpose and benefit of the knowledge and vision of things as they really are is disenchantment and dispassion.”
(10) “And what, Bhante, is the purpose and benefit of disenchantment and dispassion?”
“The purpose and benefit of disenchantment and dispassion is the knowledge and vision of liberation. SuttaCentral
To purify the conduct and get the motivation to purify the conduct it is important to hear the Dhamma, to remember the Dhamma, to penetrate the meaning, to come to agreement, and becoming willing to contemplate the Dhamma, all this for the purpose of becoming willing and arousing desire for exertion;
When, on observing that the monk is purified with regard to qualities based on delusion, he places conviction in him. With the arising of conviction, he visits him & grows close to him. Growing close to him, he lends ear. Lending ear, he hears the Dhamma. Hearing the Dhamma, he remembers it. Remembering it, he penetrates the meaning of those dhammas. Penetrating the meaning, he comes to an agreement through pondering those dhammas. There being an agreement through pondering those dhammas, desire arises. With the arising of desire, he becomes willing. Willing, he contemplates (lit: “weighs,” “compares”). Contemplating, he makes an exertion. Exerting himself, he both realizes the ultimate meaning of the truth with his body and sees by penetrating it with discernment.
[…]
We ask Master Gotama about the quality most helpful for the final attainment of the truth."
“Exertion is most helpful for the final attainment of the truth, Bharadvaja. If one didn’t make an exertion, one wouldn’t finally attain the truth. Because one makes an exertion, one finally attains the truth. Therefore, exertion is most helpful for the final attainment of the truth.”
“But what quality is most helpful for exertion? We ask Master Gotama about the quality most helpful for exertion.”
“Contemplating is most helpful for exertion, Bharadvaja. If one didn’t contemplate, one wouldn’t make an exertion. Because one contemplates, one makes an exertion. Therefore, contemplating is most helpful for exertion.”
“But what quality is most helpful for contemplating?..”
“Being willing… If one weren’t willing, one wouldn’t contemplate…”
“But what quality is most helpful for being willing?..”
“Desire… If desire didn’t arise, one wouldn’t be willing…”
“But what quality is most helpful for desire?..”
“Coming to an agreement through pondering dhammas… If one didn’t come to an agreement through pondering dhammas, desire wouldn’t arise…”
“But what quality is most helpful for coming to an agreement through pondering dhammas?..”
“Penetrating the meaning… If one didn’t penetrate the meaning, one wouldn’t come to an agreement through pondering dhammas…”
“But what quality is most helpful for penetrating the meaning?..”
“Remembering the Dhamma… If one didn’t remember the Dhamma, one wouldn’t penetrate the meaning…”
"But what quality is most helpful for remembering the Dhamma?.. "
“Hearing the Dhamma… If one didn’t hear the Dhamma, one wouldn’t remember the Dhamma…”
"But what quality is most helpful for hearing the Dhamma?.. "
“Lending ear… If one didn’t lend ear, one wouldn’t hear the Dhamma…”
"But what quality is most helpful for lending ear?.. "
“Growing close… If one didn’t grow close, one wouldn’t lend ear…”
"But what quality is most helpful for growing close?.. "
“Visiting… If one didn’t visit, one wouldn’t grow close…”
“But what quality is most helpful for visiting? We ask Master Gotama about the quality most helpful for visiting.”
“Conviction is most helpful for visiting, Bharadvaja. If conviction [in a person] didn’t arise, one wouldn’t visit [that person]. Because conviction arises, one visits. Therefore, conviction is most helpful for visiting.”
Contemplating the Dhamma purifies conduct automatically, when one establishes this or that perception by contemplating ie foulness of the body, sexual desire shrinks and rolls away, if one contemplates unattractiveness in food then the craving for taste disappears. Thus as long as perceptions are maintained there is no need to exert any effort for abstaining due to lack of desire.
Thus more Dhamma one knows and remembers thus more effective one’s wisdom is and when wisdom is handed reins and exertion is exerted one becomes free from regret, joyful, serene etc
- Do not disregard merit, saying “It will not come nigh unto me”; by the falling of drops even a water-jar is filled; likewise the wise man, gathering little by little, fills himself with good.
Everybody can be more or less mindful, it is a training of concentration which leads to increase of mindfulness which is the opposite of obliviousness;
"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to mindfulness & alertness? There is the case where feelings are known to the monk as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. Perceptions are known to him as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. Thoughts are known to him as they arise, known as they persist, known as they subside. This is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to mindfulness & alertness. [an4.41]