user4836: What did the Buddha say about wholesome types of motivation?
Is there a difference in the Pali language between "intention" (as in Right Intention) and "motivation"?
From what I understand Right Intention is renunciation, good-will and harmlessness. I can understand how good-will and maybe renunciation can be a sort of motivation, but harmlessness seems to be more passive and therefore maybe not a motivation in the same way
Basically what I'm looking for are the things that motivate us (as in "drives us") to do things, which are considered wholesome in Buddhism
(Maybe there is also a connection to Right Effort here)
Grateful for help with understanding this better!

user8044: Heedfulness motivates you. The Pali word is ‘APPAMADA’.  Supreme Buddha Himself has said that all of what he has taught, if all that can be put into ONE word, it is ‘APPAMADA’. Putting into practice what you know of Dhamma right now, motivates tou. You will not postpone any acts or decisions for a ‘tomorrow’. Life is in the today – life is here and now. For many,  this Dhamma Path has created new possibilities, that only in living in the present we can learn to live this truth.
Another factor that would motivate you in this Dhamma Path is Generosity. It helps you to be free from attachment. Giving motivates us to let go of our clinging. The more we practice giving the more we let go of our clinging. And one day, we can be free from all forms of clinging. Generosity also helps us collect merits. Merits, that come with us no matter where we go, like the shadow that never leaves.
One other factor that would motivate you in this Dhamma Path is a sense of samvega: a sense of dismay over the nature of the human condition because everybody is subject to these same problems, but no one has shown us how to deal with such. 
When you really see that there’s a connection between unskillful intentions and needless suffering, you become genuinely motivated to find the escape from that suffering.
Supreme Buddha’s advice for this is that of the practise of four activities: Listening to Dhamma, participation in Dhamma discussion, Samatha and Vipassana. Only the individual who practises these four activities develops his mind up to Arahantship. This is not a short distance run, this is a marathon like no other.

user8157: 'Chanda' as an 'iddhipada', translated as 'zeal', 'desire', 'will', 'love'. I prefer 'devotion'. 
Some suttas: SN 51.15 and SN 51.20.

user151: Right effort(sammā-vāyāma) in terms of mindfulness is not a forceful , grit your teeth kind of effort. It's a moment by moment, continuous, good cyclical habit kind of effort.
Cetanā is Pali for
1- intention
2- volition
3- directionality of mind
4- attraction
5- urge
Intention(cetanā) can be defined as a mental factor that moves or urges the mind in a particular direction, toward a specific object or goal. Intention(cetanā) is the most significant mental factor involved in the creation of karma.
Sammā-vāyāma and cetanā are two different concepts. In practice, one concept(or the actual experience the concept points towards) might happen right after the other though. Then there is right intention (samma sankappa) that isn't really like sammā-vāyāma. Imho at least.
Samvega, the sense of shock and empty alienation that comes with realizing the futility and meaninglessness of living in the sleeping world, is what motivated the Buddha and others onto the wholesome eightfold path. Some are motivated by other things like faith(saddhā) in the  Buddha's teaching.
Right effort and right view are the two most important factors for an insight meditator to understand, it seems to me.
Right effort can be something like, effort to continue striving to remember to focus awareness on whatever experience arises in awareness and to strive in a broader sense to transcend all assumptions even the ones we don't yet see.
The Four Supreme Efforts
(cattārimāni sammappadhānāni)
1-Restraint Not to let an unwholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen(anuppādāya)
2-Abandonment Not to let an unwholesome thought continue which has already arisen.(pahānāya)
3-Cultivation To make a wholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen.(uppādāya)
4-Preservation To make a wholesome thought continue which has already arisen.(ṭhitiyā)
Effort can come easier with interest but then the path is to eventually develop a certain disinterest.

4836: <p><strong>What did the Buddha say about wholesome types of motivation?</strong></p>

<p>Is there a difference in the Pali language between "intention" (as in Right Intention) and "motivation"?</p>

<p>From what I understand Right Intention is renunciation, good-will and harmlessness. I can understand how good-will and maybe renunciation can be a sort of motivation, but harmlessness seems to be more passive and therefore maybe not a motivation in the same way</p>

<p><strong>Basically what I'm looking for are the things that motivate us (as in "drives us") to do things, which are considered wholesome in Buddhism</strong></p>

<p>(Maybe there is also a connection to Right Effort here)</p>

<p>Grateful for help with understanding this better!</p>
 8044: <p>Heedfulness motivates you. The Pali word is <strong>‘APPAMADA’</strong>.  Supreme Buddha Himself has said that all of what he has taught, if all that can be put into ONE word, it is ‘APPAMADA’. Putting into practice what you know of Dhamma right now, motivates tou. You will not postpone any acts or decisions for a ‘tomorrow’. Life is in the today – life is here and now. For many,  this Dhamma Path has created new possibilities, that only in living in the present we can learn to live this truth.</p>

<p>Another factor that would motivate you in this Dhamma Path is <strong>Generosity</strong>. It helps you to be free from attachment. Giving motivates us to let go of our clinging. The more we practice giving the more we let go of our clinging. And one day, we can be free from all forms of clinging. Generosity also helps us collect merits. Merits, that come with us no matter where we go, like the shadow that never leaves.</p>

<p>One other factor that would motivate you in this Dhamma Path is <strong>a sense of samvega</strong>: a sense of dismay over the nature of the human condition because everybody is subject to these same problems, but no one has shown us how to deal with such. 
When you really see that there’s a connection between unskillful intentions and needless suffering, you become genuinely motivated to find the escape from that suffering.</p>

<p>Supreme Buddha’s advice for this is that of <strong>the practise of four activities</strong>: Listening to Dhamma, participation in Dhamma discussion, Samatha and Vipassana. Only the individual who practises these four activities develops his mind up to Arahantship. This is not a short distance run, this is a marathon like no other.</p>
 8157: <p>'<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanda_(Buddhism)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chanda</a>' as an '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iddhipada" rel="nofollow noreferrer">iddhipada</a>', translated as 'zeal', 'desire', 'will', 'love'. I prefer 'devotion'. </p>

<p>Some suttas: <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn51/sn51.015.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 51.15</a> and <a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn51/sn51.020.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN 51.20</a>.</p>
 151: <p>Right effort(sammā-vāyāma) in terms of mindfulness is not a forceful , grit your teeth kind of effort. It's a moment by moment, continuous, good cyclical habit kind of effort.</p>
<p>Cetanā is Pali for</p>
<p>1- intention</p>
<p>2- volition</p>
<p>3- directionality of mind</p>
<p>4- attraction</p>
<p>5- urge</p>
<p>Intention(cetanā) can be defined as a mental factor that moves or urges the mind in a particular direction, toward a specific object or goal. Intention(cetanā) is the most significant mental factor involved in the creation of karma.</p>
<p>Sammā-vāyāma and cetanā are two different concepts. In practice, one concept(or the actual experience the concept points towards) might happen right after the other though. Then there is right intention (samma sankappa) that isn't really like sammā-vāyāma. Imho at least.</p>
<p>Samvega, the sense of shock and empty alienation that comes with realizing the futility and meaninglessness of living in the sleeping world, is what motivated the Buddha and others onto the wholesome eightfold path. Some are motivated by other things like faith(saddhā) in the  Buddha's teaching.</p>
<p>Right effort and right view are the two most important factors for an insight meditator to understand, it seems to me.</p>
<p>Right effort can be something like, effort to continue striving to remember to focus awareness on whatever experience arises in awareness and to strive in a broader sense to transcend all assumptions even the ones we don't yet see.</p>
<p><strong>The Four Supreme Efforts</strong></p>
<p>(cattārimāni sammappadhānāni)</p>
<p>1-<strong>Restraint</strong> Not to let an unwholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen(anuppādāya)</p>
<p>2-<strong>Abandonment</strong> Not to let an unwholesome thought continue which has already arisen.(pahānāya)</p>
<p>3-<strong>Cultivation</strong> To make a wholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen.(uppādāya)</p>
<p>4-<strong>Preservation</strong> To make a wholesome thought continue which has already arisen.(ṭhitiyā)</p>
<p>Effort can come easier with interest but then the path is to eventually develop a certain disinterest.</p>
