Fourfold Effort/Application

(cattari sammā-padhāņāni, catvāri samyak-pradhāņāni, 四正勤）is


 * 1) severing unwholesome things (akusala dhamma)
 * 2) preventing unwholesome things to arise
 * 3) starting new wholesome things (kusala dhamma)
 * 4) stabilizing wholesome things (or karma).

The Fourfold Right Severing (cattari sammā-pahāņāni, catvāri samyak-prahāņāni, 四正断）is a misinterpretation or mis-representation, because there are 3) and 4) (starting and stabilizing good things/karma).