Two Kinds of Thought · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:
“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi: ‘yannūnāhaṁ dvidhā katvā dvidhā katvā vitakke vihareyyan’ti. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, yo cāyaṁ kāmavitakko yo ca byāpādavitakko yo ca vihiṁsāvitakko— imaṁ ekaṁ bhāgamakāsiṁ; yo cāyaṁ nekkhammavitakko yo ca abyāpādavitakko yo ca avihiṁsāvitakko— imaṁ dutiyaṁ bhāgamakāsiṁ.
“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought: ‘Why don’t I meditate by continually dividing my thoughts into two classes?’ So I assigned sensual, malicious, and cruel thoughts to one class. And I assigned thoughts of renunciation, good will, and harmlessness to the second class.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati kāmavitakko. So evaṁ pajānāmi: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ kāmavitakko. So ca kho attabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, parabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’. ‘Attabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; ‘parabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; ‘ubhayabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; ‘paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, uppannuppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ pajahameva vinodameva byantameva naṁ akāsiṁ.
Then, as I meditated—diligent, keen, and resolute—a sensual thought arose. I understood: ‘This sensual thought has arisen in me. It leads to hurting myself, hurting others, and hurting both. It blocks wisdom, it’s on the side of distress, and it doesn’t lead to extinguishment.’ When I reflected that it leads to hurting myself, it went away. When I reflected that it leads to hurting others, it went away. When I reflected that it leads to hurting both, it went away. When I reflected that it blocks wisdom, it’s on the side of distress, and it doesn’t lead to extinguishment, it went away. So I gave up, dispelled, and eliminated any sensual thoughts that arose.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati byāpādavitakko …pe… uppajjati vihiṁsāvitakko. So evaṁ pajānāmi: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ vihiṁsāvitakko. So ca kho attabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, parabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’. ‘Attabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; ‘parabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; ‘ubhayabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; ‘paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, uppannuppannaṁ vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ pajahameva vinodameva byantameva naṁ akāsiṁ.
Then, as I meditated—diligent, keen, and resolute—a malicious thought arose … a cruel thought arose. I understood: ‘This cruel thought has arisen in me. It leads to hurting myself, hurting others, and hurting both. It blocks wisdom, it’s on the side of distress, and it doesn’t lead to extinguishment.’ When I reflected that it leads to hurting myself … hurting others … hurting both, it went away. When I reflected that it blocks wisdom, it’s on the side of distress, and it doesn’t lead to extinguishment, it went away. So I gave up, dispelled, and eliminated any cruel thoughts that arose.
Yaññadeva, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, tathā tathā nati hoti cetaso. Kāmavitakkañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, pahāsi nekkhammavitakkaṁ, kāmavitakkaṁ bahulamakāsi, tassa taṁ kāmavitakkāya cittaṁ namati. Byāpādavitakkañce, bhikkhave …pe… vihiṁsāvitakkañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu bahulamanuvitakketi anuvicāreti, pahāsi avihiṁsāvitakkaṁ, vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ bahulamakāsi, tassa taṁ vihiṁsāvitakkāya cittaṁ namati.
Whatever a mendicant frequently thinks about and considers becomes their heart’s inclination. If they often think about and consider sensual thoughts, they’ve given up the thought of renunciation to cultivate sensual thought. Their mind inclines to sensual thoughts. If they often think about and consider malicious thoughts … their mind inclines to malicious thoughts. If they often think about and consider cruel thoughts … their mind inclines to cruel thoughts.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, vassānaṁ pacchime māse saradasamaye kiṭṭhasambādhe gopālako gāvo rakkheyya. So tā gāvo tato tato daṇḍena ākoṭeyya paṭikoṭeyya sannirundheyya sannivāreyya. Taṁ kissa hetu? Passati hi so, bhikkhave, gopālako tatonidānaṁ vadhaṁ vā bandhanaṁ vā jāniṁ vā garahaṁ vā. Evameva kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, addasaṁ akusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ ādīnavaṁ okāraṁ saṅkilesaṁ, kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ nekkhamme ānisaṁsaṁ vodānapakkhaṁ.
Suppose it’s the last month of the rainy season, in autumn, when the crops grow closely together, and a cowherd must take care of the cattle. He’d tap and poke them with his staff on this side and that to keep them in check. Why is that? For he sees that if they wander into the crops he could be executed, imprisoned, fined, or condemned. In the same way, I saw that unskillful qualities have the drawbacks of sordidness and corruption, and that skillful qualities have the benefit and cleansing power of renunciation.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati nekkhammavitakko. So evaṁ pajānāmi: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ nekkhammavitakko. So ca kho nevattabyābādhāya saṁvattati, na parabyābādhāya saṁvattati, na ubhayabyābādhāya saṁvattati, paññāvuddhiko avighātapakkhiko nibbānasaṁvattaniko’. Rattiñcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. Divasañcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. Rattindivañcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. Api ca kho me aticiraṁ anuvitakkayato anuvicārayato kāyo kilameyya. Kāye kilante cittaṁ ūhaññeyya. Ūhate citte ārā cittaṁ samādhimhāti. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, ajjhattameva cittaṁ saṇṭhapemi sannisādemi ekodiṁ karomi samādahāmi. Taṁ kissa hetu? ‘Mā me cittaṁ ūhaññī’ti.
Then, as I meditated—diligent, keen, and resolute—a thought of renunciation arose. I understood: ‘This thought of renunciation has arisen in me. It doesn’t lead to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both. It nourishes wisdom, it’s on the side of freedom from distress, and it leads to extinguishment.’ If I were to keep on thinking and considering this all night … all day … all night and day, I see no danger that would come from that. Still, thinking and considering for too long would tire my body. And when the body is tired, the mind is stressed. And when the mind is stressed, it’s far from immersion. So I stilled, settled, unified, and immersed my mind internally. Why is that? So that my mind would not be stressed.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, evaṁ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato uppajjati abyāpādavitakko …pe… uppajjati avihiṁsāvitakko. So evaṁ pajānāmi: ‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ avihiṁsāvitakko. So ca kho nevattabyābādhāya saṁvattati, na parabyābādhāya saṁvattati, na ubhayabyābādhāya saṁvattati, paññāvuddhiko avighātapakkhiko nibbānasaṁvattaniko’. Rattiñcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. Divasañcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. Rattindivañcepi naṁ, bhikkhave, anuvitakkeyyaṁ anuvicāreyyaṁ, neva tatonidānaṁ bhayaṁ samanupassāmi. Api ca kho me aticiraṁ anuvitakkayato anuvicārayato kāyo kilameyya. Kāye kilante cittaṁ ūhaññeyya. Ūhate citte ārā cittaṁ samādhimhāti. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, ajjhattameva cittaṁ saṇṭhapemi, sannisādemi, ekodiṁ karomi samādahāmi. Taṁ kissa hetu? ‘Mā me cittaṁ ūhaññī’ti.
Then, as I meditated—diligent, keen, and resolute—a thought of good will arose … a thought of harmlessness arose. I understood: ‘This thought of harmlessness has arisen in me. It doesn’t lead to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both. It nourishes wisdom, it’s on the side of freedom from distress, and it leads to extinguishment.’ If I were to keep on thinking and considering this all night … all day … all night and day, I see no danger that would come from that. Still, thinking and considering for too long would tire my body. And when the body is tired, the mind is stressed. And when the mind is stressed, it’s far from immersion. So I stilled, settled, unified, and immersed my mind internally. Why is that? So that my mind would not be stressed.
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