Vitakkasaṇṭhānasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 20

Vitakkasaṇṭhānasutta

How to Stop Thinking · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

heSo would lie downnipajjeyya.
thus indeedEvañhi heso, O monksbhikkhave, a personpuriso coarse, coarseoḷārikaṁ coarse, coarseoḷārikaṁ postureiriyāpathaṁ having shunnedabhinivajjetvā subtle, subtlesukhumaṁ subtle, subtlesukhumaṁ postureiriyāpathaṁ would adoptkappeyya.
just soEvameva indeedkho, O monksbhikkhave, of thattassa ifce of the monkbhikkhuno of those tootesampi of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ non-attention, non-reflectionasatiamanasikāraṁ of one practicingāpajjato still arisinguppajjanteva evilpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with aversion toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi thosete are abandonedpahīyanti theyte to an endabbhatthaṁ they gogacchanti.
of thoseTesaṁ from abandoningpahānā internally justajjhattameva the mindcittaṁ becomes steadysantiṭṭhati becomes settledsannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes concentratedsamādhiyati.

So they’d lie down. And so that person would shun successively coarser postures and adopt more subtle ones. In the same way, a mendicant … those thoughts are given up and come to an end …

of thatTassa ifce, monksbhikkhave, for a monkbhikkhuno of those verytesampi of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ the stopping of thought-formationvitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ while attending tomanasikaroto they keep arising indeeduppajjanteva badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi.
by thatTena, monksbhikkhave, by a monkbhikkhunā having clenched the teeth and pressed the tonguedantebhidantamādhāya with the tonguejivhāya against the palatetāluṁ having pressedāhacca with the mindcetasā the mindcittaṁ should squeezeabhiniggaṇhitabbaṁ should squashabhinippīḷetabbaṁ should crushabhisantāpetabbaṁ.
of thatTassa having clenched the teeth and pressed the tonguedantebhidantamādhāya with the tonguejivhāya against the palatetāluṁ having pressedāhacca with the mindcetasā the mindcittaṁ while squeezingabhiniggaṇhato while squashingabhinippīḷayato while crushingabhisantāpayato thoseye badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi theyte are given uppahīyanti theyte to an endabbhatthaṁ they gogacchanti.
from their abandoningTesaṁ from abandoningpahānā internally indeedajjhattameva the mindcittaṁ becomes stilledsantiṭṭhati it settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi it becomeshoti it becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a strongbalavā manpuriso a weakerdubbalataraṁ manpurisaṁ by the headsīse orvā by the throatgale orvā by the shoulderkhandhe orvā having grabbedgahetvā would squeezeabhiniggaṇheyya would squashabhinippīḷeyya would crushabhisantāpeyya;
in the same wayevameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, of thattassa ifce for a monkbhikkhuno of those verytesampi of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ the stopping of thought-formationvitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ while attending tomanasikaroto they keep arising indeeduppajjanteva badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi.

Now, suppose that mendicant is focusing on stopping the formation of those thoughts, but bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion keep coming up. With teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth, they should squeeze, squash, and crush mind with mind. As they do so, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. It’s like a strong man who grabs a weaker man by the head or throat or shoulder and squeezes, squashes, and crushes them. In the same way, a mendicant …

by thatTena, monksbhikkhave, by a monkbhikkhunā with teeth clencheddantebhidantamādhāya with the tonguejivhāya the palatetāluṁ having pressedāhacca with mindcetasā mindcittaṁ should be squeezedabhiniggaṇhitabbaṁ should be squashedabhinippīḷetabbaṁ should be crushedabhisantāpetabbaṁ.
for himTassa with teeth clencheddantebhidantamādhāya with the tonguejivhāya the palatetāluṁ having pressedāhacca with mindcetasā mindcittaṁ squeezingabhiniggaṇhato squashingabhinippīḷayato crushingabhisantāpayato thoseye evilpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desirechandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with aversiondosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusionmohūpasaṁhitāpi thosete are given uppahīyanti thosete to an endabbhatthaṁ they comegacchanti.
through their giving upTesaṁ from giving uppahānā internallyajjhattameva mindcittaṁ becomes stilledsantiṭṭhati it settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi it becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.

with teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth, should squeeze, squash, and crush mind with mind. As they do so, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi.

Now, take the mendicant who is focusing on some subject that gives rise to bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion. They focus on some other subject connected with the skillful … They examine the drawbacks of those thoughts … They try to forget and ignore about those thoughts …

of those tooTesampi of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ stopping the formation of thoughtsvitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ for one focusingmanasikaroto whichye badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with aversion toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi thosete are given uppahīyanti theyte to an endabbhatthaṁ comegacchanti.
from their giving upTesaṁ because of giving uppahānā internally indeedajjhattameva mindcittaṁ becomes stilledsantiṭṭhati settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
with teeth clenchedDantebhidantamādhāya with tonguejivhāya roof of the mouthtāluṁ pressed againstāhacca with mindcetasā mindcittaṁ for one squeezingabhiniggaṇhato for one squashingabhinippīḷayato for one crushingabhisantāpayato whichye badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with aversion toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi thosete are given uppahīyanti theyte to an endabbhatthaṁ comegacchanti.
from their giving upTesaṁ because of giving uppahānā internally indeedajjhattameva mindcittaṁ becomes stilledsantiṭṭhati settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
thisAyaṁ is calledvuccati, monksbhikkhave, a mendicantbhikkhu a mastervasī in the ways of thoughtvitakkapariyāyapathesu.
whatYaṁ thoughtvitakkaṁ will wishākaṅkhissati thattaṁ thoughtvitakkaṁ will thinkvitakkessati, whatyaṁ thoughtvitakkaṁ will not wishnākaṅkhissati notna thattaṁ thoughtvitakkaṁ will thinkvitakkessati.
has cut offAcchecchi cravingtaṇhaṁ, cast offvivattayi fettersaṁyojanaṁ, rightlysammā by comprehending conceitmānābhisamayā made an endantamakāsi of sufferingdukkhassā”ti.
this spokeIdamavoca the Buddhabhagavā.
satisfiedAttamanā thosete mendicantsbhikkhū of the Buddhabhagavato speechbhāsitaṁ approvedabhinandunti.
the discourse on the stilling of thoughtsVitakkasaṇṭhānasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ tenthdasamaṁ.
the lion's roar chapterSīhanādavaggo finishedniṭṭhito seconddutiyo.

They focus on stopping the formation of those thoughts … With teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth, they squeeze, squash, and crush mind with mind. When they succeed in each of these things, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end. Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi. This is called a mendicant who is a master of the ways of thought. They will think what they want to think, and they won’t think what they don’t want to think. They’ve cut off craving, cast off the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit have made an end of suffering.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

its summaryTassuddānaṁ
Cūḷasīhanāda, Lomahaṁsa, VaraCūḷasīhanādalomahaṁsavaro,
Mahā, Cūḷa, Dukkhakkhandha, Anumāna suttasMahācūḷadukkhakkhandhaanumānikasuttaṁ;
Khila, Pattha, Madhupiṇḍika, DvidhāvitakkaKhilapatthamadhupiṇḍikadvidhāvitakka,
Pañcanimitta-kathāPañcanimittakathā againpuna chaptervaggo.

Its summary: Cūḷasīhanāda, Lomahaṁsa, Vara; Mahā, Cūḷa, Dukkhakkhandha, Anumāna suttas; Khila, Pattha, Madhupiṇḍika, Dvidhāvitakka; the Pañcanimitta-kathā — again, a chapter.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version