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Majjhima Nikāya 20

Vitakkasaṇṭhānasutta

How to Stop Thinking · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monasteryārāme.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
"Mendicants!"“bhikkhavo”ti.
"Venerable sir,"“Bhadante”ti theyte the mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

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:

committed to the higher mind“Adhicittamanuyuttena, mendicantsbhikkhave, by a mendicantbhikkhunā fivepañca subjectsnimittāni from time to timekālena timekālaṁ attentionmanasi should focus onkātabbāni.
whatKatamāni fivepañca?

“Mendicants, a mendicant committed to the higher mind should focus on five subjects from time to time. What five?

hereIdha, monksbhikkhave, for a monkbhikkhuno whichyaṁ subjectnimittaṁ owing toāgamma whichyaṁ subjectnimittaṁ attending tomanasikaroto ariseuppajjanti badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire alsochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate alsodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion alsomohūpasaṁhitāpi, by thattena, monksbhikkhave, by a monkbhikkhunā from thattamhā subjectnimittā anotheraññaṁ subjectnimittaṁ attentionmanasi should be madekātabbaṁ connected with the skillfulkusalūpasaṁhitaṁ.
for himTassa from thattamhā subjectnimittā anotheraññaṁ subjectnimittaṁ attending tomanasikaroto connected with the skillfulkusalūpasaṁhitaṁ whichye badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire alsochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate alsodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion alsomohūpasaṁhitāpi thosete are given uppahīyanti theyte to an endabbhatthaṁ comegacchanti.
for themTesaṁ because of the giving uppahānā internally indeedajjhattameva mindcittaṁ becomes stilledsantiṭṭhati settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a deftdakkho masonpalagaṇḍo orvā a mason's apprenticepalagaṇḍantevāsī orvā with a finesukhumāya pegāṇiyā a largeoḷārikaṁ pegāṇiṁ would knock outabhinihaneyya would extractabhinīhareyya would turn outabhinivatteyya;
just soevameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, for a monkbhikkhuno whichyaṁ subjectnimittaṁ owing toāgamma whichyaṁ subjectnimittaṁ attending tomanasikaroto ariseuppajjanti badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire alsochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate alsodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion alsomohūpasaṁhitāpi, by thattena, monksbhikkhave, by a monkbhikkhunā from thattamhā subjectnimittā anotheraññaṁ subjectnimittaṁ attentionmanasi should be madekātabbaṁ connected with the skillfulkusalūpasaṁhitaṁ.

Take a mendicant who is focusing on some subject that gives rise to bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion. That mendicant should focus on some other subject connected with the skillful. 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 deft mason or their apprentice who’d knock out or extract a large peg with a finer peg. In the same way, a mendicant … should focus on some other basis of meditation connected with the skillful …

for himTassa from thattamhā signnimittā anotheraññaṁ signnimittaṁ attending tomanasikaroto connected with what is wholesomekusalūpasaṁhitaṁ whichye evilpāpakā unwholesomeakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hatred toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi theyte are abandonedpahīyanti theyte to destructionabbhatthaṁ gogacchanti.
from their abandoningTesaṁ abandoningpahānā internally itselfajjhattameva mindcittaṁ stands firmsantiṭṭhati settles downsannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes concentratedsamādhiyati.

For him who attends to another sign connected with what is wholesome, the evil unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with hatred, and with delusion are abandoned; they go to destruction. From their abandoning, the mind becomes steadied internally, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated.

for himTassa ifce, monksbhikkhave, for the monkbhikkhuno from thattamhā from the signnimittā anotheraññaṁ signnimittaṁ while attending tomanasikaroto connected with the skillfulkusalūpasaṁhitaṁ they keep arising indeeduppajjanteva badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi, by himtena, monksbhikkhave, by the monkbhikkhunā of thosetesaṁ of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ the drawbackādīnavo should be examinedupaparikkhitabbo:
indeed these‘itipime thoughtsvitakkā unskillfulakusalā, indeed theseitipime thoughtsvitakkā blameworthysāvajjā, indeed theseitipime thoughtsvitakkā resulting in sufferingdukkhavipākā’ti.
for himTassa of thosetesaṁ of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ the drawbackādīnavaṁ while examiningupaparikkhato thoseye badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi thosete are given uppahīyanti thosete to an endabbhatthaṁ they gogacchanti.
from their abandoningTesaṁ from the abandoningpahānā internally justajjhattameva the mindcittaṁ becomes stilledsantiṭṭhati settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes immersed in samādhisamādhiyati.
just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a womanitthī orvā a manpuriso orvā youngdaharo youthfulyuvā fond of adornmentsmaṇḍanakajātiko with the carcass of a snakeahikuṇapena orvā with the carcass of a dogkukkurakuṇapena orvā with the carcass of a humanmanussakuṇapena orvā around the neckkaṇṭhe hungāsattena would be horrifiedaṭṭiyeyya would be repelledharāyeyya would be disgustedjiguccheyya;

Now, suppose that mendicant is focusing on some other subject connected with the skillful, but bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion keep coming up. They should examine the drawbacks of those thoughts: ‘So these thoughts are unskillful, they’re blameworthy, and they result in suffering.’ 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. Suppose there was a woman or man who was young, youthful, and fond of adornments. If the carcass of a snake or a dog or a human were hung around their neck, they’d be horrified, repelled, and disgusted.

just soevameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, of himtassa ifce of the monkbhikkhuno from that tootamhāpi from the signnimittā anotheraññaṁ signnimittaṁ while attending tomanasikaroto connected with what is wholesomekusalūpasaṁhitaṁ there arise justuppajjanteva badpāpakā unwholesomeakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with aversion toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion too,mohūpasaṁhitāpi, then,tena, monksbhikkhave, by the monkbhikkhunā of thosetesaṁ of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ the drawbackādīnavo should be examined:upaparikkhitabbo:
these too‘itipime thoughtsvitakkā are unwholesome,akusalā, these tooitipime thoughtsvitakkā are blameworthy,sāvajjā, these tooitipime thoughtsvitakkā result in suffering'.dukkhavipākā’ti.
For himTassa of thosetesaṁ of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ the drawbackādīnavaṁ while examiningupaparikkhato whateverye badpāpakā unwholesomeakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with aversion toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi theyte are abandonedpahīyanti theyte to a stopabbhatthaṁ they go.gacchanti.
From the abandoning of thoseTesaṁ from abandoningpahānā inwardly justajjhattameva the mindcittaṁ becomes steadysantiṭṭhati settles downsannisīdati unifiedekodi it becomeshoti it becomes concentrated.samādhiyati.

In the same way, a mendicant … should examine the drawbacks of those thoughts …

for himTassa ifce, monksbhikkhave, for the monkbhikkhuno of those tootesampi of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ drawbackādīnavaṁ examiningupaparikkhato keep arising indeeduppajjanteva badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi, by himtena, monksbhikkhave, by the monkbhikkhunā of thosetesaṁ of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ non-attention, non-engagementasatiamanasikāro should be appliedāpajjitabbo.
for himTassa of thosetesaṁ of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ non-attention, non-engagementasatiamanasikāraṁ applyingāpajjato whichye badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi theyte are given uppahīyanti theyte to destructionabbhatthaṁ gogacchanti.
from their giving upTesaṁ from giving uppahānā internally indeedajjhattameva mindcittaṁ becomes stilledsantiṭṭhati settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes concentratedsamādhiyati.
just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, with eyescakkhumā personpuriso come into rangeāpāthagatānaṁ of formsrūpānaṁ desiring not to seeadassanakāmo might beassa;
heso would close his eyesnimīleyya orvā with anotheraññena orvā would look awayapalokeyya;
exactly soevameva indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, for himtassa ifce for the monkbhikkhuno of those tootesampi of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ drawbackādīnavaṁ examiningupaparikkhato keep arising indeeduppajjanteva badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi, theyte are given uppahīyanti theyte to destructionabbhatthaṁ gogacchanti.
from their giving upTesaṁ from giving uppahānā internally indeedajjhattameva mindcittaṁ becomes stilledsantiṭṭhati settlessannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes concentratedsamādhiyati.

Now, suppose that mendicant is examining the drawbacks of those thoughts, but bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion keep coming up. They should try to forget and ignore them. 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. Suppose there was a person with clear eyes, and some undesirable sights came into their range of vision. They’d just close their eyes or look away. In the same way, a mendicant … those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end …

to himTassa ifce, monksbhikkhave, to a mendicantbhikkhuno those tootesampi of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ non-attention and non-attendingasatiamanasikāraṁ practicingāpajjato they keep arisinguppajjanteva badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi, by thattena, monksbhikkhave, by the mendicantbhikkhunā of thosetesaṁ of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ the stilling of thought-formationsvitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ should be attended tomanasikātabbaṁ.
to himTassa of thosetesaṁ of thoughtsvitakkānaṁ the stilling of thought-formationsvitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ attending tomanasikaroto whichye badpāpakā unskillfulakusalā thoughtsvitakkā connected with desire toochandūpasaṁhitāpi connected with hate toodosūpasaṁhitāpi connected with delusion toomohūpasaṁhitāpi theyte are given uppahīyanti theyte to destructionabbhatthaṁ gogacchanti.
from the abandoning of thoseTesaṁ from abandoningpahānā internallyajjhattameva mindcittaṁ becomes stillsantiṭṭhati settles downsannisīdati unifiedekodi becomeshoti becomes immersedsamādhiyati.
just asSeyyathāpi, monksbhikkhave, a personpuriso quicklysīghaṁ might walkgaccheyya.
to himTassa it might be thusevamassa:
what‘kiṁ nownu indeedkho Iahaṁ quicklysīghaṁ am I walkinggacchāmi?
why don't IYannūnāhaṁ slowlysaṇikaṁ walkgaccheyyan’ti.
heSo slowlysaṇikaṁ might walkgaccheyya.
to himTassa it might be thusevamassa:
what‘kiṁ nownu indeedkho Iahaṁ slowlysaṇikaṁ am I walkinggacchāmi?
why don't IYannūnāhaṁ stand stilltiṭṭheyyan’ti.
heSo might stand stilltiṭṭheyya.
to himTassa it might be thusevamassa:
what‘kiṁ nownu indeedkho Iahaṁ standingṭhito?
why don't IYannūnāhaṁ sit downnisīdeyyan’ti.
heSo might sit downnisīdeyya.
to himTassa it might be thusevamassa:
what‘kiṁ nownu indeedkho Iahaṁ sittingnisinno?
why don't IYannūnāhaṁ lie downnipajjeyyan’ti.

Now, suppose that mendicant is ignoring and forgetting about those thoughts, but bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion keep coming up. They should focus on stopping the formation of those thoughts. 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. Suppose there was a person walking quickly. They’d think: ‘Why am I walking so quickly? Why don’t I slow down?’ So they’d slow down. They’d think: ‘Why am I walking slowly? Why don’t I stand still?’ So they’d stand still. They’d think: ‘Why am I standing still? Why don’t I sit down?’ So they’d sit down. They’d think: ‘Why am I sitting? Why don’t I lie down?’

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