MN20 — Vitakkasaṇṭhānasutta
Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
There the Blessed One addressed the disciples:
Disciples.
Venerable Sir, those disciples replied to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
Disciples, when a disciple is devoted to higher mind, from time to time he should give attention to five signs.
What five?
Here when a disciple gives attention to some sign, and owing to that sign there arise in him evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion, then that disciple should give attention to some other sign connected with what is wholesome.
When he gives attention to some other sign connected with what is wholesome, then any evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion are abandoned and subside.
With their abandoning, the mind becomes steady internally, quiets down, is unified, and concentrated.
Just as a skilled carpenter or carpenter's apprentice might knock out, remove, and extract a coarse peg by means of a fine one, so too, when a disciple gives attention to some other sign connected with what is wholesome, then any evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion are abandoned and subside.
With their abandoning, the mind becomes steady internally, quiets down, is unified, and concentrated. If, while he is giving attention to some other sign connected with what is wholesome, there still arise in him evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion, then he should examine the danger in those thoughts thus: These thoughts are unwholesome, they are blameworthy, they result in suffering.
When he examines the danger in those thoughts, then any evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion are abandoned and subside.
With their abandoning, the mind becomes steady internally, quiets down, is unified, and concentrated.
Just as a young woman or man, fond of adornment, would be horrified, humiliated, and disgusted if the carcass of a snake or a dog or a human being were hung around their neck, so too, when a disciple examines the danger in those thoughts, then any evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion are abandoned and subside.
With their abandoning, the mind becomes steady internally, quiets down, is unified, and concentrated.
If, while he is examining the danger in those thoughts, there still arise in him evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion, then he should try to forget those thoughts and should not give attention to them.
When he tries to forget those thoughts and does not give attention to them, then any evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion are abandoned and subside.
With their abandoning, the mind becomes steady internally, quiets down, is unified, and concentrated.
Just as a man with good eyes who did not want to see forms that had come within range of sight would either shut his eyes or look away, so too, when a disciple tries to forget those thoughts and does not give attention to them, then any evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion are abandoned and subside.
With their abandoning, the mind becomes steady internally, quiets down, is unified, and concentrated.
If, while he is trying to forget those thoughts and is not giving attention to them, there still arise in him evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with aversion, with delusion, then he should give attention to stilling the thought-formation of those thoughts.
It should be noted. By attending to the calming of those thoughts, the evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion are abandoned and disappear. With their abandonment, the mind becomes internally steady, settled, unified, and concentrated.
Just as a man walking quickly might think: Why am I walking quickly? What if I were to walk slowly? And he walks slowly. Then he might think: Why am I walking slowly? What if I were to stand still? And he stands still. Then he might think: Why am I standing still? What if I were to sit down? And he sits down. Then he might think: Why am I sitting down? What if I were to lie down? And he lies down. In this way the man avoids the coarser posture and adopts the more refined posture.
Similarly if a disciple does not attend to the calming of those thoughts, evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion arise. By clenching his teeth and pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he should restrain, subdue, and beat down the mind with the mind. When he does so, the evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion are abandoned and disappear. With their abandonment, the mind becomes internally steady, settled, unified, and concentrated.
Just as a strong man might seize a weaker man by the head, neck, or shoulders and restrain, subdue, and beat him down, so too if a disciple attends to the calming of those thoughts, evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion arise. By clenching his teeth and pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he should restrain, subdue, and beat down the mind with the mind. When he does so, the evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion are abandoned and disappear. With their abandonment, the mind becomes internally steady, settled, unified, and concentrated.
When a disciple attends to another object of meditation connected with wholesomeness, the evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion are abandoned and disappear. With their abandonment, the mind becomes internally steady, settled, unified, and concentrated.
By examining the danger in those thoughts, the evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion are abandoned and disappear. With their abandonment, the mind becomes internally steady, settled, unified, and concentrated.
By not attending to those thoughts, the evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion are abandoned and disappear. With their abandonment, the mind becomes internally steady, settled, unified, and concentrated.
By attending to the calming of those thoughts, the evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion are abandoned and disappear. With their abandonment, the mind becomes internally steady, settled, unified, and concentrated.
By clenching his teeth and pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he should restrain, subdue, and beat down the mind with the mind. When he does so, the evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, aversion, and delusion are abandoned and disappear. With their abandonment, the mind becomes internally steady, settled, unified, and concentrated.
This is called a disciple who has mastery.
In the paths of thought.
Whatever thought he wishes, that thought he will think; whatever thought he does not wish, that thought he will not think.
He has cut off craving, turned away from the fetter, and by rightly understanding conceit, he has made an end of suffering.
The Blessed One said this.
Those disciples were satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words
.
The discourse on the establishment of thought is completed.