Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard. *[“Become a Master of your Thoughts”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Woq8vFgl2Rs) ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: There the Buddha addressed the bhikkhus, “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhikkhus!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. “Bhante,” they replied. Bhagavā etadavoca: The Buddha said this:

“Adhicittamanuyuttena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā pañca nimittāni kālena kālaṁ manasi kātabbāni. “Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu committed to the higher mind should attend to five signs from time to time. Katamāni pañca? What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno yaṁ nimittaṁ āgamma yaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tamhā nimittā aññaṁ nimittaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ. Take a bhikkhu who is attending to some sign due to which bad, detrimental thoughts connected with desire, ill will, and muddledness are arising. That bhikkhu should attend to a different sign connected with the beneficial. *It is crucial to note that this doesn't mean one eliminates the unwholesome thoughts simply by overriding the entire arisen experience with a different one (e.g., moving one's attention to sensations of breathing to stop all mental activity). It means that while the overall experience of the mind being provoked by the respective perceptions still remains, one makes the effort to emphasize other aspects within that same experience that do not serve as fuel for the unwholesome. In this way, the mind actually gains perspective over the assailing phenomena, such that it is no longer passionate, averse, or muddled despite their presence. Replacing the pressuring phenomena altogether, which is generally the tacit goal in contemporary meditation methods, only serves to cover up the problem, and it does not at all fit the simile given of knocking out a coarser peg with a subtler one. See the comments in [MN 18](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn18), and[“Seeing Through The Hindrances Instead of Denying Them”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDdMyOTylH0). Tassa tamhā nimittā aññaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. As he does so, those bad, detrimental thoughts are given up, and they subside. *The thoughts—the mind's intentional welcoming and revolving around the phenomena or images, not the phenomena or images themselves—are given up. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. With their abandoning, his mind becomes established, settled, unified, and composed internally. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dakkho palagaṇḍo vā palagaṇḍantevāsī vā sukhumāya āṇiyā oḷārikaṁ āṇiṁ abhinihaneyya abhinīhareyya abhinivatteyya; It’s like a deft carpenter or their apprentice who’d knock out or extract a large peg with a finer peg. evameva kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno yaṁ nimittaṁ āgamma yaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tamhā nimittā aññaṁ nimittaṁ manasi kātabbaṁ kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ. In the same way, a bhikkhu … should attend to a different sign connected with the beneficial … Tassa tamhā nimittā aññaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.

Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno tamhā nimittā aññaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ ādīnavo upaparikkhitabbo: Now, suppose that when a bhikkhu attends to a different sign connected with the beneficial, bad, detrimental thoughts connected with desire, ill will, and muddledness keep arising. He should consider the danger of those thoughts: ‘itipime vitakkā akusalā, itipime vitakkā sāvajjā, itipime vitakkā dukkhavipākā’ti. ‘So these thoughts are detrimental, they’re blameworthy, and they result in suffering.’ *[MN 19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDdMyOTylH0), [“The Ultimate Method for Overcoming Hindrances”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9voIhZij5Io). Tassa tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ ādīnavaṁ upaparikkhato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. As he does so, those bad, detrimental thoughts are given up, and they subside. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. With their abandoning, his mind becomes established, settled, unified, and composed internally. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, itthī vā puriso vā daharo yuvā maṇḍanakajātiko ahikuṇapena vā kukkurakuṇapena vā manussakuṇapena vā kaṇṭhe āsattena aṭṭiyeyya harāyeyya jiguccheyya; 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. evameva kho, bhikkhave, tassa ce bhikkhuno tamhāpi nimittā aññaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ ādīnavo upaparikkhitabbo: In the same way, a bhikkhu … should consider the woe in those thoughts … ‘itipime vitakkā akusalā, itipime vitakkā sāvajjā, itipime vitakkā dukkhavipākā’ti. Tassa tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ ādīnavaṁ upaparikkhato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.

Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ ādīnavaṁ upaparikkhato uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ asatiamanasikāro āpajjitabbo. Now, suppose that when a bhikkhu considers the woe in those thoughts, bad, detrimental thoughts connected with desire, ill will, and muddledness keep arising. He should forget them and not pay attention to them. *One should ignore and not pay attention to the *thoughts*, the mind's intention to revolve around the images, instead of ignoring the images themselves, which is, in the fundamental sense, not possible. Forcefully trying to ignore an arisen perception entails acknowledging and reacting to it—an attempt to control the aggregates (SN 22.59). One can, however, at any given instant abandon *mental action*, and this is what is being referred to. [“Stop Thinking That You Can Stop Thinking”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsv9JLMh4e8) Tassa tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ asatiamanasikāraṁ āpajjato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. As he does so, those bad, detrimental thoughts are given up, and they subside. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. With their abandoning, his mind becomes established, settled, unified, and composed internally. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, cakkhumā puriso āpāthagatānaṁ rūpānaṁ adassanakāmo assa; Suppose there was a man with good eyesight, and some undesirable forms came into range. so nimīleyya vā aññena vā apalokeyya; He’d just close their eyes or look away. evameva kho, bhikkhave, tassa ce bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ ādīnavaṁ upaparikkhato uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. In the same way, a bhikkhu … those harmful thoughts are given up and come to an end … Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.

Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ asatiamanasikāraṁ āpajjato uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikātabbaṁ. Now, suppose that when a bhikkhu ignores and doesn't pay attention to those thoughts, bad, detrimental thoughts connected with desire, ill will, and muddledness keep arising. He should direct his mind to settling the thought-activity. *One should recognize the extent to which one is actively engaging in and proliferating the thoughts, and then simply stop that activity, hence the simile. Again, this does not refer to stopping the images that the mind is assailed by, but to abandoning the involvement with them, which *is* entirely deliberate, just like a choice to walk instead of stand. Tassa tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikaroto ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. As he does so, those bad, detrimental thoughts are given up, and they subside. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. With their abandoning, his mind becomes established, settled, unified, and composed internally. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso sīghaṁ gaccheyya. Suppose there was a man walking quickly. Tassa evamassa: He’d think: ‘kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ sīghaṁ gacchāmi? ‘Why am I walking quickly? Yannūnāhaṁ saṇikaṁ gaccheyyan’ti. Why don’t I slow down?’ So saṇikaṁ gaccheyya. So they’d slow down. Tassa evamassa: He’d think: ‘kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ saṇikaṁ gacchāmi? ‘Why am I walking slowly? Yannūnāhaṁ tiṭṭheyyan’ti. Why don’t I stand still?’ So tiṭṭheyya. So they’d stand still. Tassa evamassa: He’d think: ‘kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ ṭhito? ‘Why am I standing still? Yannūnāhaṁ nisīdeyyan’ti. Why don’t I sit down?’ So nisīdeyya. So they’d sit down. Tassa evamassa: He’d think: ‘kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ nisinno? ‘Why am I sitting? Yannūnāhaṁ nipajjeyyan’ti. Why don’t I lie down?’ So nipajjeyya. So they’d lie down. Evañhi so, bhikkhave, puriso oḷārikaṁ oḷārikaṁ iriyāpathaṁ abhinivajjetvā sukhumaṁ sukhumaṁ iriyāpathaṁ kappeyya. And so that person would reject successively coarser postures and adopt more subtle ones.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, tassa ce bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ asatiamanasikāraṁ āpajjato uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. In the same way, a bhikkhu … those thoughts are given up and subside … Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.

Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikaroto uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi. Now, suppose that when a bhikkhu directs his mind to settling the thought-activity, bad, detrimental thoughts connected with desire, ill will, and muddledness keep arising. Tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā dantebhidantamādhāya jivhāya tāluṁ āhacca cetasā cittaṁ abhiniggaṇhitabbaṁ abhinippīḷetabbaṁ abhisantāpetabbaṁ. With teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth, he should squeeze, squash, and crush mind with mind. *_cetasā cittaṃ_ > “mind with mind”. First one needs to [see the _citta_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMl8C1ViL1c) in order to “crush” it. Straining extra hard to suppress *perceptions* is something very different, and it doesn't take any wisdom at all to do that. Tassa dantebhidantamādhāya jivhāya tāluṁ āhacca cetasā cittaṁ abhiniggaṇhato abhinippīḷayato abhisantāpayato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. As he does so, those bad, detrimental thoughts are given up, and they subside. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. With their abandoning, his mind becomes established, settled, unified, and composed internally. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, balavā puriso dubbalataraṁ purisaṁ sīse vā gale vā khandhe vā gahetvā abhiniggaṇheyya abhinippīḷeyya abhisantāpeyya; It’s like a strong man who grabs a weaker man by the head or throat or shoulder and squeezes, squashes, and crushes them. *See the comments to [MN 8](https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=mn8#mn8:1.1). evameva kho, bhikkhave, tassa ce bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikaroto uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi. In the same way, a bhikkhu … Tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā dantebhidantamādhāya jivhāya tāluṁ āhacca cetasā cittaṁ abhiniggaṇhitabbaṁ abhinippīḷetabbaṁ abhisantāpetabbaṁ. with teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth, should squeeze, squash, and crush mind with mind. Tassa dantebhidantamādhāya jivhāya tāluṁ āhacca cetasā cittaṁ abhiniggaṇhato abhinippīḷayato abhisantāpayato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. As he does so, those bad, detrimental thoughts are given up, and they subside. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. With their abandoning, his mind becomes established, settled, unified, and composed internally.

Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno yaṁ nimittaṁ āgamma yaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto uppajjanti pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, tassa tamhā nimittā aññaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. When a bhikkhu who is attending to some sign due to which bad, detrimental thoughts connected with desire, ill will, and muddledness are arising attends to a different sign connected with the beneficial … Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. Tesampi vitakkānaṁ ādīnavaṁ upaparikkhato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. … considers the woe in those thoughts … Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. Tesampi vitakkānaṁ asatiamanasikāraṁ āpajjato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. … forgets and does not pay attention to those thoughts … Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. Tesampi vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikaroto ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. … directs his mind to settling the thought-activity … Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. Dantebhidantamādhāya jivhāya tāluṁ āhacca cetasā cittaṁ abhiniggaṇhato abhinippīḷayato abhisantāpayato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti. … with teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth, he squeezes, squashes, and crushes mind with mind, those bad, detrimental thoughts connected with desire, ill will, and muddledness are given up, and they subside. Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. With their abandoning, his mind becomes established, settled, unified, and composed internally. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vasī vitakkapariyāyapathesu. This is called a bhikkhu who is a master of the ways and modes of thought. Yaṁ vitakkaṁ ākaṅkhissati taṁ vitakkaṁ vitakkessati, yaṁ vitakkaṁ nākaṅkhissati na taṁ vitakkaṁ vitakkessati. He will think what he wants to think, and he won’t think what he doesn’t want to think. *i.e., no defilements arise no matter what one thinks about, as opposed to defilements not arising because the range of attention is limited. Acchecchi taṇhaṁ, vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassā”ti. He’s cut off craving, untied the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit has made an end of suffering.”

Idamavoca bhagavā. That is what the Buddha said. Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti. Pleased, the bhikkhus delighted in what the Buddha said.

Vitakkasaṇṭhānasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dasamaṁ.

Sīhanādavaggo niṭṭhito dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Cūḷasīhanādalomahaṁsavaro, Mahācūḷadukkhakkhandhaanumānikasuttaṁ; Khilapatthamadhupiṇḍikadvidhāvitakka, Pañcanimittakathā puna vaggo.

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