Thoughts

“Mendicants, don’t think bad, unskillful thoughts, such as sensual, malicious, and cruel thoughts. Why is that? Because those thoughts aren’t beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They don’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.

“Mā, bhikkhave, pāpake akusale vitakke vitakkeyyātha, seyyathidaṁ—*vitakkeyyātha → vitakketha (bj, sya-all, km)kāmavitakkaṁ, byāpādavitakkaṁ, vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Nete, bhikkhave, vitakkā atthasaṁhitā nādibrahmacariyakā na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattanti.

“Mendicants, don’t think bad, unskillful thoughts, such as “Mā, bhikkhave, pāpake akusale vitakke vitakkeyyātha, seyyathidaṁ—*vitakkeyyātha → vitakketha (bj, sya-all, km)sensual, malicious, and cruel thoughts. kāmavitakkaṁ, byāpādavitakkaṁ, vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Because those thoughts aren’t beneficial or relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They don’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. Nete, bhikkhave, vitakkā atthasaṁhitā nādibrahmacariyakā na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattanti.

When you think, you should think: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. Why is that? Because those thoughts are beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment.

Vitakkentā ca kho tumhe, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti vitakkeyyātha. Taṁ kissa hetu? Ete, bhikkhave, vitakkā atthasaṁhitā ete ādibrahmacariyakā ete nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattanti.

When you think, you should think: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. Vitakkentā ca kho tumhe, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti vitakkeyyātha. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Because those thoughts are beneficial and relevant to the fundamentals of the spiritual life. They lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. Ete, bhikkhave, vitakkā atthasaṁhitā ete ādibrahmacariyakā ete nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattanti.