Ven. Soma Thera (trans.) Vitakkasanthana Sutra (MN 20) edited by Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Crystal Quintero, Wisdom Quarterly; photographer Sasin Tipchai (flickr.com)
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| What reflections lead one to enlightenment? The Buddha explains (Bugphai). |
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| Meditation is all about skillful balancing. |
The Blessed One addressed the meditators saying, "Meditators!" And they replied to him saying, "Venerable sir?" Then the Blessed One said:
"Five things should be reflected on from time to time, by the meditator who is intent on higher consciousness [or going beyond training to perfect independence from any teacher]. What are these five?
I.
"When harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with craving, aversion, and delusion arise in a meditator through reflection on an adventitious object, one should (in order to get rid of it), reflect on a different object which is connected with (nonharming and) skill.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated [coherent], just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Like an experienced carpenter or carpenter's apprentice, striking hard at, pushing out, and getting rid of a coarse peg with a fine one, should the meditator in order to get rid of the adventitious object, reflect on a different object which is connected with skill.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with craving, aversion, and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
II.
"If the harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator, who in order to get rid of an adventitious object reflects on a different object which is connected with skill, one should ponder on the [karmic] disadvantages of unskillful thoughts thus:
"'Truly these thoughts of mine are unskillful, blameworthy, and produce misery.'
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Like a well-dressed young man or woman who feels horrified, humiliated, and disgusted because of the carcass of a snake, dog, or human that is hung round his or her neck, should the meditator in whom unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of this reflection on the object which is connected with skill, ponder on the disadvantages of unskillful thoughts thus:
"'Truly, these thoughts of mine are unskillful, blameworthy, and produce misery.'
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
III.
"If harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator who ponders on their disadvantageousness, one should in regard to them endeavor to be without attention and reflection [turning one's attention away from them back to the subject of meditation, such as the breath, again and again as many times as is necessary].
"Then the harmful unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Like a keen-eyed person shutting eyes and looking away from one direction in order to avoid seeing visible objects come within sight, should the meditator in whom harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of pondering their disadvantageousness, endeavor to be without attention and reflection as regards them.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
IV.
"If harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator in spite of the endeavor to be without attention and reflection as regards harmful, unskillful thoughts, one should reflect on the removal of the (thought) source of those unskillful thoughts. [What was one thinking or reflecting on just prior to the arising of such thoughts as flowed in?]
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Just as a person finding no reason for walking fast, walks slowly, finding no reason for walking slowly, stands, finding no reason for standing, sits down, finding no reason for sitting down, lies down, and thereby getting rid of a posture that is rather uncalm resorts to a restful posture, just so should the meditator in whom harmful, unskillful thoughts arise, in spite of the endeavor to be without attention and reflection regarding them, reflect on the removal of the (thought) source of those unskillful thoughts.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
V.
"If harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator in spite of this reflection on the removal of a source of unskillful thoughts, one should [as a final resort only when all of the previous options have been exhausted] with clenched teeth and the tongue pressing on the palate, restrain, subdue, and beat down the (harmful) mind by the (good) mind.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with craving, aversion, and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Like a strong man holding a weaker man by the head or shoulders and restraining, subduing, and beating him down, should the meditator in whom harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of this reflection on the source of unskillful thoughts, restrain, subdue, and beat down the (harmful) heart/mind by the (good) heart/mind, with clenched teeth and the tongue pressing on the palate.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
Conclusion
"When, indeed, meditators, harmful, unskillful thoughts due to reflection on an adventitious object are eliminated, when they disappear, and the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated just within (one's subject of meditation), through reflection on an object connected with skill, through pondering the disadvantages of unskillful thoughts, one's endeavoring to be without attentiveness and reflection as regards those thoughts or through restraining, subduing, and beating down of the harmful mind/heart by the good mind/heart with clenched teeth and tongue pressing on the palate, that meditator is called a master of the paths along which thoughts travel:
"The thought one wants to think, that one thinks; the thought one does not want to think, that one does not think. One has cut down craving, removed the fetter [bond], rightly mastered pride, and made an end of suffering."
The Blessed One said this, and the meditators, glad at heart, approved of his words.
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| Note to self: meditate with these 5 tips. |
"When harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with craving, aversion, and delusion arise in a meditator through reflection on an adventitious object, one should (in order to get rid of it), reflect on a different object which is connected with (nonharming and) skill.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated [coherent], just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Like an experienced carpenter or carpenter's apprentice, striking hard at, pushing out, and getting rid of a coarse peg with a fine one, should the meditator in order to get rid of the adventitious object, reflect on a different object which is connected with skill.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with craving, aversion, and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
II.
"If the harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator, who in order to get rid of an adventitious object reflects on a different object which is connected with skill, one should ponder on the [karmic] disadvantages of unskillful thoughts thus:
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| Bodhi tree (whc.unesco.org/Amos Chapple) |
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Like a well-dressed young man or woman who feels horrified, humiliated, and disgusted because of the carcass of a snake, dog, or human that is hung round his or her neck, should the meditator in whom unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of this reflection on the object which is connected with skill, ponder on the disadvantages of unskillful thoughts thus:
"'Truly, these thoughts of mine are unskillful, blameworthy, and produce misery.'
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
III.
"If harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator who ponders on their disadvantageousness, one should in regard to them endeavor to be without attention and reflection [turning one's attention away from them back to the subject of meditation, such as the breath, again and again as many times as is necessary].
"Then the harmful unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Like a keen-eyed person shutting eyes and looking away from one direction in order to avoid seeing visible objects come within sight, should the meditator in whom harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of pondering their disadvantageousness, endeavor to be without attention and reflection as regards them.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
IV.
"If harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator in spite of the endeavor to be without attention and reflection as regards harmful, unskillful thoughts, one should reflect on the removal of the (thought) source of those unskillful thoughts. [What was one thinking or reflecting on just prior to the arising of such thoughts as flowed in?]
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Just as a person finding no reason for walking fast, walks slowly, finding no reason for walking slowly, stands, finding no reason for standing, sits down, finding no reason for sitting down, lies down, and thereby getting rid of a posture that is rather uncalm resorts to a restful posture, just so should the meditator in whom harmful, unskillful thoughts arise, in spite of the endeavor to be without attention and reflection regarding them, reflect on the removal of the (thought) source of those unskillful thoughts.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
V.
"If harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in a meditator in spite of this reflection on the removal of a source of unskillful thoughts, one should [as a final resort only when all of the previous options have been exhausted] with clenched teeth and the tongue pressing on the palate, restrain, subdue, and beat down the (harmful) mind by the (good) mind.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with craving, aversion, and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
"Like a strong man holding a weaker man by the head or shoulders and restraining, subduing, and beating him down, should the meditator in whom harmful, unskillful thoughts continue to arise in spite of this reflection on the source of unskillful thoughts, restrain, subdue, and beat down the (harmful) heart/mind by the (good) heart/mind, with clenched teeth and the tongue pressing on the palate.
"Then the harmful, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate and delusion are eliminated; they disappear. By their elimination, the mind/heart stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated, just within (one's subject of meditation).
Conclusion
"When, indeed, meditators, harmful, unskillful thoughts due to reflection on an adventitious object are eliminated, when they disappear, and the heart/mind stands firm, settles down, becomes unified and concentrated just within (one's subject of meditation), through reflection on an object connected with skill, through pondering the disadvantages of unskillful thoughts, one's endeavoring to be without attentiveness and reflection as regards those thoughts or through restraining, subduing, and beating down of the harmful mind/heart by the good mind/heart with clenched teeth and tongue pressing on the palate, that meditator is called a master of the paths along which thoughts travel:
"The thought one wants to think, that one thinks; the thought one does not want to think, that one does not think. One has cut down craving, removed the fetter [bond], rightly mastered pride, and made an end of suffering."
The Blessed One said this, and the meditators, glad at heart, approved of his words.
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