Vitakkasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.7

Linked Discourses 56.7

1. Samādhivagga

1. Immersion

Vitakkasutta

Thoughts

“Mā, bhikkhave, pāpake akusale vitakke vitakkeyyātha, seyyathidaṁ—

“Mendicants, don’t think bad, unskillful thoughts, such as

kāmavitakkaṁ, byāpādavitakkaṁ, vihiṁsāvitakkaṁ.

sensual, malicious, and cruel thoughts.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Nete, bhikkhave, vitakkā atthasaṁhitā nādibrahmacariyakā na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattanti.

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.

Vitakkentā ca kho tumhe, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti vitakkeyyātha, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti vitakkeyyātha.

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’.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Ete, bhikkhave, vitakkā atthasaṁhitā ete ādibrahmacariyakā ete nibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattanti.

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.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

That’s why you should practice meditation …”

Sattamaṁ.