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MN 20PTS MN 1.1184 min read

How to Stop Thinking

Vitakkasaṇṭhānasutta

In a practical meditation teaching, the Buddha describes five different approaches to stopping thoughts.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Majjhima Nikāya 20Middle Discourses 20

0.2VitakkasaṇṭhānasuttaHow to Stop Thinking

1.1PTS 1.119Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.1.3Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,1.4“bhikkhavo”ti.“Mendicants!”

1.5“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Venerable sir,” they replied.1.6Bhagavā etadavoca:The Buddha said this:

2.1“Adhicittamanuyuttena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā pañca nimittāni kālena kālaṁ manasi kātabbāni.“Mendicants, a mendicant committed to the higher mind should focus on five subjects from time to time.12.2Katamāni pañca?What five?

3.1Idha, 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 mendicant who is focusing on some subject that gives rise to bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion. That mendicant should focus on some other subject connected with the skillful.23.2Tassa tamhā nimittā aññaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.As they do so, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end.3.3Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi.3.4Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, dakkho palagaṇḍo vā palagaṇḍantevāsī vā sukhumāya āṇiyā oḷārikaṁ āṇiṁ abhinihaneyya abhinīhareyya abhinivatteyya;It’s like a deft mason or their apprentice who’d knock out or extract a large peg with a finer peg.3.5evameva 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 mendicant … should focus on some other basis of meditation connected with the skillful …3.6Tassa tamhā nimittā aññaṁ nimittaṁ manasikaroto kusalūpasaṁhitaṁ ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.3.7Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.

4.1PTS 1.120Tassa 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 mendicant is focusing on some other subject connected with the skillful, but bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion keep coming up. They should examine the drawbacks of those thoughts:34.2‘itipime vitakkā akusalā, itipime vitakkā sāvajjā, itipime vitakkā dukkhavipākā’ti.‘So these thoughts are unskillful, they’re blameworthy, and they result in suffering.’44.3Tassa tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ ādīnavaṁ upaparikkhato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.As they do so, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end.4.4Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi.4.5Seyyathāpi, 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.4.6evameva 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 mendicant … should examine the drawbacks of those thoughts …4.7‘itipime vitakkā akusalā, itipime vitakkā sāvajjā, itipime vitakkā dukkhavipākā’ti.4.8Tassa tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ ādīnavaṁ upaparikkhato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.4.9Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.

5.1Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ ādīnavaṁ upaparikkhato uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ asatiamanasikāro āpajjitabbo.Now, suppose that mendicant is examining the drawbacks of those thoughts, but bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion keep coming up. They should try to forget and ignore them.55.2Tassa tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ asatiamanasikāraṁ āpajjato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.As they do so, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end.5.3Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi.5.4Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, cakkhumā puriso āpāthagatānaṁ rūpānaṁ adassanakāmo assa;Suppose there was a person with clear eyes, and some undesirable sights came into their range of vision.5.5so nimīleyya vā aññena vā apalokeyya;They’d just close their eyes or look away.5.6evameva 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 mendicant … those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end …65.7Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.

6.1Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ asatiamanasikāraṁ āpajjato uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi, tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikātabbaṁ.Now, suppose that mendicant is ignoring and forgetting about those thoughts, but bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion keep coming up. They should focus on stopping the formation of those thoughts.76.2Tassa tesaṁ vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikaroto ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.As they do so, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end.6.3Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi.6.4Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, puriso sīghaṁ gaccheyya.Suppose there was a person walking quickly.86.5Tassa evamassa:They’d think:6.6‘kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ sīghaṁ gacchāmi?‘Why am I walking so quickly?6.7Yannūnāhaṁ saṇikaṁ gaccheyyan’ti.Why don’t I slow down?’6.8So saṇikaṁ gaccheyya.So they’d slow down.96.9Tassa evamassa:They’d think:6.10‘kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ saṇikaṁ gacchāmi?‘Why am I walking slowly?6.11Yannūnāhaṁ tiṭṭheyyan’ti.Why don’t I stand still?’6.12So tiṭṭheyya.So they’d stand still.6.13Tassa evamassa:They’d think:6.14‘kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ ṭhito?‘Why am I standing still?6.15Yannūnāhaṁ nisīdeyyan’ti.Why don’t I sit down?’6.16So nisīdeyya.So they’d sit down.6.17Tassa evamassa:They’d think:6.18‘kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ nisinno?‘Why am I sitting?6.19Yannūnāhaṁ nipajjeyyan’ti.Why don’t I lie down?’6.20So nipajjeyya.So they’d lie down.6.21Evañhi so, bhikkhave, puriso oḷārikaṁ oḷārikaṁ iriyāpathaṁ abhinivajjetvā sukhumaṁ sukhumaṁ iriyāpathaṁ kappeyya.And so that person would shun successively coarser postures and adopt more subtle ones.

6.22Evameva 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 mendicant … those thoughts are given up and come to an end …6.23Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.

7.1PTS 1.121Tassa ce, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikaroto uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi.Now, suppose that mendicant is focusing on stopping the formation of those thoughts, but bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion keep coming up.7.2Tena, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā dantebhidantamādhāya jivhāya tāluṁ āhacca cetasā cittaṁ abhiniggaṇhitabbaṁ abhinippīḷetabbaṁ abhisantāpetabbaṁ.With teeth clenched and tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth, they should squeeze, squash, and crush mind with mind.107.3Tassa dantebhidantamādhāya jivhāya tāluṁ āhacca cetasā cittaṁ abhiniggaṇhato abhinippīḷayato abhisantāpayato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.As they do so, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end.7.4Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi.7.5Seyyathāpi, 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.7.6evameva kho, bhikkhave, tassa ce bhikkhuno tesampi vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikaroto uppajjanteva pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi.In the same way, a mendicant …7.7Tena, 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.7.8Tassa dantebhidantamādhāya jivhāya tāluṁ āhacca cetasā cittaṁ abhiniggaṇhato abhinippīḷayato abhisantāpayato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.As they do so, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end.7.9Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi.

8.1PTS 1.122Yato 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.Now, take the mendicant who is focusing on some subject that gives rise to bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion. They focus on some other subject connected with the skillful …8.2Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.8.3Tesampi vitakkānaṁ ādīnavaṁ upaparikkhato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.They examine the drawbacks of those thoughts …8.4Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.8.5Tesampi vitakkānaṁ asatiamanasikāraṁ āpajjato ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.They try to forget and ignore about those thoughts …8.6Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.8.7Tesampi vitakkānaṁ vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ manasikaroto ye pāpakā akusalā vitakkā chandūpasaṁhitāpi dosūpasaṁhitāpi mohūpasaṁhitāpi te pahīyanti te abbhatthaṁ gacchanti.They focus on stopping the formation of those thoughts …8.8Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.8.9Dantebhidantamādhāya 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, they squeeze, squash, and crush mind with mind. When they succeed in each of these things, those bad thoughts are given up and come to an end.8.10Tesaṁ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṁ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati.Their mind becomes stilled internally; it settles, unifies, and becomes immersed in samādhi.8.11Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vasī vitakkapariyāyapathesu.This is called a mendicant who is a master of the ways of thought.8.12Yaṁ vitakkaṁ ākaṅkhissati taṁ vitakkaṁ vitakkessati, yaṁ vitakkaṁ nākaṅkhissati na taṁ vitakkaṁ vitakkessati.They will think what they want to think, and they won’t think what they don’t want to think.8.13Acchecchi taṇhaṁ, vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassā”ti.They’ve cut off craving, cast off the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit have made an end of suffering.”11

8.14Idamavoca bhagavā.That is what the Buddha said.8.15Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

8.16Vitakkasaṇṭhānasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dasamaṁ.

8.17Sīhanādavaggo niṭṭhito dutiyo.

9.0Tassuddānaṁ

9.1Cūḷasīhanādalomahaṁsavaro,9.2Mahācūḷadukkhakkhandhaanumānikasuttaṁ;9.3Khilapatthamadhupiṇḍikadvidhāvitakka,9.4Pañcanimittakathā puna vaggo.

Translator’s notes

  1. The “higher mind” (adhicitta) is the four jhānas (AN 3.90:3.1).

    “Subject” (nimitta) here has its normal meaning in meditation contexts: a property of experience that, when focused on, fosters similar properties. This is primarily the chosen subject of meditation, but it also includes any subject that the mind dwells on.

    “From time to time” (kālena kālaṁ): these are not fundamentals of meditation like mindfulness, which should always be developed, but rather expedients for dealing with specific problems when they arise. A meditator should be familiar with these methods and apply them when needed. However, one should not be over-eager to reach for these methods; they are meant for those times when the normal process of meditation has gone awry.

    ↩ mn20:2.1

  2. For example, a meditator who finds themselves plagued with thoughts of annoyance, having recognized that this is happening per MN 19, should switch to a new meditation such as mettā.

    ↩ mn20:3.1

  3. These methods are progressive; each one assumes that the former method has failed.

    Looking at the drawbacks of unskillful thoughts was the cornerstone of the Bodhisatta’s method at per MN 19:3.4.

    ↩ mn20:4.1

  4. As per MN 19:3.4.

    ↩ mn20:4.2

  5. “Forget” is asati and “ignore” is amanasikāra.

    ↩ mn20:5.1

  6. The repetitions here are dubious. The Mahāsaṅgīti edition here and following omits the method that stops the thoughts. It is surely implied, but in the absence of any witnesses, I translate to preserve the roughness of the Pali.

    ↩ mn20:5.6

  7. The unique phrase “stopping the formation of thoughts” (vitakkasaṅkhārasaṇṭhānaṁ) lends the sutta its title. Here saṅkhāra refers to the energy that drives the formation of thoughts. Understanding the cause helps to deprive it of its power.

    ↩ mn20:6.1

  8. “Walking quickly” like a person swamped by many thoughts (MN 18:16.1).

    ↩ mn20:6.4

  9. Multiple methods of quelling thought have failed, so this method focuses on gradually slowing down rather than stopping all at once. Asking “why am I thinking so much?” turns attention around, focusing on the previous thought rather than the next thing.

    ↩ mn20:6.8

  10. As a last resort, the meditator forcibly crushes unwholesome thoughts and makes themselves think wholesome thoughts. This is one of the Jain-like mortifying meditations that the Bodhisatta undertook before discovering the middle way (MN 36:20.2, MN 85:20.2, MN 100:17.2). There, compared to the other practices such as meditating without breathing, it is the first and gentlest. Thus the most gentle of the mortifying meditations becomes the harshest of the Buddhist methods.

    The first two terms (abhiniggaṇhāti, abhinippīḷeti) also occur in the context of defeating an opponent in debate (AN 10.116:5.1) and sexual assault (Bu Ss 2:2.2.1). Abhisantāpeti does not occur elsewhere in early Pali, but at Atharvaveda 2.12.6c it is a divine punishment for heretics.

    ↩ mn20:7.2

  11. This sentence has a number of dubious features. Up until now the Chinese parallel at MA 101 is fairly similar, but it lacks this phrase. In addition, the passage lacks the expected conditional yato ca construction (“When a mendicant … then they are called one who has cut off craving …”, eg. MN 22.1). Moreover, being phrased in the past tense it sits uneasily with the future tense of the previous phrase, and would have made better sense reversed (“Having cut off craving … they will think what they want to think”). Taken together, these considerations suggest that this passage may have been inserted by error in the Pali. The original scope of the sutta, then, would have focused solely on the quieting of thoughts for attaining samādhi.

    ↩ mn20:8.13