Dealing with Difficult and Unwholesome Thoughts

The Buddha often taught methods for dealing with difficult or unwholesome thoughts, one of the most well-known being a set of five steps described in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 20). These steps are intended to help practitioners overcome unwholseome, harmful, or distracting thoughts and cultivate a calm and focused mind. Here’s a summary of the five steps:

1. Notice the thought

If and when an unwholesome thought arises, notice it without judgment or criticism, and then return your awareness to your breath or whatever you were focusing on.

2. Replace the unwholesome thought with a wholesome thought

If the first method doesn’t work, consciously replace it with its opposite. For example, if thoughts of anger arise, one could replace them with thoughts of loving-kindness or compassion.

3. Reflect on the drawbacks of unwholesome thoughts

If the second method doesn’t work, consider the consequences of holding on to unwholesome thoughts. This could mean reflecting on how such thoughts disturb the mind, cause harm to oneself and others, and lead to suffering.

4. Ignore or distract oneself from the unwholesome thoughts

If the third method is ineffective, ignore the unwholesome thoughts by re-directing the mind toward something else. This could be a neutral or mundane task to distract oneself from the thought.

5. Investigate the cause of the unwholesome thought

The next step is to inquire deeply into the nature of the thought, recognizing its causes and how it arises. By understanding the roots of the thought - greed, anger and/or ignorance - one can weaken its hold on the mind. This process is often about seeing how the thought is impermanent and lacks a substantial basis.

6. Suppress the unwholesome thought with physical effort

As a last resort, use physical effort or bodily control to suppress particularly stubborn thoughts. This might involve consciously tightening the muscles or exerting force in the body to overpower the thought. Exercise can be really effective. Go for a walk or run!

These six steps offer a gradual approach to dealing with challenging unwholesome thoughts and emotions in meditation and daily life, starting with the most gentle method and progressing to more forceful ones if necessary.