This is what I have heard. Once the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi, in Jeta’s grove, in Anathapindika’s park. There the Blessed One addressed the monks: “Monks.” “Yes, sir,” the monks replied to the Blessed One.

“A monk who is intent on meditation must from time to time direct his attention to five types of sign. Which five? In this case, monks, if, when a monk is directing his attention to a particular sign, bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion arise in connection with that sign, then he should direct his attention to a different sign, one that is associated with what is wholesome. As he directs his attention to this different sign associated with what is wholesome, those bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion are abandoned, they go away. As a result of their being abandoned, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated. It is as if a skilled carpenter or his apprentice were to knock out, take out, and replace a tough peg with a fine one. In exactly the same way, when a monk directs his attention to this different sign, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated.

“But if, as he directs his attention to this different sign associated with what is wholesome, those bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion continue to arise, then that monk should consider the danger of those thoughts: how they are unwholesome, how they are blameworthy, how their results are unpleasant. As he considers the danger of those thoughts, those bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion are abandoned, they go away. As a result of their being abandoned, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated. It is as if a young and youthful man or woman who was given to adornment would be upset, shamed, and disgusted by the remains of a dead snake, dog, or man being hung around his neck. In exactly the same way, when a monk considers the danger of those thoughts, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated.

“But if, as he considers the danger of those thoughts, the bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion continue to arise, then the monk should practice not being aware of these thoughts, not directing his attention to them. As he practices not being aware of those thoughts, not directing his attention to them, those bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion are abandoned, they go away. As a result of their being abandoned, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated. It is as if a person with good eyes, not wanting to look at the visible forms that had come into view, were to close his eyes or look away. In exactly the same way, when a monk practices not being aware of those thoughts, not directing his attention to them, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated.

“But if, as he practices not being aware of those thoughts, not directing his attention to them, the bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, or delusion continue to arise, then the monk should direct his attention to stilling the process of thought creating those thoughts. As he directs his attention to stilling the process of thought creating those thoughts, those bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, or delusion are abandoned, they go away. As the result of their being abandoned, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated. It is as if a person who was walking fast should ask himself, ‘Why am I walking fast? Suppose I walk slowly,’ and when he was walking slowly should ask himself, ‘Why am I walking slowly? Suppose I stand still,’ and when he was standing still should ask himself, ‘Why am I standing? Suppose I sit down,’ and when he was sitting down should ask himself, ‘Why am I sitting? Suppose I lie down.’ In this way that person would gradually give up active postures for quieter and quieter ones. In exactly the same way, when a monk directs his attention to stilling the process of thought creating those thoughts, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated.

“But if, as he directs his attention to stilling the process of thought creating those thoughts, the bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion continue to arise, then gritting his teeth and pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, the monk should mentally hold down his mind, crush it, and overwhelm it. As he mentally holds down his mind, crushes it, and overwhelms it, gritting his teeth and pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, those bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion are abandoned, they go away. As a result of their being abandoned, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated. It is as if a strong man, grabbing a weaker man by the head or the shoulders, were to hold him down, crush him, and overwhelm him. In exactly the same way, when a monk, gritting his teeth and pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, mentally holds down his mind, crushes it, and overwhelms it, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated.

“So when a monk is directing his attention to a particular sign, and bad, unwholesome thoughts arise in connection with that sign, he directs his attention to a different sign associated with what is wholesome, and those bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion are abandoned, they go away; as a result of their being abandoned, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated. He also considers the danger of those thoughts; he also practices not being aware of those thoughts, not directing his attention to them; he also directs his attention to stilling the process of thought creating those thoughts; he also mentally holds down his mind, crushes it, and overwhelms it, gritting his teeth and pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, and those bad, unwholesome thoughts associated with desire, hatred, and delusion are abandoned, they go away; as a result of their being abandoned, his mind becomes still within, settles down, and becomes unified and concentrated. Because of this, such a monk is called a master of the ways and courses of thought; the thoughts he wants to think, he thinks; the thoughts he does not want to think, he does not think. He has cut off craving, removed the fetter, and by rightly seeing through conceit, he has made an end to suffering.”

This is what the Blessed One said. Gladdened, those monks felt joy at the Blessed One’s words.

From Sayings of the Buddha: A Selection of Suttas from the Pali Nikayas, translated by Rupert Gethin, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 152-155.