Dear Friends,
Our next topic focuses on the second wise effort: abandoning unwholesome states that have arisen. Joseph Goldstein offers this: “Mindfulness of [the unwholesome states] is always the first strategy; if we’re not even aware that they are present, there’s not much possibility of abandoning them. Sometimes mindfulness itself is enough.” (Mindfulness, page 393)
However, some unwholesome states are tenacious and require additional strategies. The sutta The Removal of Distracting Thoughts (MN20) outlines several methods:
- Using the Opposite as an Antidote: Refocus the mind on wholesome qualities, such as metta (goodwill) to counteract ill-will.
- Reflecting with Hiri and Otappa: These qualities, often translated as “respect for self” and “respect for the wise,” invite us to consider how a wise person–or the wiser parts of ourselves–might respond. This approach works best when rooted in wise understanding, rather than in self-judgment or guilt.
- Deliberate Diversion of Attention: When overwhelmed by hindrances, we cab redirect attention to another object until the unwholesome state passes.
- Investigating Directly: Look closely at distracting thoughts, exploring their source and emotional underpinnings. For example, fear often lies beneath anger, or boredom might be beneath desire.
- Forcible Suppression: As a last resort, for recurring unwholesome thoughts that persist despite the trying other strategies, we can bring a more determined state of mind. Joseph likens this to shooting down targets in an amusement park game–a playful but resolute approach. This is a way of saying, “That’s enough” with a mix of firmness, kindness, and a touch of humor.
These strategies illustrate that meditation is an art. It requires understanding the ever-changing interplay of mental qualities, experimenting with techniques, and discovering what works in each moment.
How do you work with unwholesome states when they arise? Have you found particular methods or approaches helpful in your practice at different times? I would love to hear your reflections.
With good wishes,
Andrea
I love this breakdown, and I can tell that I’ve used several of these methods in my own life without having the succinct language to express what I was doing as you did here Andrea 🙂
The one I struggle with the most is Forcible Suppression. Maybe my issue is that I don’t approach this with kindness and humour, but I’m reminded of a Ramakrishna (I think?) quote about working with desire – “Damming a river just builds force.” How do you forcibly suppress something without just repressing it and allowing it to build in strength? Is there ever a scenario that calls for indulging an unwholesome state to let it move through you?
Hi Thomas, thanks for the comment, and I appreciate your question. A couple thoughts:
The “forcible suppression” step is at the end of the list. As Shaila Catherine describes in an interview with Insight Journal, “We progress to that step after we’ve already applied each and every previous strategy but are still overcome by unwholesome thoughts. This means that by the time we’ve gotten to the point of applying intense resolve we’ve already cultivated a wholesome alternative, we’ve already understood the danger in the thought and developed dispassion toward it, we’ve already tried to just step away from it, we’ve already seen the underlying formations, emotions and mental formations that feed it, we’ve understood the causes for its arising. And so finally, after there’s dispassion, wisdom, and wholesome alternatives in play, now we’re able to say no to a habitual pattern of thought and mean it.” She also comments, “I’ve been working with this sequence for quite a while, and there’s only a few times in my career as a meditator, since 1980, when I’ve used that last step. Because usually the previous steps will have resolved the issue. Those few times when I’ve had to use strong effort, there’s not a shred of aversion. There’s no anger, there’s no hatred, it’s simply saying no and meaning it.”
(https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/article/distraction-strategies-for-overcoming-distracting-thoughts/)
As you reflected, there can be value in having emotions move through as we meet them with kindness and curiosity, coming to understand the causes and conditions. Resulting from this mindfulness, the emotion may shift on its own.
The key lies in discerning whether engaging with the state leads to deeper understanding or risks fueling it further. For example, the emotion of anger may arise, and we can observe it. But if this emotion is triggering us to engage in something unskillful, then these steps to remove the unwholesome thoughts are helpful. We start with the earlier strategies and work our way through. If we have done the preceding and get to the fifth step, then from this foundation of wisdom and clarity, we can say “no” to a habitual pattern without repression or buildup, but with a firm and balanced resolve. As a side note, I have noticed that I sometimes have wanted to jump to step five without doing the other four – and that would be a case of repressing rather acting out of wisdom.
Let me know if that helps to clarify!