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← Aṅguttara Nikāya

Thoughts

AN 6.109 · Vitakkasutta

Delicate frost crystals line a dry grass stem in quiet morning light.

“Mendicants, there are these three things. What three? Sensual, malicious, and cruel thoughts. These are the three things. To give up these three things you should develop three things. What three? You should develop thoughts of renunciation to give up sensual thoughts, thoughts of good will to give up malicious thoughts, and thoughts of harmlessness to give up cruel thoughts. These are the three things you should develop to give up those three things.”

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Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.