The Book of the Sixes

Chapter XI: The Threes

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Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

"Yes, lord," they replied,
and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, there are these three conditions.

What three?

Sense-desire-thinking,
ill-will-thinking
and harm-thinking.

Verily, monks, these are the three.

And to get rid of these three,
cultivate three.

What three?

To get rid of sense-desire-thinking,
cultivate renunciation-thinking;

■

to get rid of ill-will-thinking,
cultivate non-ill-will-thinking;

■

to get rid of harm-thinking,
cultivate non-harm-thinking.

Verily, monks, to get rid of these three conditions,
cultivate these three.'

¹ Vitakka, cognition.