Dhamma Medicine Chest
Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 2:05 pm
Dear friends,
Does anyone know of a list somewhere in book or digital form of practical Dhamma remedies and preventions from the suttas for various afflictive states? By this I mean, to use some examples, the remedy and prevention for ill-will is the cultivation of loving-kindness, the remedy and prevention of cruelty is compassion, the remedy for hatred is a specific train of thought, the prevention of sensual desire is meditation on foulness, etc.
If no one can point to such a list, I will begin to make one here and update it as time goes on, for the welfare of myself and others. If you would like to contribute, please include the sutta reference.
Hatred, Resentment
10 ways of subduing hatred/resentment
"There are these ten ways of subduing hatred. Which ten?
[1] "Thinking, 'He has done me harm. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[2] "Thinking, 'He is doing me harm. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[3] "Thinking, 'He is going to do me harm. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[4] "Thinking, 'He has done harm to people who are dear & pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[5] "Thinking, 'He is doing harm to people who are dear & pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[6] "Thinking, 'He is going to do harm to people who are dear & pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[7] "Thinking, 'He has aided people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[8] "Thinking, 'He is aiding people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[9] "Thinking, 'He is going to aid people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[10] "One does not get worked up over impossibilities.
"These are ten ways of subduing hatred."
-AN 10.80, trans. Thannisaro Bhikku
"Bhikkhus, there are these ten ways of removing resentment. What ten?
(1) [Thinking:] 'They acted for my harm, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(2) [Thinking:] 'They are acting for my harm, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(3) [Thinking:] 'They will act for my harm, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(4) [Thinking:] 'They acted for the harm of one who is pleasing and agreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(5) [Thinking:] 'They are acting for the harm of one who is pleaseing and agreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(6) [Thinking:] 'They will act for the harm of one who is pleasing and agreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(7) [Thinking:] 'They acted for the benefit of one who is displeasing and disagreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(8) [Thinking:] 'They are acting for the benefit of one who is displeasing and disagreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(9) [Thinking:] 'They will act for the benefit of one who is displeasing and disagreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(10) And one does not become angry without a reason.
These, bhikkhus, are the ten ways of removing resentment."
-AN 10.80 from Bodhi 2012: p. 1440
Sensual Desire
The denourishment of sensual desire
"And what, bhikkus, is the denourishment that prevents unarisen sensual dsire from arising and arisen sensual desire from increasing and expanding? There is, bhikkus, the sign of foulness: frequently giving careful attention to it is the denourishment that prevents unarisen sensual desire from arising and arisen sensual desire from increasing and expanding."
-SN 46.51 from Bodhi 2000: p. 1599
*Ven. Bodhi notes that the sign of foulness is the 10 corpses in various stages of decay according to Spk. However, in the suttas, the perception of foulness is contemplation of the 31 parts of the body.
Sloth-Torpor, Dullness-Drowsiness
8 ways of abandoning drowsiness
How to remove drowsiness, in order of most to least preferable method
o Don’t attend to or concentrate on the object that you were attending to when you became drowsy.
o Ponder, examine, and mentally inspect the Dhamma as you have heard it and learned it.
o Recite in detail the Dhamma as you have heard it and learned it.
o Pull both ears and rub your limbs with your hands.
o Get up, rub your eyes with water, survey all quarters, look up at the constellations and the stars.
o Attend to the perception of light; undertake the perception of day; as by day, so at night…as at night, so by day; develop a mind imbued with luminosity.
o Walk back and forth, perceiving what is behind you and what is in front, with your sense faculties drawn in and your mind collected.
o If all else fails, take a very short nap in the lion's posture and get up quickly when done, thinking: ‘I will not be intent on the pleasure of rest, the pleasure of sloth, the pleasure of sleep.’
-Summary of AN 7.61 from Bodhi 2012: pp. 1059-1060
Abbreviations
AN - Anguttara Nikaya
SN - Samyutta Nikaya
Spk - Saratthappakasini; Buddhaghosa's SN commentary written c. 500 AD
Sources
Bodhi, Bhikkhu. The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2012. Print.
Bodhi, Bhikku. The Connected Discourses of the Buddha. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2000. Print
Does anyone know of a list somewhere in book or digital form of practical Dhamma remedies and preventions from the suttas for various afflictive states? By this I mean, to use some examples, the remedy and prevention for ill-will is the cultivation of loving-kindness, the remedy and prevention of cruelty is compassion, the remedy for hatred is a specific train of thought, the prevention of sensual desire is meditation on foulness, etc.
If no one can point to such a list, I will begin to make one here and update it as time goes on, for the welfare of myself and others. If you would like to contribute, please include the sutta reference.
Hatred, Resentment
10 ways of subduing hatred/resentment
"There are these ten ways of subduing hatred. Which ten?
[1] "Thinking, 'He has done me harm. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[2] "Thinking, 'He is doing me harm. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[3] "Thinking, 'He is going to do me harm. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[4] "Thinking, 'He has done harm to people who are dear & pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[5] "Thinking, 'He is doing harm to people who are dear & pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[6] "Thinking, 'He is going to do harm to people who are dear & pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[7] "Thinking, 'He has aided people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[8] "Thinking, 'He is aiding people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[9] "Thinking, 'He is going to aid people who are not dear or pleasing to me. But what should I expect?' one subdues hatred.
[10] "One does not get worked up over impossibilities.
"These are ten ways of subduing hatred."
-AN 10.80, trans. Thannisaro Bhikku
"Bhikkhus, there are these ten ways of removing resentment. What ten?
(1) [Thinking:] 'They acted for my harm, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(2) [Thinking:] 'They are acting for my harm, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(3) [Thinking:] 'They will act for my harm, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(4) [Thinking:] 'They acted for the harm of one who is pleasing and agreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(5) [Thinking:] 'They are acting for the harm of one who is pleaseing and agreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(6) [Thinking:] 'They will act for the harm of one who is pleasing and agreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(7) [Thinking:] 'They acted for the benefit of one who is displeasing and disagreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(8) [Thinking:] 'They are acting for the benefit of one who is displeasing and disagreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(9) [Thinking:] 'They will act for the benefit of one who is displeasing and disagreeable to me, but what can be done about it?' one removes resentment.
(10) And one does not become angry without a reason.
These, bhikkhus, are the ten ways of removing resentment."
-AN 10.80 from Bodhi 2012: p. 1440
Sensual Desire
The denourishment of sensual desire
"And what, bhikkus, is the denourishment that prevents unarisen sensual dsire from arising and arisen sensual desire from increasing and expanding? There is, bhikkus, the sign of foulness: frequently giving careful attention to it is the denourishment that prevents unarisen sensual desire from arising and arisen sensual desire from increasing and expanding."
-SN 46.51 from Bodhi 2000: p. 1599
*Ven. Bodhi notes that the sign of foulness is the 10 corpses in various stages of decay according to Spk. However, in the suttas, the perception of foulness is contemplation of the 31 parts of the body.
Sloth-Torpor, Dullness-Drowsiness
8 ways of abandoning drowsiness
How to remove drowsiness, in order of most to least preferable method
o Don’t attend to or concentrate on the object that you were attending to when you became drowsy.
o Ponder, examine, and mentally inspect the Dhamma as you have heard it and learned it.
o Recite in detail the Dhamma as you have heard it and learned it.
o Pull both ears and rub your limbs with your hands.
o Get up, rub your eyes with water, survey all quarters, look up at the constellations and the stars.
o Attend to the perception of light; undertake the perception of day; as by day, so at night…as at night, so by day; develop a mind imbued with luminosity.
o Walk back and forth, perceiving what is behind you and what is in front, with your sense faculties drawn in and your mind collected.
o If all else fails, take a very short nap in the lion's posture and get up quickly when done, thinking: ‘I will not be intent on the pleasure of rest, the pleasure of sloth, the pleasure of sleep.’
-Summary of AN 7.61 from Bodhi 2012: pp. 1059-1060
Abbreviations
AN - Anguttara Nikaya
SN - Samyutta Nikaya
Spk - Saratthappakasini; Buddhaghosa's SN commentary written c. 500 AD
Sources
Bodhi, Bhikkhu. The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2012. Print.
Bodhi, Bhikku. The Connected Discourses of the Buddha. Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2000. Print