Negative thoughts to positive

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befriend
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Negative thoughts to positive

Post by befriend »

What are your thoughts on changing all your negative thoughts into positive thoughts. I tried it for a few days and it made me very happy.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
Srilankaputra
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by Srilankaputra »

Sallekha Sutta: The Discourse on Effacement

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .nypo.html

[The concluding verse added by the 'Theras of the First Council:]

Deep like the ocean is this Suttanta on Effacement,
Dealing with forty-four items,
showing them in five sections.

Wish you all success in all your endeavours. Goodbye!
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Nicolas
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by Nicolas »

Potentially connected:
Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta (MN 20) wrote: Here, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu is giving attention to some sign, and owing to that sign there arise in him evil unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with hate, and with delusion, then he should give attention to some other sign connected with what is wholesome. When he gives attention to some other sign connected with what is wholesome, then any evil unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, with hate, and with delusion are abandoned in him and subside. With the abandoning of them his mind becomes steadied internally, quieted, brought to singleness, and concentrated. Just as a skilled carpenter or his apprentice might knock out, remove, and extract a coarse peg by means of a fine one, so too…when a bhikkhu gives attention to some other sign connected with what is wholesome…his mind becomes steadied internally, quieted, brought to singleness, and concentrated.
Sabbāsava Sutta (MN 2) wrote: What taints, bhikkhus, should be abandoned by removing? Here a bhikkhu, reflecting wisely, does not tolerate an arisen thought of sensual desire; he abandons it, removes it, does away with it, and annihilates it. He does not tolerate an arisen thought of ill will…He does not tolerate an arisen thought of cruelty…He does not tolerate arisen evil unwholesome states; he abandons them, removes them, does away with them, and annihilates them. While taints, vexation, and fever might arise in one who does not remove these thoughts, there are no taints, vexation, or fever in one who removes them. These are called the taints that should be abandoned by removing.
Dvedhāvitakka Sutta (MN 19) wrote: “Bhikkhus, before my enlightenment, while I was still only an unenlightened Bodhisatta, it occurred to me: ‘Suppose that I divide my thoughts into two classes. Then I set on one side thoughts of sensual desire, thoughts of ill will, and thoughts of cruelty, and I set on the other side thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of non-ill will, and thoughts of non-cruelty.

As I abided thus, diligent, ardent, and resolute, a thought of sensual desire arose in me. I understood thus: ‘This thought of sensual desire has arisen in me. This leads to my own affliction, to others’ affliction, and to the affliction of both; it obstructs wisdom, causes difficulties, and leads away from Nibbāna.’ When I considered: ‘This leads to my own affliction,’ it subsided in me; when I considered: ‘This leads to others’ affliction,’ it subsided in me; when I considered: ‘This leads to the affliction of both,’ it subsided in me; when I considered: ‘This obstructs wisdom, causes difficulties, and leads away from Nibbāna,’ it subsided in me. Whenever a thought of sensual desire arose in me, I abandoned it, removed it, did away with it.

As I abided thus, diligent, ardent, and resolute, a thought of ill will arose in me…a thought of cruelty arose in me. I understood thus: ‘This thought of cruelty has arisen in me. This leads to my own affliction, to others’ affliction, and to the affliction of both; it obstructs wisdom, causes difficulties, and leads away from Nibbāna.‘ When I considered thus…it subsided in me. Whenever a thought of cruelty arose in me, I abandoned it, removed it, did away with it.

Bhikkhus, whatever a bhikkhu frequently thinks and ponders upon, that will become the inclination of his mind. If he frequently thinks and ponders upon thoughts of sensual desire, he has abandoned the thought of renunciation to cultivate the thought of sensual desire, and then his mind inclines to thoughts of sensual desire. If he frequently thinks and ponders upon thoughts of ill will…upon thoughts of cruelty, he has abandoned the thought of non-cruelty to cultivate the thought of cruelty, and then his mind inclines to thoughts of cruelty.

Just as in the last month of the rainy season, in the autumn, when the crops thicken, a cowherd would guard his cows by constantly tapping and poking them on this side and that with a stick to check and curb them. Why is that? Because he sees that he could be flogged, imprisoned, fined, or blamed if he let them stray into the crops. So too I saw in unwholesome states danger, degradation, and defilement, and in wholesome states the blessing of renunciation, the aspect of cleansing.
SarathW
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by SarathW »

Wholesome Vitakka and Vicara is a sign of the first Jhana attainment if you are practicing Samatha.
So naturally the Pithi and Sukha follow it.
Vitakka,Vicara,Pithi,Sukha and Ekagata are the sign of the first Jhana
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by SteRo »

befriend wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:41 am What are your thoughts on changing all your negative thoughts into positive thoughts. I tried it for a few days and it made me very happy.
So obviously this is about personal experience because it is asked "What are your thoughts ...?" and it is not asked what the doctrine has to say about that.
Therefore: I prefer to not think instead of manipulating thoughts. Other traditions call the cultivation of positive thoughts "mind training".
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Dhamma Chameleon
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by Dhamma Chameleon »

befriend wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:41 am What are your thoughts on changing all your negative thoughts into positive thoughts. I tried it for a few days and it made me very happy.
Mudita that it made it happy :anjali: how did you do that?

In the short term it may lead to happiness, but I think one danger is that it can lead to suppression. That's not helpful for progress or mental health. Also you need to do a lot of work to keep your thoughts in check. Have you tried observing and labeling, or Tara Brach's RAIN method?
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by Sam Vara »

befriend wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:41 am What are your thoughts on changing all your negative thoughts into positive thoughts. I tried it for a few days and it made me very happy.
My thoughts are that this seems an extremely beneficial thing to do, central to the practice; I'm glad you had success in trying it, because proving it for yourself like that is extremely powerful. It's good to be clear about the difference between ideas that pass through your mind, and intentions or resolves that you actively hold. I don't think that we can do much about the former; they are what they are, pleasant or unpleasant. Where we can make a real difference is in our intentions, things that we actively think. Paying correct attention to the right things, and avoiding thinking about the wrong things is extremely powerful:

https://suttacentral.net/sn46.51/en/bodhi


Good luck with this practice, and thank you for reminding me of its value. :anjali: :heart:
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by binocular »

befriend wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:41 amWhat are your thoughts on changing all your negative thoughts into positive thoughts.
How did you do that? What's the process for changing one's negative thoughts into positive thoughts?
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
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Sam Vara
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by Sam Vara »

binocular wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:39 pm
befriend wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:41 amWhat are your thoughts on changing all your negative thoughts into positive thoughts.
How did you do that? What's the process for changing one's negative thoughts into positive thoughts?
See Nicolas' post, and the link I posted. There is also of course the Brahma-viharas.
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by binocular »

Sam Vara wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 3:11 pm
binocular wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:39 pm
befriend wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:41 amWhat are your thoughts on changing all your negative thoughts into positive thoughts.
How did you do that? What's the process for changing one's negative thoughts into positive thoughts?
See Nicolas' post, and the link I posted. There is also of course the Brahma-viharas.
But those don't describe "changing one's negative thoughts into positive thoughts", they don't describe changing the proverbial water into the proverbial wine, or orange juice, for that matter.

An example of "changing one's negative thoughts into positive thoughts" would be to go from "I hate my job" to "I love my job".
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Sam Vara
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by Sam Vara »

binocular wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:14 pm
Sam Vara wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 3:11 pm
binocular wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 2:39 pm
How did you do that? What's the process for changing one's negative thoughts into positive thoughts?
See Nicolas' post, and the link I posted. There is also of course the Brahma-viharas.
But those don't describe "changing one's negative thoughts into positive thoughts", they don't describe changing the proverbial water into the proverbial wine, or orange juice, for that matter.

An example of "changing one's negative thoughts into positive thoughts" would be to go from "I hate my job" to "I love my job".
They have that result.
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by binocular »

Sam Vara wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:19 pmThey have that result.
A bhikkhu can neither love nor hate his job, because he doesn't have one.
But more later.
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Sam Vara
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by Sam Vara »

binocular wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:22 pm
Sam Vara wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 4:19 pmThey have that result.
A bhikkhu can neither love nor hate his job, because he doesn't have one.
But more later.
Ajahn Sucitto was once given a lovely set of business cards inscribed:
"Sucitto Bhikkhu.

- Alms mendicant."
But for those who hate their job, that's how they turn those feelings into something better.
befriend
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by befriend »

This was happening in 2017 when I was having ANTS automatic intrusive negative thinking it was hard work but I was very happy so for example a random thought would just pop up into my head and say I hate John Doe then I would think this person is not bad he harms no one has good speech or just thinking about the positive aspects of the person seeing the good the do or the bad they don't do
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Re: Negative thoughts to positive

Post by Sam Vara »

befriend wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 5:25 pm This was happening in 2017 when I was having ANTS automatic intrusive negative thinking it was hard work but I was very happy so for example a random thought would just pop up into my head and say I hate John Doe then I would think this person is not bad he harms no one has good speech or just thinking about the positive aspects of the person seeing the good the do or the bad they don't do
:twothumbsup: That sounds really good. There is a sutta which it reminds me of, dealing with five ways to get rid of resentment towards others:

https://suttacentral.net/an5.162/en/sujato
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