MN 61: Thought bubble is speech or mental kamma

MN 61 tells us that

"All the ascetics and brahmins of the past, future, and present who purify their physical, verbal, and mental actions do so after repeatedly checking. So Rāhula, you should train yourself like this: ‘I will purify my physical, verbal, and mental actions after repeatedly checking.’”

Some paragraphs prior seem to say that after realising we’ve done bad unskillful mental action (mano kamma) we should feel horrified, repelled, and disgusted, whereas for unskillful bodily and verbal actions we’re not taught to do so.

Some time ago I heard from someone that speech in mind counted as verbal action (vaci kamma).

Does thought bubble, internal comment, or mind comment count as mano kamma or vaci kamma?

Not being able to identify which belongs to which, one cannot apply the appropriate action. Could anyone shed some light, please?

MN44
“Noble Lady, what is physical activity? What is verbal activity? What is mental activity?”

Previously one thinks and considers, and afterwards one breaks into speech; therefore thought and examination is verbal activity. Recognition and feeling are mental phenomena bound to the mind; therefore recognition and feeling is mental activity.

3 Likes