II. Cultivate right intention/thinking/resolve:
-
Read the suttas (see the list below) to truly understand the drawback, danger and degradation of sensual desire/ill will/cruelty, and rewards of renunciation/good will/compassion/rejoicing;
-
Repeatedly contemplate the dukkha and danger inherent in sensual desire/sensual pleasures and the benefits flowing from renunciation, to overcome underlying tendency for desire and passion for sensual pleasures; develop the mind on loving-kindness (e.g. by repeatedly reciting the Metta Sutta and radiating Metta; Iti 27), compassion (can be combined with Metta practice), rejoicing and equanimity as the antidotes to hate/ill will, cruelty, envy/jealousy, and aversion respectively (MN 99);
-
Before mental, speech, and bodily actions reflect on our intentions: out of sensual desire, ill will, harming? Or out of non-sensual desire, good will, compassion?
-
Become mindful of the arising of thoughts;
-
Divide thinking and thoughts into two kinds: “set on one side thoughts of sensual desire, thoughts of ill will, and thoughts of cruelty, and set on the other side thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of non-ill will, and thoughts of non-cruelty”; reflect on the drawback, danger and degradation of sensual desire/ill will/cruelty, and rewards of renunciation/good will/compassion (MN 19);
-
Abandon thoughts of sensual desire/ill will/cruelty with determination and discipline; directing/applying the mind to and cultivate thoughts of renunciation/good will/compassion;
-
Resolve/sustain our mind on non-sensual desire, non-ill will, and harmlessness, be mindful that these states are there, and make such thinking become the inclination of the mind to overcome underline tendencies.
(MN 13, MN 45, MN 46, MN 54, MN 75, MN 129, 130, MN 149, SN 35.244, SN 35.101, SN 35.28, SN 35.115, SN 35.199, SN 35.203; MN 19, MN 20, MN 22, MN 62, MN 21, MN 55; AN 11.15)
[For Part 1. Right View, please see the earlier post: Sequence of gradual training - Discussion - Discuss & Discover ]
Metta,
Starter