The Buddha’s Inner Voice: How the Buddha Used Internal Dialogue to Shape the Mind

[ngoonera]

In several of the suttas, the Buddha refers to things he said to himself (or thought to himself). I find these inner verbal processes inspiring and helpful to repeat to myself; there is something particularly poignant about imagining the unawakened bodhisattva saying these words to himself as he purified his mind. They show how discourse with oneself is part of the path (in many cases, the bodhisattva engaged in this internal dialogue; once enlightened, the Buddha no longer had need for them, I gather). For instance, in MN44 the Buddha notes that “placing the mind and keeping it connected (vitakka and vicāra) are a verbal process” — highlighting how these mental-voice or inner-verbal acts are woven into practice.

Of course, one could argue that the entire body of suttas are themselves an example of helpful internal dialogue that could shape the mind. However, it could be helpful to call particular attention to specific passages, often enclosed in quotes, that most clearly reflect the bodhissatva’s self-talk or internal dialogue. A few example passages:

In MN4: "I thought: ‘…What if I subdue that fear and dread while keeping the same posture that I am in when it comes upon me?’ "

In MN8: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’
‘Others will be attached to their own views…but here we will not be attached to our own views…’
‘Others will lie, but here we will not lie.’

In MN 19 (Dvedhavitakka Sutta):
"I understood: ‘This sensual thought has arisen in me. It leads to hurting myself, hurting others, and hurting both. It blocks wisdom, it’s on the side of distress, and it doesn’t lead to extinguishment.’ "

In MN 20 (Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta): (This is part of the reflection on how to remove distracting / unwholesome thoughts.)
‘these thoughts are unskillful, they’re blameworthy, and they result in suffering.’
Also, as another strategy to reduce the mental energy behind a thought, "They’d think: ‘Why am I walking so quickly? Why don’t I stand still? Why am I standing? Why don’t I sit?’

In MN41:

“may I realize undefiled freedom of heart…with my own insight”

These show how the unawakened bodhisattva sometimes “talked to himself” — questioning, judging, redirecting, allowing him to spiritually progress to become the Buddha. These become tools for course-correction and inner vigilance.

If possible, could you share with me any other examples of skillful self-talk in the suttas that perhaps have resonated with you?

[Mkoll]

MN 8: The Buddha says that even the mere thought of skillful qualities is helpful, let alone putting them into practice.

MN 61: Advice to Rahula to reflect on his actions of body/speech/mind in the past/present/future

AN 2.6: Contemplation of gratification in things that fetter leads to holding on to defilements and dukkha; contemplation of disenchantment in things that fetter leads to freedom from defilements and dukkha

AN 2.12: Reflection is a power

AN 4.158: Reflect on decline or non-decline in skillful qualities

AN 5.57: 5 Subjects of Frequent Recollection—reflect on how they apply to both oneself and others

Any of the “thus you should train”/“you should train like this”/“that’s how you should train” passages.

Also of note is how Ajahn Chah describes in detail how he used self-talk in his practice.

Thanks for the thread. Definitely an important part of everyone’s practice and shouldn’t be overlooked or underestimated.

[ngoonera]

Thank you for mentioning the “thus you should practice” refrain. A monastic at Clear Mountain monastery has made a compilation of these from the suttas and it is available here: Thus Should You Train Yourselves | Evañhi Vo Sikkhitabbaṃ | Clear Mountain Monastery

[Mkoll]

Awesome! Thank you for sharing that resource.

[ngoonera]

Thanks again for those helpful links. I pulled a few phrases from them that seemed especially salient to me:

MN61
‘This act with the body that I have done doesn’t lead to hurting myself, hurting others, or hurting both. It’s skillful, with happiness as its outcome and result.’"

…you should train yourself like this: ‘I will purify my physical, verbal, and mental actions after repeatedly checking.’”

AN 5.57
‘I am liable to grow old, I am not exempt from old age.’
‘I am liable to get sick, I am not exempt from sickness.’
‘I am liable to die, I am not exempt from death.’
‘I must be parted and separated from all I hold dear and beloved.’
‘I am the owner of my deeds and heir to my deeds. Deeds are my womb, my relative, and my refuge. I shall be the heir of whatever deeds I do, whether good or bad.’

[ngoonera]

A few additional phrases I found from the Clear Mountain list that resonated with me as potentially helpful “self-talk” that I could say internally to myself during my day, in the various situations that arise in the conduct of lay life (one could change the “we” to “I” when saying these phrases):

SN20.12: “We will be grateful and appreciative, not forgetting that which has been done for us, even be it of small measure.”

SN20.9: “We will use our gains with out being enslaved by them, uninfatuated with them, not blindly-absorbed in them, seeing the dangers and discerning the escape.”

MN39: “We will guard the doors to our sense faculties. Having seen a form with the eye, we will not grasp at any aspect or particulars by which—if we were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye—evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail us. We will practice for its restraint. We will protect the faculty of the eye.”

MN21: “Purely out of esteem for the Dhamma, respect for the Dhamma, reverence for the Dhamma, devotion toward the Dhamma, honor for the Dhamma, we will be easy to admonish and make ourselves easy to admonish.”

AN7.61: “I will not speak speech that is quarrelsome.”

SN 17.1–34, 38–53: “We will abandon arisen gain, honor, and praise”

AN 2.33–42: “Just by this tranquility, I will give a gift to my companions”

MN39: “When going forward and returning, we will act with clear-comprehension.”

SN22.1: “Though I am afflicted in body, I will be unafflicted in mind.” (this could be particularly helpful when one is ill)

AN 1.322–363–365: “the flavor of the Dhamma, the flavor of freedom.”

Ud1.10: “In the seen, there will be only the seen. In what is heard, there will be only what is heard. In what is sensed, there will be only the sensed. In what is cognized, there will be only the cognized.”