[252] The Blessed One said this: "Bhikkhus, before my awakening, while I was still an unawakened bodhisatta, this thought occurred to me: 'Suppose I were to dwell dividing my thoughts into two classes, dividing them into two classes.' Bhikkhus, I then made the thought of sensuality (kāmavitakka), the thought of ill will (byāpādavitakka), and the thought of cruelty (vihiṃsāvitakka) one class; and I made the thought of renunciation (nekkhammavitakka), the thought of non-ill-will (abyāpādavitakka), and the thought of non-cruelty (avihiṃsāvitakka) the second class. Bhikkhus, as I dwelt thus, heedful, ardent (ātāpī), and resolute, a thought of sensuality arose. I understood it thus: 'This thought of sensuality has arisen in me; and it leads to my own affliction, it leads to the affliction of others, it leads to the affliction of both; it brings about the cessation of wisdom (paññā), it sides with vexation, it does not lead to Nibbāna.' Bhikkhus, as I reflected: 'It leads to my own affliction,' it subsided; as I reflected: 'It leads to the affliction of others,' it subsided; as I reflected: 'It leads to the affliction of both,' it subsided; as I reflected: 'It brings about the cessation of wisdom, sides with vexation, and does not lead to Nibbāna,' it subsided. Bhikkhus, I abandoned, dispelled, and put an end to each thought of sensuality as it arose. Bhikkhus, as I dwelt thus, heedful, ardent, and resolute, a thought of ill will arose … a thought of cruelty arose. I understood it thus: 'This thought of cruelty has arisen in me; and it leads to my own affliction, it leads to the affliction of others, it leads to the affliction of both; it brings about the cessation of wisdom, it sides with vexation, it does not lead to Nibbāna.' Bhikkhus, as I reflected: 'It leads to my own affliction,' it subsided; as I reflected: 'It leads to the affliction of others,' it subsided; as I reflected: 'It leads to the affliction of both,' it subsided; as I reflected: 'It brings about the cessation of wisdom, sides with vexation, and does not lead to Nibbāna,' it subsided. Bhikkhus, I abandoned, dispelled, and put an end to each thought of cruelty as it arose.
Bhikkhus, whatever a bhikkhu frequently thinks upon and ponders upon, that becomes the inclination of his mind. Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu frequently thinks upon and ponders upon the thought of sensuality, he has abandoned the thought of renunciation and cultivated the thought of sensuality, and his mind (citta) inclines to the thought of sensuality. Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu frequently thinks upon and ponders upon the thought of ill will … Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu frequently thinks upon and ponders upon the thought of cruelty, he has abandoned the thought of non-cruelty and cultivated the thought of cruelty, and his mind inclines to the thought of cruelty. Bhikkhus, just as in the last month of the rains, in the autumn season, when the crops stand thick, a cowherd would guard his cows: he would strike and prod them with a staff on this side and that, would check them and restrain them. For what reason? Because, bhikkhus, that cowherd sees that on that account there would be execution, imprisonment, loss, or blame. In the same way, bhikkhus, I saw the danger, the degradation, and the defilement of unwholesome states, and the benefit of renunciation in wholesome states, the aspect of cleansing. Bhikkhus, as I dwelt thus, heedful, ardent, and resolute, a thought of renunciation arose. I understood it thus: 'This thought of renunciation has arisen in me; and it leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both; it promotes the growth of wisdom, it does not side with vexation, it leads to Nibbāna.' Bhikkhus, if I were to think upon and ponder upon it even all night, I see no peril arising on that account. Bhikkhus, if I were to think upon and ponder upon it even all day, I see no peril arising on that account. Bhikkhus, if I were to think upon and ponder upon it even all night and day, I see no peril arising on that account. But with excessively long thinking and pondering my body would grow tired; when the body is tired, the mind would become strained; when the mind is strained, the mind is far from concentration (samādhi). So, bhikkhus, I steadied my mind internally, settled it, unified it, and concentrated it. For what reason? So that my mind might not be strained. Bhikkhus, as I dwelt thus, heedful, ardent, and resolute, a thought of non-ill-will arose … a thought of non-cruelty arose. I understood it thus: 'This thought of non-cruelty has arisen in me; and it leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both; it promotes the growth of wisdom, it does not side with vexation, it leads to Nibbāna.' Bhikkhus, if I were to think upon and ponder upon it even all night, I see no peril arising on that account. Bhikkhus, if I were to think upon and ponder upon it even all day, I see no peril arising on that account. Bhikkhus, if I were to think upon and ponder upon it even all night and day, I see no peril arising on that account. But with excessively long thinking and pondering my body would grow tired; when the body is tired, the mind would become strained; when the mind is strained, the mind is far from concentration. So, bhikkhus, I steadied my mind internally, settled it, unified it, and concentrated it. For what reason? So that my mind might not be strained.
Bhikkhus, whatever a bhikkhu frequently thinks upon and ponders upon, that becomes the inclination of his mind. Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu frequently thinks upon and ponders upon the thought of renunciation, he has abandoned the thought of sensuality and cultivated the thought of renunciation, and his mind inclines to the thought of renunciation. Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu frequently thinks upon and ponders upon the thought of non-ill-will … Bhikkhus, if a bhikkhu frequently thinks upon and ponders upon the thought of non-cruelty, he has abandoned the thought of cruelty and cultivated the thought of non-cruelty, and his mind inclines to the thought of non-cruelty. Bhikkhus, just as in the last month of the hot season, when on all sides [the cattle range] in the vicinity of the village, a cowherd would guard his cows: while gone to the root of a tree or gone to the open air, he has only to exercise mindfulness (sati): 'There are the cows'; in the same way, bhikkhus, there was need only of mindfulness: 'There are these states.'
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.