[257] The Blessed One said this: "Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu devoted to the higher mind (adhicitta) should from time to time attend to five signs (nimitta). What five? Here, bhikkhus, when, dependent upon some sign and attending to some sign, there arise in a bhikkhu evil, unwholesome thoughts (vitakka) connected with desire, connected with hatred, and connected with delusion, then, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu should attend to another sign apart from that sign, one connected with the wholesome. When he attends to another sign apart from that sign, one connected with the wholesome, then those evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, connected with hatred, and connected with delusion are abandoned; they come to an end. With the abandonment of them, the mind (citta) becomes steady internally, settles down, becomes unified, and becomes concentrated. Just as, bhikkhus, a skilled carpenter or a carpenter's apprentice might knock out, drive out, and extract a coarse peg by means of a fine peg, even so, bhikkhus, when, dependent upon some sign and attending to some sign, there arise in a bhikkhu evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, connected with hatred, and connected with delusion, then, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu should attend to another sign apart from that sign, one connected with the wholesome. When he attends to another sign apart from that sign, one connected with the wholesome, then those evil, unwholesome thoughts connected with desire, connected with hatred, and connected with delusion are abandoned; they come to an end. With the abandonment of them, the mind becomes steady internally, settles down, becomes unified, and becomes concentrated."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.