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The original Pali canons of Buddhist mind training offer detailed techniques for eliminating negativity and developing positive thinking habits. The Vitakka-saṇṭhāna Sutta describes five approaches for attaining “higher consciousness.”

Instructions like these form the basis of many Sober Buddha Counseling techniques, and help you realize the full powerful your mind to change harmful mental habits. 

1. The first uses the analogy of a carpenter’s peg. When the mind has become filled with hatred or illusion by dwelling on a bad object, the aspirant should replace the bad thought with a good (“skilled”) thought like an experienced carpenter getting rid of a coarse peg with a fine one, reflect on a different object which is connected with skill.

2. If thoughts still arise that are “negative” and “unskilled” the aspirant should “reflect on the consequences,” “ponder on the disadvantages” and “scrutinize the drawbacks” of such thoughts.

3. The third approach is “withdrawing attention”; the aspirant should “not give attention” or should even “forget” such thoughts.

4. The fourth approach involves going “to the root” (thought) source of those unskillful thoughts” and engage in “the relaxing of thought-fabrication.” The sutta compares this to stages of removing the source of physical movement:

Just as a man walking fast might consider: ‘Why am I walking fast? What if I walk slowly?’ and he would walk slowly; then he might consider: ‘Why am I walking slowly? What if I stand?’ and he would stand; then he might consider: ‘Why am I standing? What if I sit?’ and he would sit; then he might consider: ‘Why am I sitting? What if I lie down?’ and he would lie down. By doing so he would substitute for each grosser posture one that was subtler. So too…when you give attention to stilling the formation of those thoughts…his mind becomes steadied internally, quieted, brought to singleness, and concentrated.

5. When all previous approaches together fail to eliminate negative thoughts, you should “clench the teeth” and “subdue and beat down the (evil) mind by the (good) mind”, the sutta says, just as one man may do physical violence to another man. This means deeply contemplating the thoughts, emotions and body sensations that surround the negative mindset and seeing them for their true harmful nature. You must repeat this deep contemplation until your mind develops so much distaste for the negative thoughts that it wins by eliminating their energy completely.

Try using the Vitakka-saṇṭhāna Sutta yourself –

1. Identify your negative thought and think of its opposite.
(If you think your job is too demanding, remind yourself how capable you are and how many previous challenges you have conquered.)

2. Scrutinize the drawbacks of the negative thoughts.
(Write down all the ways this kind of thinking damages your quality of life. For instance it might depress you, cause insomnia, make it hard for you to concentrate at work or school. It might you irritable and unfriendly toward others.)

3. Withdraw your attention.
(Keep yourself busy with other physical and mental activities. The more time you spend occupied with productive thoughts, the less power negativity has.)

4. Relaxing the thought-fabrication.
(By meditating consistently you gain personal experiential insight into the impermanence of all negative thoughts, feelings and body sensations. You gradually stop over-reacting to them by thinking and doing things that only make the problem worse.)

5. Clench the teeth.
(The mental strength you develop through mindfulness skills gives you the power to concentrate all your energy on the work of overcoming negative thought forms, even when the task seems overwhelming at first.)

Name the distracting thought and process….

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