Skillful versus unskillful thought

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Rather than dividing thoughts into classes like good and bad, Buddhist thinkers prefer to regard them as skillful versus unskillful. An unskillful thought is one connected with greed, hatred, or delusion. These are the thoughts that the mind most easily builds into obsessions. They are unskillful in the sense that they lead you away from the goal of Liberation. Skillful thoughts, on the other hand, are those connected with generosity, compassion, and wisdom. They are skillful in the sense that they may be used as specific remedies for unskillful thoughts, and thus can assist you toward Liberation.

- Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English," from Everyday Mind