You look at things in terms of what you’re doing and the results of what you’re doing. If the results are leading to stress, okay, you’re doing something unskillful. To see that, you’ve got to get the mind really quiet.

"So how do you use appropriate attention [yoniso manasikāra] to apply the four noble truths?

You look at things in terms of what you’re doing and the results of what you’re doing. If the results are leading to stress, okay, you’re doing something unskillful. You might want to look into what you’re doing and see if you can change it. There’s going to be desire on both sides: the desires that lead to suffering and the desires that help get the path together. So you can’t just say, “Well, I give up desires.” You have to figure out: What kind of desire is it? Is it a desire that should be encouraged? Or is it a desire that should be discouraged?

To see that, you’ve got to get the mind really quiet."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Appropriate Attention (2015)"

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