People generally react to their surroundings in two ways: either following their defilements or resisting them. The second is challenging, but the Buddha proclaimed that those who persist will eventually attain true liberation.
In Anguttara Nikaya AN4.164, Buddha described the four modes of practice for overcoming defilements:
- Impatient practice, which is associated with those who follow defilements. It involves retaliation, which only perpetuates suffering.
- Patient practice, which is associated with those who resist defilements, involves avoiding retaliation and not reacting negatively.
- Taming practice, where one actively weakens negative emotions before they arise, instead of merely resisting negative reactions.
- Calming practice, where defilements are uprooted perfectly, permanently, and irrevocably. This is the ultimate goal of the Buddha’s path.
Why do people wrong us in the first place, and why do we react negatively? How can one progress towards the third and fourth modes of practice? Listen to Bhante’s talk as he explores these four modes of practice and addresses these questions.
Recent Dhamma Talks
Janapadakalyāṇī Sutta (Samyutta Nikaya 47.20)
Message from .
1 February 2026.
Category: DSDP Sutta Study