Replace  not just painful thoughts 

but also enjoyable thoughts with “Amituofo.” 

Most of us are aware of the dangers of negative thoughts like those arising from anger, fear, or sadness. Negative thoughts are unsettling and if left unchecked can become debilitating. So it’s easy to see why we need to replace them with “Amituofo.”

But why replace thoughts of satisfaction, say after accomplishing a difficult task?

Why replace our amused laughter at something a co-worker said, or replace pleasure when listening to a favorite piece of music?

The risk of experiencing such seemingly harmless emotions is that innocent thoughts of appreciation often morph into attachments. Our satisfaction grows into pride as we now make it a quest to garner praise instead of doing a task well. Pleasure from a well-played piece of music could become an attachment, and when we desire more we could forget our cultivation.

So we need to remember that we can appreciate the good things that come to us, but then return to “Amituofo.”