In the study of the Dhamma, we often focus on the content of our thoughts—the specific desires, worries, or plans that occupy our attention. We analyze them, we deconstruct them, and we try to see them as not-self. While this is important, there is a deeper, more subtle level of practice that concerns the very direction in which the mind tends to lean. This is the inclination of the mind, or the citta-nati. Just as a heavy stone dropped into water will naturally sink, or a tree bent by the wind will naturally lean in a certain direction, the mind is shaped by its habits to incline toward certain states. If you do not consciously train this inclination, it will automatically follow the path of least resistance—toward sensory indulgence, toward restlessness, or toward dullness.
The Buddha teaches that the mind is what you make of it through the quality of your intentions. Every time you act, speak, or think, you are reinforcing a path in the mind. If you habitually let your mind wander into fantasies of the past or future, you are carving a channel that makes it easier for the mind to wander again tomorrow. You are creating an inclination toward distraction. If you habitually respond to difficult situations with irritation or blame, you are strengthening the inclination toward aversion. The mind is a master at turning repeated actions into natural tendencies.
The practice of meditation is essentially the work of re-inclining the mind. When you sit and bring your attention to the breath, you are choosing a direction. When the mind inevitably slips away, you do not simply berate yourself. Instead, you recognize that the mind has leaned in a wrong direction, and you gently, firmly, nudge it back. This repetition is not wasted effort. Each time you bring the mind back to the breath, you are literally changing its structure. You are training it to incline toward stillness, toward awareness, toward the present moment.
This is why the Buddha emphasized the development of the skillful qualities, such as generosity, virtue, and especially the four brahma-viharas—goodwill, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. These qualities act as a ballast for the mind. When you consciously incline your mind toward goodwill, you are creating a safety net. It becomes much harder for the mind to fall into the pits of anger or malice because it has been conditioned to lean in a different direction.
You must become a connoisseur of your own mental tendencies. You must learn to detect the moment the mind begins to tilt. You watch for the subtle pull toward a familiar, unskillful habit—a sense of dissatisfaction, a flick of judgment, a wave of desire. By spotting that pull early, you can redirect the inclination before it gains momentum.
Ultimately, the goal is to incline the mind toward the Unconditioned. You train it to lean away from the stress of grasping and toward the peace of letting go. This is a deliberate, daily task. You steer the mind, moment by moment, until the inclination toward freedom becomes its most natural, most habitual state.
💥 Thanissaro Bhikkhu evening audio dhamma talks \\\ Inclination of the mind.