The Buddha taught that there are five hindrances that bind us to
ignorance and suffering and are obstacles to liberating insight and
successful meditation. These hindrances obstruct our ability to see
clearly and concentrate on day-to-day living and meditation practices.
To raise oneself requires freeing ourselves from the five hindrances.
The whole practice leading to Enlightenment can be expressed as the
effort to overcome the five obstacles, at first suppressing them
temporarily in order to experience wisdom and insight, and then
overcoming them permanently through a greater immersion in sadhana:-
Sensuality (body consciousness)
"Sensory desire refers to that particular type of wanting that seeks for
happiness through the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and
physical feeling. It specifically excludes any aspiration for happiness
through the sixth sense of mind alone. In its extreme form, sensory
desire is an obsession to look for pleasure in such things as sexual
intimacy, good food or fine music. But it also includes the desire to
replace irritating or even painful five-sense experiences with pleasant
ones, i.e. the desire for sensory comfort."
(Ajahn Brahmavamso)
When we allow the mind to focus on something that attracts it—a thought,
object or particular emotion, we lose concentration. So we need to
apply mindfulness and be aware of how the mind operates; we don't
necessarily have to suppress all these things arising in the mind, but
we should take notice of them and see how the mind behaves, how it
automatically grabs onto this and that.
There are different kinds of desire, from the urge to possess something
you think will make you happy, to the general craving born of the
misperception that we are separate from everything else. Sensory desire
can take many forms, and the first step is to fully recognize and
acknowledge the desire and endeavour to just observe it, not chase it.
Deal with the senses with neither asceticism nor over-indulgence. Train
the senses to be your friends (eating at anytime shows slight regard for
health and the mind becomes obese and tyrannical. It weakens the will,
divides attention and keeps thoughts turned outward. Enjoy good food
when it is time to eat). Respect the cementing capacity of the mind and
don't touch potent sensations to it.
As long as there is no craving involved there is no bonding between
senses and sense objects. When a craving is involved the sensation
becomes an obsession. Any liking or slight attachment is a potential
obsession. As long as it remains minor, one can enjoy it. When you
indulge your senses in a particular way .... there is only a sensation.
It has no emotive force. But when you start thinking of sensations
repeatedly and crave to repeat the experience .... this is Asava.
Theory of Cognition
When the three separate elements; eyes, object and act of attention come
together, there is sensation. If you withdraw your attention; no
sensation can have a hold. In the case of a strong liking or disliking
we cannot see things for what they are. A fog comes between us and that
object .... a fog of potential obsession. Our attention is not on the
thing in question, it is locked into our liking or disliking.
Remedy
In order to overcome the hindrance of sensory desire, one must first
apply mindfulness and recognize that the hindrance is present. Then one
must look at the hindrance, analyze it, make it the object of meditation
and experience it fully.
In Shri Sai Satcharita—Shri Sai Baba declares:-
"Do you remember me (i.e. the Divine) before eating? Am I not always with you? Then do you offer me anything before you eat?"
The question is answered:
"Before the senses, mind and intellect enjoy their objects, Sai Baba
(i.e. the Divine) should first be remembered, and if this be done, it is
in a way of making an offering to Him. The senses etc., can never
remain without their objects, but if those objects are first offered to
the Guru, the attachment for them will naturally vanish. In this way,
all the vrittis (thoughts) regarding desire, anger, avarice etc., should
first be offered and directed to the Guru and if this practice be
followed, the Lord will help you in eradicating all the vrittis.
When before enjoyment of the objects you think Baba is close by or
present; the question, whether the object is fit to be enjoyed or not,
will at once arise. Then the object that is not fit to be enjoyed will
be shunned. and in this way our vicious habits and vices will disappear,
and our character improve. Then love for the guru will grow and pure
knowledge will sprout up. When this knowledge grows, the bondage of
body-consciousness (we are the body) will snap, and our intellect will
be merged in spirit-consciousness (we are the spirit); then we shall get
bliss and contentment. There is no difference between Guru and God. We
should regard Guru and God as one. We should not enjoy any object with
our senses without first remembering our Guru.
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Ill Will
The second hindrance is the opposite of the first hindrance as it is
brought about by aversion rather than attraction. Ill will refers to all
kinds of thought related to wanting to reject, feelings of hostility,
resentment, hatred and bitterness. The hindrance of ill will is compared
to being sick. Just as sickness denies one the freedom and happiness of
health, so ill will denies one the freedom and happiness of peace.
"Ill will refers to the desire to punish, hurt or destroy. It includes
sheer hatred of a person, or even a situation, and it can generate so
much energy that it is both seductive and addictive. At the time, it
always appears justified for such is its power that it easily corrupts
our ability to judge fairly. It also includes ill will towards oneself,
otherwise known as guilt, which denies oneself any possibility of
happiness."
(Ajahn Brahmavamso)
Sensations in the mind ferment. When someone ignores our preferences, we
get an unpleasant feeling. When the feeling is experienced frequently
it starts to ferment. Just like a sensory experience we can simply
withdraw our attention. But when our attention is riveted on ourself
every negative experience adds to the content of our ill-will. We
develop a tendency to dislike—not just this or that ... but simply to
dislike.
Going over things that caused the resentment develops into a compulsive
tendency to think negatively. We develop the tendency to get upset and
thereby make ourselves emotionally fragile. Most of the time, we get
angry because someone has bumped into our ego-armour. The first step in
letting go of anger is acknowledging that it is there; the second step
is acknowledging that it is born of our own ignorance and pride.
The Remedy
Go against the habit, never blame others even in your thoughts. Don't
become unkind. Do not dwell on unpleasant memories or negative thoughts.
You don't get upset because someone makes you upset. You get upset
because your mind is fragile. This obstacle of ill will is consequent to
latching onto thoughts or feelings based on anger, resentment,
hostility, and bitterness.
When you are always kind to others, kindness becomes an attitude. The
way out of problems like in making wiser choices in how we think and act
towards others. Seething with anger at others is an obvious hindrance,
and the obvious cure is cultivating loving kindness, compassion and
equanimity. When ill will is directed towards a person, loving kindness
teaches one to refuse to dwell in ill-will towards anyone and put aside
one's own pain and look with compassion on others.
Laziness, sloth or drowsiness
Sleepiness while meditating happens to all of us. The Buddha's advice
includes paying attention to what thoughts you are chasing as you get
drowsy, and direct your mind elsewhere. If you often feel low on energy,
find out if there is a physical or psychological cause.
This is a dull, morbid state that is characterized by unwieldiness, lack
of energy, and opposition to wholesome activity. We may not be agitated
in any perceptible way, but there is no mental clarity. We gradually
become more and more drowsy, and then eventually go to sleep.
Remedy
Sloth and torpor is overcome by rousing energy. Setting a goal, a
reasonable goal, is a wise and effective way to generate energy, as is
deliberately developing interest in the task at hand. Similarly, one can
develop delight in whatever one is doing by training one's perception
to see the beautiful in the ordinary, thereby generating interest and
thus avoiding laziness and torpor.
To go far we need to rouse all our energy and channel it towards the
goal. We need to gather all our capacity for energetic action and then
harness it to the goals of spiritual living. Detachment brings
confidence and clarity of vision. It means withdrawing personal energy
from secondary activities. Focus energy with discrimination.
Way to Success
"Take up one idea
make that one idea your life
think of it, dream of it, live on it
let the brain, muscles, nerves
every part of your body
be full of that idea
and just leave other ideas alone
This is the way to success"
(Swami Vivekananda)
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Restlessness and worry
Meditating with a restless or anxious state of mind can be very
uncomfortable. Some teachers suggest observing the restlessness without
trying to either separate from it or control it. This reflects the fact
that the mind cannot be still. We have to be up and doing, going,
talking ... to keep moving.
The hindrance of restlessness-worry refers to a mind that is agitated
and unable to settle down. It refers to having a mind like a monkey,
always swinging on to the next branch, never able to stay long with
anything. It is caused by the fault-finding state of mind which cannot
be satisfied with things as they are, and so has to move on to the
promise of something better, forever just beyond.
The Remedy
Restlessness is overcome by developing contentment, which is the
opposite of fault-finding. One learns the simple joy of being satisfied
with little, rather than always wanting more. One is grateful for this
moment, rather than picking out its deficiencies.
Remorse refers to a specific type of restlessness which is the effect of
one's misdeeds. The only way to overcome remorse, the restlessness of a
bad conscience, is to purify one's virtue and become kind, wise and
gentle.
Restlessness is released energy. Harness it. Do something constructive and useful.
Fear or Anxiety
A term that includes all kinds of apprehensive possibilities. Feeling
uneasy, uncomfortable about the future ... afraid. A form of this
obstacle is anxiety. When we speak of uncertainty, of what are we
uncertain? Do we doubt the practice? Other people? Ourselves? The remedy
may depend on the answer. Doubt itself is neither good nor bad; it's
something to work with. Don't ignore it or tell yourself you "shouldn't"
doubt. Instead, be open to what your doubt trying to tell you.
Doubt refers to disturbing inner questions at a time when one should be
silently moving deeper. Doubt is compared to being lost in a desert, not
recognising any landmarks.
The Remedy
Doubt is overcome by gathering clear instructions, having a good map, so
that one can recognise the subtle landmarks in unfamiliar territory.
The end of doubt, is described by a mind which has full trust in the
silence, and so doesn't interfere with any inner speech. Meditation
eases anxiety. Don't judge others or more importantly don't judge
yourself.
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