The Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast Archives

Buddhist Hour
Broadcast 285
For Sunday 13 July 2003


This script is entitled:
“Lightening Up by Overcoming the Five Hindrances”


We would like "to lighten up" to use the vernacular.

Our mind is usually not light and clear nor tranquil nor calm.

It is constantly agitated by five hindrances (nivaranas); namely, sensuous desire (kâmacchanda), illwill (vyâpâda), sloth and torpor (thina-middha), restlessness and remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca) and sceptical doubt (vicikicchâ).

These hindrances to "lightening up" are common to most human beings. Also they are found in animals and lower beings.

The 'hindrances' (nívarana), are 5 animal qualities that are obstacles to the mind. They blind our mental vision. In the presence of them we cannot reach neighbourhood-concentration (upacára-samádhi) and full concentration
(appaná-samádhi), and are unable to discern clearly the truth. They are:

Sensuous desire (kámacchanda), it is common when we think about sex in any form.

Ill-will (vyápáda), it is common when we think of our enemies.

Sloth and torpor (thína-middha), are special forms of physical and mental laziness, lack of will-to-do.

Restlessness and scruples (uddhacca-kukkucca), is a form of discontent, and

Sceptical doubt (vicikicchá) exists in various ways.

In the beautiful similes of a sutta, sensuous desire is compared with water mixed with manifold colours;
Ill-will with boiling water, sloth and torpor with water covered by moss;
Restlessness and scruples with agitated water whipped by the wind;
Sceptical doubt is compared with turbid and muddy water;
just as in such water one cannot perceive one's own reflection; so in the presence of these 5 mental hindrances, one cannot clearly discern one's own benefit, nor that of others, nor that of both.

The jhanas are levels of being. The old term for them is absorptions.

Regarding the temporary suspension of the 5 hindrances on entering the first absorption, the stereotype sutta text states:

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"He (or she) has cast away sensuous desire; he (or she) dwells with a heart free from sensuous desire; from desire he (or she) cleanses his (or her) heart.

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"He (or she) has cast away ill-will; he (or she) dwells with a heart free from ill-will, cherishing love and compassion toward all living beings, he (or she) cleanses his (or her) heart from ill-will.

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"He (or she) has cast away sloth and torpor; he (or she) dwells free from sloth and torpor; loving the light, with watchful mind, with clear consciousness, he cleanses his mind from sloth and torpor.

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"He (or she) has cast away restlessness and scruples; dwelling with mind undisturbed, with heart full of peace, he (or she) cleanses his (or her) mind from restlessness and scruples.

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"He (or she) has cast away sceptical doubt; dwelling free from doubt, full of confidence in the good, he (or she) cleanses his (or her) heart from doubt.

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"He (or she) has put aside these 5 hindrances, and come to know these paralysing defilements of the mind. And far from sensual impressions, far from unwholesome things, he (or she) enters into the first absorption, etc."

The overcoming of these 5 hindrances by the absorptions is a merely temporary suspension. To get the hindrances to disappear forever there is a need, called 'overcoming through repression' (vikkhambhana-pahána) to enter the 4 supermundane paths (s. ariyapuggala), i.e. sceptical doubt on reaching Sotápanship; sensuous desire, ill-will and mental worry on reaching Anágámiship; sloth, torpor and restlessness on reaching Arahantship.

The translations of texts to English language possible are many, for example Buddhist Dictionary - Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines by NYANATILOKA.

found on the web at: http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/dic_idx.html, has these comments.

Sensuous desire influences the mind to be wandering about sensuous objects which it has enjoyed before.

Illwill agitates the mind by taking notice of disagreeable things.

Sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and sceptical doubt blind the mental vision and disturb the concentration.

To reiterate, Lord Buddha compared sensuous desire with water mixed with manifold colours, illwill with boiling water, sloth and torpor with water covered with mosses, restlessness and remorse with agitated water whipped by the wind, sceptical doubt with turbid and muddy water. Just as in such water one cannot perceive one's own reflection, so in the presence of these five hindrances, one cannot clearly see one's own benefit, not that of others, not that of both.

The kasina meditations are difficult to do.

These hindrances can be overcome and temporarily dismissed by tranquility meditation (samatha-bhâvanâ). We may chose pathavi-kasina (earth-circle) as an object of meditation. A tray of about one span and four inches (about one foot) in diameter is filled evenly with dawn-coloured clay or earth. This object is placed on a suitable stand so that one can look at it comfortably.

It is recommended that persons wishing to do kasina meditations do so under the guidance of a Buddha Dhamma Teacher.

The Digha Nikaya II – 73 (Pali Text Society Translation) reads:

“…so long as these five hindrances are not put away within him (or her), looks upon himself (or herself) as in debt, diseased, on prison, in slavery, lost on a desert road. But when these five hindrances have been put away within him (or her), he (or she) looks upon himself (or herself) as freed from debt, rid of disease, out of jail a free man (or woman) and secure...”

One great bodhisattva from Sri Lanka who passed away recently was the Venerable Piyadassi Mahathero.

In his lifetime, he visited our Centre, and through his Buddha Dhamma talks and writings, he inspired many persons.

The Venerable taught that knowing where you are and which of the five hindrances are being restrained by you is part of the Path of Buddha's Teachings.

To reiterate as an aide to learning the five hindrances are:

sensuality (kamacchanda);
ill will (vyapada);
obduracy of mind and mental factors (thina-middha); restlessness and flurry (uddhacca-kukkucca);
and doubt (vicikiccha).

If these things appearing and disappearing on the senses are not restrained, then the Venerable explained that you get a three-fold nutrient which is the admittance of lust and hate to our six senses.

The nutrient of non-restraint is shown by lack of mindfulness and clear comprehension (asati asampajanna).

In the Satipatthaanasutta the Four Foundations of Mindfulness it reads:

A bhikkhu literally is a male Monk, but we can read 'or nun' in context.

Bhikkhus or bhikkhunis, how does the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni abide reflecting the Teaching? Here the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni abides reflecting thoughts on the five hindrances.

How does the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni abide reflecting thoughts on the five hindrances?

When there are sensual interests the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows, there are sensual interests in me.

When there are no sensual interests the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows, there are no sensual interests in me.

When non-arisen sensual interests arise, he or she knows, that too.

How the arisen sensual interests get dispelled, he or she knows that too.

How dispelled sensual interests do not rise again, he or she knows that too.

When there is anger, the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows, there is anger in me.

When there is no anger, the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows, there is no anger in me.

When non-arisen anger arises, he or she knows that too.

How arisen anger gets dispelled, he or she knows that too.

How, dispelled anger does not rise again, he or she knows that too.

When there is sloth and torpor, the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows there is sloth and torpor in me.

When there is no sloth and torpor, the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows there is no sloth and torpor in me.

When non-arisen sloth and torpor arises, he or she knows that too.

How arisen sloth and torpor gets dispelled, he or she knows that too.

How dispelled sloth and torpor does not rise again, he or she knows that too.

When there is excitement and worry the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows, there is excitement and worry in me.

When there is no excitement and worry, the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows, there is no excitement and worry in me.

When non-arisen excitement and worry arises, he or she knows that too.

How arisen excitement and worry gets dispelled, he or she knows that too.

How dispelled excitement and worry does not rise again, he or she knows that too.

When there are doubts, the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows, there are doubts in me.

When there are no doubts, the bhikkhu or bhikkhuni knows there are no doubts in me.

How non-arisen doubts arise, he or she knows that too.

How arisen doubts get dispelled, he or she knows that too.

How dispelled doubts do not rise again, he or she knows that too.

Thus he or she abides reflecting the Teaching internally.

Or he or she abides reflecting the Teaching externally.

Or he or she abides reflecting the Teaching internally and externally.

Or he or she abides reflecting the arising of thoughts in the Teaching.

Or he or she abides reflecting the fading of thoughts in the Teaching.

Or he or she abides reflecting the arising and fading of thoughts in the Teaching.

Or with mindfulness established, there is a thought, he or she abides not supported on anything in the world. Thus, too the Monk or Nun abides reflecting, thoughts on the Teaching about the five hindrances.

You may notice there is no micha ditthi - wrongview and moha - ignorance or delusion in the list of five hindrances. Therefore samatha bhavana cannot root out wrongview or delusion. Therefore the highest level of samatha bhavana, jhana level, jhana labhi - the winner of the jhana, the meditator cannot reject sakkaya ditthi. It is not for samatha bhavana.

Jhana citta means a consciousness which arise together with jhana factors, a consciousness that is endowed with jhana factors. The Pali word jhana means burn out, or on the other hand, it means closely contemplate on, or closely contemplating on. It is the meaning of Pali word jhana. Jhana means burn out, burning out. It can burn out five hindrances. The jhana factors each function against five hindrances, vitakka - the initial application, functions against thinamiddha or sloth and torpor or sleepiness. If jhana factor vitakka is powerful it defeats thinamiddha or sleepiness. If sleepiness is powerful it defeats vitakka, jhananga or jhana factor. Therefore if you are sleepy you cannot concentrate your mind on the meditation object.

Do not practice it if you are sleepy.

Vicara or sustained application functions against vicikiccha or doubt.

Piti (or zest) functions against ill will. Zest functions against ill will.

If you cannot generate zest in your practice it will come to no good.

Sukkha (joy) functions against restlessness and doubt.

Ekaggata (one object state of mind) functions against sensuous desire. If those five factors are powerful they can burn out those five hindrances.

Therefore at the highest level of samatha bhavana, the jhana level, the meditator can defeat those five hindrances successfully. Those five hindrances are temporarily removed at the jhana level. The jhana factors are powerful and they defeat five hindrances. Our mind is freed from the five hindrances temporarily. It is reversible sometimes the kamacchanda nivarana, sensuous desire, is powerful and our jhana is in defeat. We lose our jhana.

In vipassana practice the mind stays with the characteristic, characteristic or lakkhana, lakkhana is characteristic. In vipassana it is the characteristic of phenomena.

The basic is the characteristics of impermanence, or arising and passing away of phenomena. It is the very important characteristic in vipassana.

Name and form fool us.

If one can see the arising and passing away of phenomena, nama (name) or rupa (form) it means udayabbaya nana and in that state the mind becomes clear, and it is also freed from the five hindrances and the meditator's mind is still with that characteristic.

The Lord Buddha said:-
"...Bhikkhus or bhikkhunis, are the five obstructions, hindrances which overspread the mind, which weaken wisdom. What five?

Desire for pleasure, Bhikkhus or bhikkhunis, is an obstruction, a hindrance which overspreads the mind, which weakens wisdom.

Illwill, Bhikkhus or bhikkhunis, is an obstruction, a hindrance having the same effects.

Sloth and Torpor, is an obstruction, a hindrance having the same effects.

Restlessness and Remorse, is an obstruction, a hindrance having the same effects.

Doubt, is an obstruction, a hindrance having the same effects."

If you wish to practice and learn please come to Abhidhamma classes on Tuesdays at 7.30pm.

We are running a five-day course from 5 to 9 September that will enable you to make merit to practice well.

May you obtain the benefits of systematic practice.

May you be well and happy.


This script was written and edited by John D. Hughes DipAppChem TTTC GDAIE, Julian Bamford BA AppRec, Leanne Eames BA MA, and Pennie White BA Dip Ed.


References


Chan Academy Australia business name of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd, material gathered using ISYS text retrieval software, keyword search “five hindrances”, 8 July 2003.

BUDDHA DHYÃNA DANA REVIEW

Chan Academy Australia business name of the Buddhist Discussion Centre (Upwey) Ltd., The Testing Without an Examiner, Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast, 18 July 1999.

Mon, Dr. Mehm Tin, The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma, Mehm Tay Zar Mon, Yangon, see p 44.

Satipatthaanasutta

Sumedho, Ajahn, 1984, Cittaviveka, Amaravati Publications, p 56.


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