The Five Hindrances (nivarana) are obstacles to the mind. They blind our mental vision. In the presence of them, we cannot reach Neighborhood-Concentra-tion (upacara-samadhi), Full- Concentration (appana-sama-dhi), or clearly discern the truth..
They are:
- Sensuous Desire (kamacchanda)
- Ill-will (vyapada)
- Sloth and Torpor (thina-middha)
- Restlessness and Scruples (uddhacca-kukkucca)
- Sceptical Doubt (vicikiccha)
In the beautiful similes in A.V. 193,
- Sensuous Desire is like water mixed with manifold colors;
- Ill-will with boiling water;
- Torpor with water covered by mosses;
- Restlessness with agitated water whipped by 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 mental Hindrances, one cannot clearly discern one's own benefit, nor that of others, nor of both.
Regarding the temporary suspension of the Five Hindrances on entering the first absorption [jhana], the stereotype sutra text (e.g., A. IX. 40) runs as follows:
"One has cast away Sensuous Desire; one dwells with a heart free from sensuous desire; from desire one cleanses one's heart.
"One has cast away Ill-will; one dwells with a heart free from ill-will, cherishing love and compassion toward all living beings, one cleanses one's heart from ill-will.
"One has cast away Sloth and Torpor; one dwells free from sloth and torpor; loving the light, with watchful mind, with clear consciousness, one cleanses one's mind from sloth and torpor.
"One has cast away Restlessness and Scruples; dwelling with mind undisturbed, with heart full of peace, one cleanses one's mind from restlessness and scruples.
"One has cast away Sceptical Doubt; dwelling free from doubt, full of confidence in the good, one cleanses one's heart from doubt.
"One has put aside these Five Hindrances and come to know these paralyzing defilements of the mind. And far from sensual impressions, far from unwholesome things, one enters into the first absorption [jhana], and so on."
The overcoming of these Five Hindrances by the absorptions [jhanas] is, as already pointed out, a merely temporary suspension, called "Overcoming through Repression" (vikkhambhana-pahand).
They disappear forever on entering the Four Supermundane Paths (ariya-puggala): That is,
- Sceptical Doubt disappears forever upon reaching Stream-entry;
- Sensuous Desire, Ill-will and Mental Worry on reaching Non-returning;
- Sloth, Torpor, and Restlessness on reaching full enlightenment (Arahatship).
—For the origination and overcoming of the Five Hindrances, see A. I, 2; VI, 21; S. XLVI, 51. See also The Five Mental Hindrances by Ven. Nyanaponika (BPS, Wheel 26).
No comments:
Post a Comment