Ask a Ninja: How to Meditate: 5: Restlessness

Seth Auberon, Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly; Ven. Nyanaponika, Five Hindrances and Their Conquest: Selected Texts from the Pali Canon and Commentaries

Think. There are hindrances to meditation. Overcome them and be a ninja.

"Most of the things you worry about never happen!" (halfwaybetweenthegutter)

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"This year, rise above it"! (AB)

This is Part V of a seven-part series (see Part IV) on overcoming the Five Hindrances, culminating with what to do as an enlightened Meditation Ninja. Reaching enlightenment may take anywhere from seven days to seven years, according to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Sutra. But it depends on effort, sustained-ease, and consistency. Over-effort is something to be overcome by calm; under-effort is overcome by energy: balanced-effort is the goal. There is much more to be gained by practicing a little every day rather than a lot on Sunday and none at all the rest of the week: Consistency over time is the tortoise's secret, leaving the hare far behind. Everything can wait, but the search for enlightenment cannot wait.

4. Restlessness and Remorse
A. Nourishing of Restlessness and Remorse

There is unrest of mind. Frequently giving unwise attention to it is nourishing the arising of restlessness and remorse (distraction and worry) that have not yet arisen and for the increase and strengthening of restlessness and remorse that have already arisen. — SN 46:51
 

B. Denourishing of Restlessness and Remorse

There is quietude of mind. Frequently giving wise attention to it is the denourishing of the arising of restlessness and remorse that have not yet arisen and of the increase and strengthening of restlessness and remorse that have already arisen. — SN 46:51

Six things are conducive to the abandonment of restlessness and remorse:

1. knowledge of the Buddhist texts (sutras, scriptures, the Doctrine and Discipline);
2. asking questions about them;
3. familiarity with the Code of Monastic Discipline (Vinaya) for monastics and intensive practitioners, and for lay followers the principles of virtue (sila, as detailed in the Sigalovada Sutra);
4. association with those mature in experience, who possess meditative serenity, restraint, and calm;
5. noble friendship (wise association with a kalyana-mitta);
6. suitable conversation.

These things are also helpful in conquering or calmly overcoming restlessness and remorse:

1. rapture (piti, bliss), one of the Five Factors of Absorption (jhana-anga);
2. concentration, one of the Five Spiritual Faculties (indriya);
3. Tranquillity, concentration, and equanimity, three of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga).

Waves atop Morningstar Beach, Mars (C2C)

When the mind is restless, it is not the proper time for cultivating the following Factors of Enlightenment: keen investigation of phenomena (dharma), energy (viriya), or rapture because an agitated mind can hardly be quietened by them.
 

When the mind is restless, it is the proper time for cultivating the following Factors of Enlightenment: tranquillity, concentration, and equanimity because an agitated mind can easily be quietened by them. — SN 46:53

C. Simile

Sometimes restlessness overwhelms me.

If there is water in a pot, stirred up by the wind, agitated, producing ripples and waves, a person with a normal faculty of vision would not properly recognize and see the image of one's own face (using the surface of the water as a mirror). In the same way, when one's mind is possessed by restlessness and remorse, overpowered by restlessness and remorse, one cannot properly see the escape from restlessness and remorse that have arisen. Then one does not properly understand one's own welfare, that of another, nor that of both. And texts memorized a long time ago do not come to mind, to say nothing of those not memorized. — SN 46:55

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