Do we reduce hindrances gradually?
Upvote:4
The mind when covered with the five hindrances is like clouding a clear bowl of water (still mind) with different contaminants or situations. – Sangarava sutta (SN 46.55) Also try to refer to Nivaranapahna Vagga. (The 5 mental hindrances: their causes and ending – A 1.2).
The five mental hindrances (nivarana) which obstruct concentration, are: (1) sense-desire, (2) ill-will, (3) sloth and torpor, (4) agitation and remorse, (5) skeptical doubt. For details, see The Five Mental Hindrances and their Conquest, by Nyanaponika Thera (BPS Wheel No. 26).
In the Samyutta Nikaya (Sutta 46.4.8), it is stated that when one listens to the Dhamma attentively, the five hindrances (nivarana) do not exist and the seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhanga) are present. Through factors of concentration these five are suppressed (also when wholesome activities are done these five hindrances can be suppressed).
- One 'pointedness' opposite of sense desires
- Joy opposite of ill will
- Discursive (applied) thoughts opposite of sloth & torpor
- Happiness or comfort (pali term 'sukha') opposite of restless & worry
- Sustained thought opposite of doubt
A person becomes mindful about:
- Existence of a hindrance (sense desire, ill will, sloth & torpor, restlessness & worry, or doubt)
- Non-existence of a hindrance
- When a non existing hindrance arises
- When a hindrance that has arisen is removed
- When the removed hindrance does not arise again
This widespread harmful influence of the five hindrances shows the urgent necessity of breaking down their power by constant effort. One should not believe it sufficient to turn one's attention to the hindrances only at the moment when one sits down for meditation. Such last-minute effort in suppressing the hindrances will rarely be successful unless helped by previous endeavour during one's ordinary life.
One should carefully observe how, and on which occasions, these hindrances usually appear. One should further know the positive forces within one's own mind by which each of these hindrances can best be countered and, finally, conquered; and one should also examine one's life for any opportunity of developing qualities to counter these. In some cases, subjects of meditation have been added which will be helpful in overcoming the respective hindrances.
By the "worldling" (puthujjana) however, only a temporary suspension and partial weakening of the hindrances can be attained. Their final and complete eradication takes place on the stages of sanctity (ariyamagga):
- Doubt is eliminated on the first stage, the path of stream-entry (sotapatti-magga).
- Sensual desire, ill will and remorse are eliminated on the third stage, the path of non-returner (anagami-magga)
- Sloth and torpor and restlessness are eradicated on the path of Arahatship (arahatta-magga).
Hence the reward of the fight against the hindrances is not only the limited one of making possible a shorter or longer spell of meditation, but every step in weakening these hindrances takes us nearer to the stages of sanctity where deliverance from these hindrances is unshakable.
More post
- 📝 What does the Pali canon, and other respected work, teach about parenting?
- 📝 Sexual disinterest
- 📝 A wall of energy slammed me back during meditation? What was this?
- 📝 Theravada buddhism and Mahayana buddhism
- 📝 What is the meaning in the Buddha walking seven steps?
- 📝 What is the quality and status of the Tripitaka texts at tipitaka.org?
- 📝 What are the four dharma seals?
- 📝 Without an enduring quid between lifes, how to explain past life recalling?
- 📝 Where is the complete William Hamilton's "Saints and Psychopaths"?
- 📝 How could we have so many past lives without reaching some degree of wisdom or enlightenment?
- 📝 Mindfulness when on the train, underground and bus
- 📝 Proper way to ask a teacher to become their student
- 📝 Is this a Buddhist poem?
- 📝 Worry about life, body, health: obstacle for Arahataphala?
- 📝 Xin Ling Fa Men 心灵法门 - Little House
- 📝 Is love in this life 'artificial'?
- 📝 How is Nirvana possible if everything is conditioned?
- 📝 What is Inner and Outer Peace and how can I achieve them?
- 📝 What is the Theravada Buddhist lay lifestyle?
- 📝 Emotion in Compassion Meditation
- 📝 What is "meditation on the deathless state (nirvana)"?
- 📝 Pagoda's symbolism of yogi's progress to Nirvana
- 📝 Why does SN 12.66 say aging-and-death has acquisition as its source?
- 📝 Does understanding the Visuddhimagga require a knowledge of the Pali Canon?
- 📝 What is the real meaning of 'Knowledge and Vision' in the Pali-texts?
- 📝 Life's issues as a meditation subject?
- 📝 Did Buddha explain Dependent Origination as an upaya or skillful means? If so, why?
- 📝 About the Upasakasila Sutta and LGBT
- 📝 Why intake of intoxicating substances is not included in 10 unwholesome actions?
- 📝 Can we define craving without mentioning self?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Do we reduce hindrances gradually?
- 📝 How to reduce distractions in sitting practice?
- 📝 Eradication of the Five Hindrances
- 📝 Which Hindrances are counteracted or enhance by the 37 and Jhana Factors?
- 📝 Does thinking during an action improve the quality of the action or reduce it?
- 📝 Where did the hindrances originate from?
- 📝 The path and the desire to reduce the suffering of others?
- 📝 Observing hindrances & seeing impermanence vs right effort
- 📝 The "working-ground" (kammatthana) of the five hindrances
- 📝 How to overcome fear of annihilation in meditation and why is it not included in list of hindrances to meditation?
- 📝 Reference request: where is this text about abandoning hindrances from?
- 📝 What object should one focus on when meditating to reduce anxiousness?
- 📝 Enlightened beings (Amitabha, Padmasambhava) created mantras so that people chanting them can gradually 'mould' their mindstream to a similar state
- 📝 Ignorance and 5 hindrances
- 📝 Why are desires in The Five Hindrances only about "sensual" desires?
- 📝 Sloth and the Hindrances
- 📝 Sutta references for hindrances and jhana related statements
- 📝 If I reach absorption concentration are the hindrances fully gone?
- 📝 Is rebirth a delusional belief?
- 📝 Can the Buddha ever be a woman?
- 📝 If there is no soul, how can there be rebirth?
- 📝 If a buddhist should not kill a mouse living in their home, what justification do they have to rid themselves of a parasite such tapeworms
- 📝 Introductory books to Buddhism
- 📝 Is killing vermin and insects justifiable?
- 📝 What exactly differentiates Vipassana from Samatha meditation?
- 📝 How to explain what Buddhism is?
- 📝 Does illegal downloading or viewing of copyright material violate the second precept?
- 📝 How does stream entry occur?
- 📝 Is moderate drinking acceptable in Buddhism?
- 📝 Do buddhists fall in love?