March 17, 2005
The Five Hindrances Animated
On the Three-Fold Training
Concentration Cultivation
On many occasions my effort to sit down and do the chanting meditation & mandala contemplation goes something like this:
1. I start being drawn to other things that suddenly seem more interesting; activities to indulge my 5 senses; like watching TV, eating a chili dog, etc.
2. I start thinking of things that happened that ticked me off. Or things in my environment begin to distract and annoy me. The dog wants to go out, or picks up her water bowl and throws it at me. The grandkids get loud. Or my wife thinks of other things I should I should be doing, and starts pestering me, or she turns up the TV volume in the other room to drown me out. Sometimes I blow up and a spat ensues.
3. I start feeling very tired, my brain gets foggy, and my eyes glaze over. It seems like a good idea to take a nice cat nap, maybe do some lucid (lucid, not lurid) dreaming, and get back to chanting later.
4. I start feeling restless. My mind races and I can not concentrate. I start remembering things I need to do. Pay this bill, run that errand, or call so and so. (I got to go, the dog just through her water bowl at me.). Okay, I am back, where were we? Oh, yeah, I was having an anxiety attack, not something most men will even admit to.
5. I feel very stupid chanting to this piece of paper. Or I have serious doubts that I can ever break through this cycle of confusion. I am just going in circles. Maybe this is all a waste of time?
Recently, I was studying numbered lists from the Pali Canon. I came across the 5 hindrances (Nivarana). Here was a perfect explanation of what happens, in order, (if I even get past the first one) when I try to chant.
1. Lust, sensual arousal (kamacchanda)
2. Animosity (byapada)
3. lazy-nature and drowsiness (thina-middha)
4. Restlessness and anxiety (uddhacca-kukkucca)
5. Skeptical doubt; sour grapes (vicikiccha)
The concept of 5 hindrances is from the Pali Canon, and deals specifically with obstacles that prevent us from atualizing meditative states such as Tranquility, Concentration, the Absorptions, and Mindfulness.
Note that the capitalized words are translations of specific Buddhist terms, which Nichiren alludes to frequently. The primary practice of chanting the Odaimoku while observing the Mandala Honzon is based on Shikan, or Tranquility-Insight Meditation. The original terms are Samatha-Vipassana.
I do not know if Nichiren refers directly to the 5 hindrances. He does refer frequently to the 3 obstacles and 4 devils (Sansho Shima). I think this concept was developed by Miao-Lo, a Chinese Patriarch of the Tiantai (T'ien Tai) School, and is based on the Mahayana Canon? The 5 hindrances would be another expression of Sansho Shima. Or Sansho Shima might be seen as a broader explanation of what was taught in the Pali Canon.
If others have sessions like I describe, please know that THIS IS NORMAL. The 5 hindrances are exactly what we need to overcome to advance in our practice!I am now at the point where it generally takes less than 20 minutes to dispose of all 5. If I can do that in the morning, my entire day goes relatively smoothly.
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There are five impediments and hindrances, overgrowths of the mind that stultify insight. What five? Sensual desire is an impediment and hindrance, an overgrowth of the mind that stultifies insight. Ill-will... Sloth and torpor... Restlessness and remorse... Skeptical doubt are impediments and hindrances, overgrowths of the mind that stultify insight.
Without having overcome these five, it is impossible for a monk whose insight thus lacks strength and power, to know his own true good, the good of others, and the good of both; nor will he be capable of realizing that superhuman state of distinctive achievement, the knowledge and vision enabling the attainment of sanctity.
But if a monk has overcome these five impediments and hindrances, these overgrowths of the mind that stultify insight, then it is possible that, with his strong insight, he can know his own true good, the good of others, and the good of both; and he will be capable of realizing that superhuman state of distinctive achievement, the knowledge and vision enabling the attainment of sanctity.
AN 5:51
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Posted by rbeck at March 17, 2005 12:00 AM
Comments
That made my morning Robin. :-)
Posted by: chris at March 18, 2005 03:48 AM
That was very cool. Not only a succinct and clear description of the five hinderances but the little icons were perfect.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Posted by: Ryuei at March 18, 2005 02:21 PM