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As
soon as we begin trying to practice mindfulness of breathing
or any other type of meditation, we soon notice the presence of
intruding thoughts. The Buddha identified these thoughts and the
emotions that often accompany them as being of five main types –
sense desire (kāmmacchanda), ill-will (vyāpāda),
sloth and torpor (thīna middha), restlessness and
worry (uddhacca kukkucca) and doubt (vicicchā). These
five hindrances are not just disruptive to meditation, they are also
the root cause of most psychological problems as well and thus coming
to terms with them can be useful to our mundane and our spiritual
advantage (A.III,63). The Buddha said that these hindrances
‘cause blindness, lack of vision and contribute to distress’
(S.V.111). He also said that when they are diminished, the mind
becomes ‘malleable, pliable, workable and bright’ (S.V.92) and
that being free from them, even temporarily, allows ‘gladness to
arise, from gladness comes joy, being joyful the body is stilled, a
still body creates happiness and the mind that is happy becomes
concentrated’ (D.I,74). The intrusion of the hindering thoughts
during meditation can be weakened and in the Vitakkasaṇṭhāna
Sutta the Buddha recommends several ways of doing this – replacing
agitating thoughts with neutral ones, considering the disadvantages
of such thoughts, ignoring them and forcefully cutting them off, etc.
(M.I,119). However, the hindrances are nourished by our behaviour
when we are not meditating and so the best way to deal with them is
by bringing about changes in our lifestyle. Following the Precepts,
not deliberately seeking out excessive sense stimulation, being
patient with oneself and spending time in silence, can all help
achieve this. The subsiding of the five hindrances opens the way of
the jhānas. See Progress in Meditation. |
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