3.2. Overcoming the Five Obstacles
There are five universal obstacles to meditation that prevent progress and development. No matter what type of meditation you are doing, these five things need to be removed from the mind in order to move to higher levels.
The Pāḷi word for them is pañca-nīvaraṇa, frequently translated as 'the five hindrances'. But hindrances is perhaps a little weak. They don't slow our meditation down, they block the road entirely. It's helpful to think of them as five obstacles, or roadblocks.
These five frequently appear in suttas and have become a standard list.
- kāmarāga / kāmachanda - sensual desire, desire for sense pleasure
- byāpāda - ill will, strong dislike
- thinamiddha - dullness and drowsiness
- uddhaccakukkucca - mental restlessness and fidgetiness
- vicikicchā - doubt
Any meditation with these present does not get the Buddha's stamp of approval. Ven. Ānanda expressed it in this way:
kathaṃ rūpañca, brāhmaṇa, so bhagavā jhānaṃ na vaṇṇesi. idha, brāhmaṇa, ekacco kāmarāgapariyuṭṭhitena ... byāpādapariyuṭṭhitena ... thinamiddhapariyuṭṭhitena ... uddhaccakukkuccapariyuṭṭhitena ... vicikicchāpariyuṭṭhitena cetasā viharati vicikicchāparetena, uppannāya ca vicikicchāya nissaraṇaṃ yathābhūtaṃ nappajānāti, so vicikicchaṃyeva antaraṃ karitvā jhāyati pajjhāyati nijjhāyati apajjhāyati. evarūpaṃ kho, brāhmaṇa, so bhagavā jhānaṃ na vaṇṇesi.
What kind of meditation does the Buddha criticise? Here someone lives with a mind that is obsessed by sensual desire ... obsessed with ill-will ... obsessed with dullness and drowsiness ... obsessed with obsessed by restlessness and fidgetiness ... obsessed with doubt, afflicted with these, not knowing the escape from these when they have arisen. With these inside, one meditates, over-meditates, under-meditates and mis-meditates. The Buddha criticises this kind of meditation.
-- MN108 gopakamoggallānasuttaṃ
The Pāḷi, jhāyati, pa-jhāyati, ni-jhāyati, apa-jhāyati is a play on words, implying meditating in all the wrong directions.
Removing the obstacles has an instant uplifting effect on the mind, taking it towards states of deep integration and composure.
tassime pañca nīvaraṇe pahīne attani samanupassato pāmojjaṃ jāyati, pamuditassa pīti jāyati, pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṃ vedeti, sukhino cittaṃ samādhiyati.
When seeing these five obstacles abandoned within oneself, happiness arises. For someone with happiness, heartfelt joy arises. For someone with heartfelt joy, the body becomes tranquil. For someone with a tranquil body, the mind samādhis.
-- DN2 sāmaññaphalasuttaṃ, nīvaraṇappahānaṃ
We may ask ourselves, "Why am I not experiencing these states of samādhi all the time?" Answering correctly, it is because the obstacles are present all the time.
So it is important to be able to clearly recognise these five qualities in the mind, know how to remove them, and take strong action against them if necessary. This itself is a subject worthy of a meditation retreat, but we will attempt to cover them in brief, while not losing any vital details.
The first obstacle, kāmachanda, is the interest in the pleasure that comes from material things, be that desire for food, wanting the latest gadgets, lust for sexual interaction, wanting anything, to name a few. It can be recognised as wanting, craving, desire for something not present. At the time of wanting, the mental experience of desire so consumes the mind that no progress in mediation can be made. The Buddha described this state as taking out a loan and being in debt.
The second obstacle, byāpāda, is the opposite. It covers the entire spectrum of irritation, aversion, dislike, ill-will, hostility and hatred—in short, not wanting. That dislike can be towards sounds, smells, physical sensation, thoughts, or people, to name a few. Physical pain is no obstacle to meditation, but the strong aversion to physical pain is. At the time when it is present, the mind is so fully engaged with byāpāda that it cannot be aware of simple phenomena. The road is blocked. The Buddha described this state as like being seriously ill with a disease.
The third obstacle, thinamiddha, is the spectrum of mental dullness, drowsiness, sluggishness, fogginess, and sleepiness. It is recognisable by a total lack of mental energy to perform even the simplest task. The Buddha described this state as being in jail, as it is very hard to escape.
The fourth obstacle, uddhaccakukkucca, is as if the mind is picked up and put somewhere else, or stuck in useless repetitive patterns, the mental version of fidgeting hands or feet. This can include intrusive thoughts, watching mental soap operas, and repetitive, compulsive mental loops. The net effect is the inability to stay with any one theme, a feeling of constant distraction which kills meditation. The Buddha described this as not being one's own master, being a slave, someone who is told where to go and what to do.
The final obstacle, vicikicchā, is a strong feeling of doubt. That could be in the teacher, the meditation, whether you are doing the meditation correctly, or even your ability to do the meditation at all. It is characterised by a general feeling of indecisiveness and uncertainty. The Buddha described this as crossing a perilous desert with a cargo of precious goods.
Very often just recognising the presence of these obstacles is enough to make them 'shy' and disappear. Sometimes more serious antidotes are required, but that is beyond the scope of this course. Please ask a meditation teacher how to deal with more persistent obstacles.
Let's review our minds to see whether these characteristics are present or absent.
Meditation on the Five Obstacles
Transcript
Let's take a look at the five obstacles within the mind. Is there any sensual desire in your mind right now? What are its recognisable characteristics? It is recognisable as: wanting, desire, craving, very often accompanied by an image in the mind of the object that you desire. Notice what the mind is like when these characteristics are present. Very often, just recognising the obstacle is enough to remove it. Notice what the mind is like when there is no sensual desire. What does it feel like when it is absent? The mere absence of sensual desire provides a measure of happiness. --- Is there any ill-will in your mind right now? What are its recognisable characteristics? It is recognisable as: not wanting, irritation, aversion, resistance, disliking, arguing, hatred. Notice what the mind is like when these characteristics are present. Very often, just recognising the obstacle is enough to remove it. Notice what the mind is like when there is no ill-will. What does it feel like when it is absent? The mere absence of ill-will provides a measure of happiness. --- Is there any dullness and drowsiness in your mind right now? What are its recognisable characteristics? It is recognisable as: The total lack of mental energy and flexibility, dullness, lethargy, fogginess, murkiness, literally stiffness, inflexibility. If you put the mind somewhere it just slides off, it has no staying power. There is the complete inability to stay with a theme of reflection because of sluggishness. Notice what the mind is like when these characteristics are present. Very often, just recognising the obstacle is enough to remove it. Notice what the mind is like when there is no dullness and drowsiness. What does it feel like when it is absent? The mere absence of dullness and drowsiness provides a measure of happiness. --- Is there any restlessness and fidgeting in your mind right now? What are its recognisable characteristics? It is recognisable as: jumping from thought to thought, or looping over some repetitive thought. There is the complete inability to stay with a theme of reflection because of over-activity in the mind. Notice what the mind is like when these characteristics are present. Very often, just recognising the obstacle is enough to remove it. Notice what the mind is like when there is no restlessness and fidgeting. What does it feel like when it is absent? The mere absence of restlessness and fidgeting provides a measure of happiness. --- Is there any doubt in your mind right now? What are its recognisable characteristics? It is recognisable as: uncertainty, confusion, not knowing what's happening, not knowing what to do next, being uncertain about the teacher, being uncertain about the teaching, being uncertain about the meditation itself, being uncertain about how to practice the meditation, being uncertain about the results of the meditation, being uncertain about your ability to achieve those results. Notice what the mind is like when these characteristics are present. Very often, just recognising the obstacle is enough to remove it. Notice what the mind is like when there is no doubt. What does it feel like when it is absent? The mere absence of doubt provides a measure of happiness. --- Get to know these five obstacles really well. 1. Sensual desire 2. Ill-will 3. Dullness and drowsiness 4. Restlessness and fidgeting 5. Doubt Learn to recognise when they are present. Learn to recognise when they are absent. Enjoy a mind that is free from these obstacles. Your progress in meditation depends on it.You can start all meditation sessions with a quick review of the obstacles. Removing these obstacles will radically boost your progress in meditation.
Q&A
Q: Do you have any questions or doubts at this point?