(“Dhammas” is sometimes translated as “Mind-Objects”)
We now begin the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness, which is the culmination of practice in this Sutra.
The Five Hindrances
Sutra
And how does a one dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects? Here one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five hindrances. And how does one dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five hindrances?
Here, if sensual desire is present, one knows: “There is sensual desire present in me”; or if there is no sensual desire present, one knows: there is no sensual desire present in me”; and one also knows how unarisen sensual desire can arise, how arisen sensual desire can be removed, and how a future arising of the removed sensual desire can be prevented.
There being ill will present…There being sloth and torpor …There being restlessness and remorse (worry) …There being doubt, one knows: “There is doubt present in me”; or if there is no doubt present, one knows: “There is no doubt present in me”; and one also knows how unarisen doubt can arise, and how arisen doubt can be removed, and how a future arising of the removed doubt can be prevented .
Insights
“In this way, one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects internally, or one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects externally, or one dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind both internally and externally.
Or else one dwells contemplating in mind-objects their arising factors, or dwells contemplating in mind-objects their vanishing factors, or dwells contemplating in mind-objects both their arising and vanishing factors.
Or else mindfulness that “there are mind-objects” is simply established in one to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and continuous mindfulness. And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world.
That is how a one abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five hindrances.
Commentary – The Hindrances in General
In this sutra, Mindfulness of Dharmas refers to the observation of all material and mental phenomena classified in various ways by the Buddha. Dharmas are more than just mental-objects. However, since mental-objects are the primary objects of observation within this Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness, the term mental-objects is traditionally used.
The five hindrances are the main inner impediments to the development of both concentration and wisdom. Generally:
Sensual Desire arises through unwise attention to a sensually attractive, agreeable, pleasant, or favorable object
Ill-Will arises through unwise attention to a repugnant object or to an object that causes the arising of resentment or anger
Sloth and Torpor (sleepiness and drowsiness) arise by yielding to states of boredom or laziness
Restlessness and Remorse (Worry) arise through unwise reflection on disturbing thoughts
Doubt arises through unwise reflection on uncertain matters and being confused about the path, the teachers and who one truly is.
Any issue that will arise during practice will almost always be related to the five hindrances. Please read this statement again and again until it is fully comprehended.
Although this meditation for the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness may sound similar to the Contemplation of Mind, the Third Foundation of Mindfulness, it includes not only the awareness of the presence or absence of the hindrances, but also the specific causes and conditions for their arising and passing away.
The mindful observation of the five hindrances turns potential obstacles to concentration, wisdom, and an open heart into opportunities for further spiritual development. This mindful observation avoids falling into the extremes of suppressing or expressing the hindrances. We are simply training the mind to observe what is arising.
It is important not to condemn the presence of the hindrances. By doing so we are actually reinforcing the hindrance of ill-will or aversion. The Buddha is merely describing the universal nature of the conditioned mind. The hindrances are not “sins,” and when they arise there should be no blame, guilt, or self-judgment associated with them. We just want to understand how they arise, become an impediment to freedom, and what must be done to effectively work with them.
An Essential Key: A skillful and unskillful thought cannot occur in combination. Therefore, at the time of knowing the hindrance that arose in the preceding moment, that hindrance no longer exists. The only thing present is the skillful act of knowing. This is the power of mindfulness. But this takes practice!
Without having overcome these five, it is impossible for a disciple (whose insight thus lacks strength and power), to know his/her own true good, the good of others, and the good of both; nor will he (she) be capable of realizing that superhuman state of distinctive achievement, the knowledge and vision enabling the attainment of sanctity (letting go of greed, hatred and delusion).
But if a noble disciple has seen these five as defilements of the mind, they will give them up. And doing so, one is regarded as one of great wisdom, of abundant wisdom, clear-visioned, well endowed with wisdom. This is called “endowment with wisdom” The Buddha (Quotes from Anguttara Nikaya)
The First Hindrance: Sense Desire
Knowing the presence or absence of sense desire
Sense desire means the desire, attachment, craving, longing or lust for pleasant objects (including other people) experienced by the six sense organs (the mind is considered the sixth sense organ).
The Buddha compared sensory desire to taking out a loan. Any pleasure one experiences through addiction to these five senses must be repaid through the unpleasantness of separation, loss or hungry emptiness which follows relentlessly when the pleasure is used up. As with any loan, there is a matter of interest and thus the pleasure is small compared to the suffering repaid.
He also compared sense desire to trying to see the bottom of a body of water where there is treasure hidden. Because of the colored water we are unable to see what is there. Similarly, we cannot see the truth and clarity within our mind when it is clouded over by distracting sense desire.
Sense desire can manifest in several ways:
1. As an obsessive passion or desire directed towards another person
2. As addictive craving
3. As recurring pleasant fantasies in the mind, including replaying our life’s dramas
4. As a passing desire for some object or feeling during the day
5. As a desire to have something happen in the future
Knowing when sense desire is absent is an essential part of this training. The Buddha said that when there is no craving or desire, the mind is luminous. It is the basis for concentration, insight, and freedom. Craving represents the Second Noble Truth, and the absence of craving represents the Third Noble Truth.
Knowing how sense desire arises
Generally, sense desire arises when sense objects happen to be pleasant. It is natural for that to occur for a conditioned mind. It does not just happen on the meditation cushion, but throughout our daily lives as well.
Specifically, sense desire arises because we are “reflecting unwisely” on a sensually agreeable object. Unwise reflection means that we are taking the sense object (which is impermanent) to be permanent, that which will not lead to peace, contentment, and ultimate happiness as being satisfactory, and that which has no core reality to be a person or a substantial entity. As a result of this unwise reflection, sense desire arises. (Please reflect upon this deeply)
Another aspect of unwise attention is mentally dwelling on the sense object. When the eyes initially see an object (or person), only the overall object is seen. By dwelling on the physical characteristics of the object, we become glued to the object and sense desire arises. The same is true about hearing sounds, thinking thoughts, and so forth.
In addition, by frequently thinking upon a pleasant sense object, a habit of mind is developed. This creates a kind of groove in the mind which results in a conditioned mental tendency to get tangled up with sense desire regarding that object every time it is experienced. Each time the sense desire is gratified, it fuels future manifestations of desire for that same or a similar object. In other words, “whatever we frequently think about or reflect upon will become an inclination of the mind”. The Buddha
If we are paying mindful or wise attention, however, the sense desire may arise, but will not take root in the mind and become a hindrance.
Rushing headlong, missing what is worthwhile,
Bringing on one new bond after another,
Like insects falling into a flame,
Some are intent only on what is seen and heard. The Buddha
Knowing how sense desire can be removed
Generally, sense desire can be removed by arousing mindful awareness, or by wise reflection on the sense object (i.e., directly realizing its impermanent, unsatisfactory and selfless nature).
By avoiding the fulfillment of the demand for sense gratification regarding a particular sense object, there will be a decrease in the desire for that object or one that is similar to it. We slowly build a mental habit of not chasing pleasing sense objects.
Knowing how to avoid the future arising of sense desire.
When the advice for abandoning sense desires is followed, they will not arise in the future. However, this is only a temporary solution. It does not permanently eradicate the sense desires.
When an advanced stage of enlightenment is reached, sense desires will be permanently eliminated.
Exercises for December
Sense Desire
ALL the meditations regarding sense desire are to be practiced SIMULTANEOUSLY. Work with this hindrance while sitting on the cushion and throughout the day. Please practice ALL the methods of dealing with this hindrance. However, primarily focus on developing mindful awareness.
Exercise #1 Knowing the presence or absence of sense desire
Whenever sense desire in present in the mind, know, “sense desire is present in me.” This does not require analysis or thinking about the desire or the object of the desire. Sense desire can be experienced as a thought in the mind, an intention to grasp or cling to an object, or a feeling of excitement, heat, or discomfort in the body.
As indicated earlier, the sense desire is no longer present once we become mindfully aware of it. The sense desire cannot co-exist with the knowing of it. We are actually noticing the wake that the desire left in the mind and body after it has arisen and fallen away.
At the moment of noticing sense desire, realize (know) that sense desire is no longer present in you. Or perhaps it is on the “back burner” waiting for our mindfulness to fade!
In addition, when sense desire has not arisen, become aware (know), that there is the absence of sense desire in you.
We need to become mindful of the experience of the mind when it is free from craving. Do this right now! It is a feeling of being free from slavery or bondage. By noticing this experience we develop greater confidence and faith in the practice. This confidence is based upon direct experience and not just speculation in the mind.
Exercise #2 Knowing how sense desire can be removed
Before sense desire manifests, we want to become aware of sense objects as they enter the six sense doors so that we are not carried away by the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, or cognitive processes that arise. We are merely present allowing each sense experience to arise and pass away. This type of vigilance is called “guarding the sense doors.”
The Buddha gave many suggestions for overcoming the hindrance of sense desire after it has arisen. They are listed below in the order of decreasing skillfulness. Please work with them all so you will be thoroughly skilled in working with this hindrance.
1. When sense desire has arisen, apply mindful awareness to the sense object. Directly realize its impermanent, unsatisfactory or selfless nature.
The Buddha gave a powerful analogy to describe this most skillful approach.
Imagine that a pan was on a hot stove for the entire day. If a drop of water hits the pan, it immediately evaporates. Similarly, when we have established the habit of mindfulness, and we apply that mindfulness the moment a hindrance arises, that hindrance will immediately evaporate or dissipate.
2. A second approach is to have wise reflection. This type of reflection has several parts to it:
a. Reflect that this and every other sense object has the potential for giving us pleasure or enjoyment. (We are not just trying to see the suffering or unsatisfactoriness in everything – we want to acknowledge the pleasures that life has to offer.)
b. Reflect on the danger in dwelling on this pleasure. By not looking at its true characteristics, we become attached to the sense object. (If we realize the danger that does not mean that we did not enjoy the pleasure initially associated with the object. We have just not become attached to it and will not experience its loss when it is no longer present.)
c. Recognize how this attachment can lead to degradation. This means that with sensual attachment and obsession we tend to ruin our physical and psychological health as well as lose our spiritual attainments. Sense indulgence (e.g., constantly eating, watching TV, seeing pornography, listening to the news), and so forth creates a
chaotic lifestyle, which drains our energy. The mind becomes more and more deluded.
d. Recognize how attachment, addictions, and craving can lead to problems in our relationship with others. We become self-centered and ignore other people’s needs.
e. Finally, see the benefit in renunciation (letting go). This doesn’t mean giving up sense pleasures. It just means recognizing the freedom that comes from not being attached to sense objects or the pleasure derived from them.
3. Another technique is to remove one hindrance by cultivating its opposite. For sense desire that arises in relation to another person’s body, you can practice any of the body meditations (e.g., reflecting on the 32 Parts of the Body, the Four Elements, the Stages of Decomposition, etc.) Of course this goes against all of our cultural conditioning, which is obsessed with youth and beauty. We avoid looking at the realities of aging, illness, and death. You can refer to our previous meditations regarding the body.
4. Eat moderately. Eating too much tends to stimulate sense desire. We need to stop eating before our stomach is filled to the rim.
How is one moderate in eating? Herein a meditator takes food after wise consideration;(it is not eaten) for the purpose only of pure enjoyment, of pride (in the having the food one is about to eat), of beautifying the body or adorning it with muscles; but for the sake of maintaining and sustaining this body, to avoid harm and to support the holy life thinking; “Thus I shall destroy the painful feelings (related to hunger) and shall not allow a new painful feeling (from overeating) arise. Long life will be mine, blamelessness and well-being… The Buddha
5. Cultivate relationships with teachers or “good friends” who set an example of not falling prey to sense desire.
The entire holy life, Ananda, is noble friendship, a noble companion, a noble associate. The Buddha
6. Avoid talking about topics that stimulate sense desire, and speak to others of ways to avoid the arising of sense desires.
Avoid talk that is low, coarse, worldly, not noble, not salutary (useful or constructive), not leading to detachment (non-attachment), not to freedom from passion, not to cessation, not to tranquility, not to higher knowledge, not to enlightenment, not to Nirvana, namely political talk, talk about war, food, clothes, the opposite sex, gossip, the origin of the world…such and similar talk should not be entertained.
But talk about a life of frugality, contentedness, solitude, arousing one’s energy, virtue, concentration, wisdom, and freedom…such talk should be entertained. The Buddha (A summary of a longer passage)
Exercise #3 Knowing how to avoid the future arising of sense desire
By following the instructions in the satipatthana sutra, the Buddha guarantees our attainment of enlightenment. When this occurs at an advanced stage of development, all future sense desire will be abandoned.
Not even if it rained gold coins would we have our fill of sensual pleasures.
Stressful, they give little enjoyment –
Knowing this, the wise one finds no delight even in heavenly sensual pleasures.
He/she is one who delights in the ending of craving –
A disciple of the Rightly Self-Awakened One. The Buddha
Please make these practices the focus of your life until you can truly say, I am skillful in working with sense desire. Sense desire is listed as the first hindrance because it opens the door to working with the other hindrances. It is first because it is the “cause of suffering” in the Second Noble Truth. It is the cause of our suffering and the suffering we cause others! Please keep this in mind as you work with this hindrance this month. Please do the work! Our lives are short!
