The Five Hindrances ( hindrances to a peaceful mind)
Sutra
And how, does 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 present…There being restlessness and remorse (worry) …There being doubt, one knows: “There is doubt present in me”; or if there is no doubt present in him, one knows: “There is no doubt present in me”; and 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 dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects externally, or dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind both internally and externally.
Or else one dwells contemplating in mind-objects their arising factors (their causes for arising), or dwells contemplating in mind-objects their vanishing factors (the causes for vanishing), or dwells contemplating in mind-objects both their arising and vanishing factors.
Or else mindfulness that “there are mind-objects” is simply established to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and continuous mindfulness. And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. That is how one abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five hindrances.
Commentary – Sloth and Torpor
Knowing the presence or absence Sloth and Torpor
Sloth and Torpor are very similar traits and tend to arise in conjunction with one another. Sloth manifests as a dull, cloudy, sluggish, or non-energetic quality of mind. It has been compared to the way a slug or sloth seems to lack energy or drive. Torpor arises as feelings of fatigue, drowsiness or sleepiness in the body. It has also been described as being like a heavy blanket smothering the mental factors making then unwieldy and unmanageable.
Sloth and torpor makes the mind inert like a bat hanging from a tree, or like molasses clinging to a stick. Sloth and torpor are so related that the Buddha uses both words to describe this hindrance.
When overcome by sloth and torpor our mind loses track of the meditation object and may even fall asleep.
The Buddha compares sloth and torpor to being in a prison. Since there are no doors or windows in the prison it is dark, and one cannot see what is happening outside. Similarly, when sloth and torpor manifest, it is dark in the mind and one cannot see what is occurring with the meditation object.
He also compares sloth and torpor to water that is covered by plants and algae. Even if it is shallow one cannot see the bottom. Similarly, when sleepiness and drowsiness arises, the mind is so confused that one cannot see things clearly.
Knowing when sloth and torpor are absent is an essential part of this training. When there is no sloth and torpor, the mind is clear, energetic and receptive. By noticing the absence of sloth and torpor we are reinforcing the energetic state of mind.
Knowing how sloth and torpor arises
Sloth and torpor arises when we are reflecting unwisely, thinking that there is no harm in allowing lethargy, laziness, fatigue, sluggishness, drowsiness, discontent, or boredom to remain in the mind.
Sloth and torpor can come about as a result of overeating, alcohol or drug use or from a depressed state of mind. It can arise when difficult circumstances in our lives cause us to sink and pull away from the present moment.
Sloth and torpor can also arise due to the apparent simplicity of the meditation object and the monotony of attending to it.
If we are paying mindful or wise attention, however, the sloth and torpor may arise, but will not take root in the mind and become a hindrance.
Knowing how sloth and torpor can be removed
Generally, sloth and torpor can be removed by arousing effort or energy and by paying increased attention to one’s meditation object.
Off the cushion it is removed by mindful awareness of how the body and mind are reacting to difficult circumstances in our lives. We can explore directly from our own physical and mental experience how our body is reacting and how our mind may be sinking or retracting away from the unpleasant. At these moments we aren’t trying to fix anything or making any judgments, we are simply noticing what is present.
May nothing remain but skin and sinews and bones; may flesh and blood dry up in the body! Not before having achieved what can be achieved by determined strength, determined energy, determined exertion shall my energy subside! The Buddha
Knowing how to avoid the future arising of sloth and torpor
When the advice for abandoning sloth and torpor is followed, they will subside. However, this is only a temporary solution. It does not permanently eradicate the sloth and torpor.
When an advanced stage of enlightenment is reached, sloth and torpor will be permanently eliminated. This hindrance manifests until the end of our spiritual journey. So don’t give up!
Practices for the month.
Please remember two important points:
1. The work with the hindrances is cumulative. We don’t abandon working with sense desire and ill will when we begin to work with sloth and torpor.
2. While doing the meditations regarding the hindrances, please continue with your formal daily insight meditation practice.
All the following meditations regarding sloth and torpor are to be practiced SIMULTANEOUSLY. We can work with this hindrance while sitting on the cushion as well as throughout the day. Please practice all the methods of dealing with this hindrance. However, primarily focus on developing mindful awareness.
Sloth and Torpor
Knowing the presence or absence of sloth and torpor
Whenever sloth and torpor is present in the mind, directly know, “sloth and torpor is present in me.” This does not require analysis or thinking about the way they are being manifested. Sloth and torpor can be experienced as a lazy, dull, cloudy, non-energetic, or sleepy state of mind. It can be experienced in the body as drowsiness or fatigue. We may feel like withdrawing into a cocoon, but there is no butterfly at the other end of this cycle.
It can arise during meditation practice or during the day. It can occur as soon as one awakes as we hit the snooze button and have difficulty getting out of bed.
There is an important and more subtle aspect of sloth and torpor we need to become aware of. It is the quality of mind where there is a turning away from the difficulties or challenges that are arising in the mind instead of mindfully engaging them. We can end up closing down and sinking deeper into confusion. It is retreating from these mental obscurations as opposed to opening to and skillfully working with them. When we give into this aspect of sloth and torpor, we are strengthening the patterns of lethargy, and complacency in the mind. This resistance prevents us from accessing the natural energy that is available to us.
When we pull away from what is unfolding we also pull away from an opportunity to open the heart and deepen our awareness of how impermanent everything is. When we open to “what is” without judgment, we also open to our innate clarity, wisdom, compassion and kindness. It is from this place that we see more clearly and ultimately let go of the grasping and pushing away.
As indicated earlier, sloth and torpor will no longer be present once we become mindfully aware of it. Sloth and torpor cannot co-exist with the knowing (mindful awareness) of it. We are actually noticing the wake that the sloth and torpor left in the mind and body after it has arisen and fallen away.
At the moment of noticing sloth and torpor, realize (know) that sloth and torpor is no longer present in you.
In addition, when sloth and torpor has not arisen, become aware (know), that there is the absence of sloth and torpor in you.
We need to become mindful of the experience when the mind is free from sloth and torpor. It is a feeling of being released after a heavy weight has been pressed upon your body and mind weighing you down. Or to use the Buddha’s analogy we are let out of prison. By noticing this light and energetic experience we develop greater confidence and faith in the practice. This confidence will be based upon direct experience and not merely speculation in the mind.
Knowing how sloth and torpor arises
Sloth and torpor arises when we are reflecting unwisely, thinking that there is no harm in allowing lethargy, laziness, fatigue, sluggishness, drowsiness, discontent, or boredom to remain in the mind.
Perhaps more frequently in our lives it may co arise with difficult situations.
When sloth and torpor have arisen, look to see how they arose due to unwise reflections (ignoring or thinking there was no harm) regarding the experience of lethargy, laziness, fatigue, sluggishness, drowsiness.
Sloth and torpor can arise under the guise of being compassionate with ourselves. We may have thoughts such as, “If I feel tired and work too hard I’ll get ill,” or “I should be good to myself and take a nap,” or “I’ve meditated enough, I’ll watch T.V. for a while.”
Sloth and torpor can come about as a result of overeating. It’s important to notice how you feel after eating. Become aware of the relationship between what you eat and how much you eat and the amount of energy you feel. When the stomach is full it needs more blood and the blood, which would have gone to the brain, will go to the intestines. The Buddha suggested that we stop eating five mouthfuls before we are full. It is quite a challenge to be that aware of our feelings of fullness.
Sloth and torpor can also arise from not eating enough. Sometimes we try a severe diet and do not have enough energy for meditation.
Sloth and torpor can arise from a depressed state of mind. It can also arise when we are not sleeping well (sleep deprived), are worried, or fearful.
Sloth and torpor can also arise due to the apparent simplicity of the meditation object and the monotony of attending to it.
One of common reasons for sloth and torpor in our western society is alcohol, and drug use. Please consider the impact of your behavior on those who love you, and also the impact on your body and mind.
Knowing how sloth and torpor can be removed
Before sloth and torpor fully manifests in the mind, we want to become aware of their presence. If the other hindrances are not recognized as soon as they arise, the mind can still identify them at a later point in their development.
The difficulty with sloth and torpor is that if they are not seen as soon as they arise, the mind becomes progressively cloudier and drowsier until we fall asleep or the mind sinks into a dull state and we are unable to recognize the presence of the hindrance. Therefore, the best defense against sloth and torpor is to become aware of their presence the very moment they begin to arise.
The following are additional suggestions for overcoming the hindrance of sloth and torpor after it has arisen. Please work with them all so you will be thoroughly skilled in removing this hindrance.
1. When sloth and torpor begin to arise, immediately apply mindful awareness to the hindrance. Say to your self “sleepiness and pulling away are present in me”. Directly realize its impermanent, unsatisfactory or selfless nature. Part of this mindful awareness is cultivating the patience and courage required for allowing the hindrance to pass away. This is the most effective way of dealing with this and all the other hindrances.
To repeat, once again, the Buddha’s 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 more subtle and very powerful approach is to focus on the “knowing” aspect of the mind. Instead of focusing on the sloth and torpor, turn the mind back on the “knowing” of the presence of sloth and torpor. It is similar to a mirror reflecting what is present. If fog or clouds are present the mirror is untouched by the experience. Similarly, knowing is untouched by what is being known (in this case, sloth, torpor, pulling away)
3. The key to overcoming sloth and torpor is to increase or stir up the energy in the mind and body. One approach is to change your posture. If you are sitting you can stand up and practice standing meditation. If that doesn’t work you can practice walking meditation. (You can walk at a brisk pace for a while) If that doesn’t work you can carefully try walking backwards which requires more effort and tends to wake up the mind.
We can also work to elevate the amount of effort or energy that we are applying. One way to accomplish this is to increase the number of objects to which we are attending. We can, for example, alternate between the tactile sensation of the breath, becoming aware of the sensations associated with the sitting posture, experiencing the sensations connected with the hands touching one another, and so on. One would attend to these other objects in that split second between the in and out breaths.
In the case of pulling away from difficult circumstances, we practice being more attentive to the direct experience of “shutting down and pulling away”. Say to yourself “ I’m shutting down and pulling away right now” or “this is what pulling away from difficulty feels like”).
In the application of additional effort and energy there are three stages that the Buddha describes:
a. Make every ounce of effort to overcome sleepiness and to arouse the mind.
b. Maintain continuous effort once the mental energy is aroused.
c. Realize that sloth and torpor have been overcome and feel pleased with the effort and success. (This is called the “accomplishing element” by the Buddha.)
4. Recollect Death (see all the death contemplations we previously worked with) and Impermanence. The following is a powerful, and quite meaningful contemplation:
At the time of death our mind may be in a weakened state. The senses will be dull and we may have very little energy. How will we handle this time as our body shuts down? Will you be clear and aware? This takes great courage.
Saying you want to die with awareness is one thing, but how do we train for that? Each time sloth and torpor arises, we experience a state not dissimilar to what happens at the time of death. We need to use our mindfulness as practice for dying.
Today the effort should be made, for who knows if tomorrow Death and its hordes will come The Buddha
In a meditator who is accustomed to see the suffering in impermanence and who is frequently engaged in this contemplation, there will be established in him or her such a keen sense of the danger of laziness, idleness, lassitude, indolence, and thoughtlessness, as if he or she were threatened by a murderer with drawn sword. The Buddha
5. You can also “reflect on the perception of light.” Try to see a bright light in your mind (such as the sun, a bright electric light, etc.), and think of things that are bright and luminous. Or open your eyes and look at something bright.
6. Another way is to sit outside if you are inside. The fresh air tends to wake up the mind. We can open the eyes or move the gaze upwards towards the sky.
7. You can try pulling your ear lobes and rubbing your limbs vigorously.
8. You can rise from your seat and wash your face and eyes with cold water. Look around in all directions (at nothing in particular) to stimulate the mind.
9. Reflect on the disadvantages of sleepiness and the advantages of keeping yourself alert and mindfully aware of the meditation object.
10. Think about any of the Buddha’s teachings that tend to inspire you and increase your effort and energy.
11. Contemplate on the greatness of the Path to Liberation that the Buddha shared, and that one who is indolent cannot successfully follow that path all the way to Freedom.
12. Reflect on the understanding that one who is overpowered by old age cannot easily practice; one who is ill cannot easily practice; one who lives in the midst of chaos cannot easily practice. Now that I am not overpowered by old age, not ill, and not living in chaos, I must expend all my energy in reaching freedom from suffering.
One Tibetan Buddhist teacher provides a wise reflection:
a. Out of the billions of people on this planet, how many are truly aware of how rare it is to be born a human being?
b. How many of those have been exposed to the Dharma?
c. How many of those think about practicing the Dharma?
d. How many of those actually do practice the Dharma?
e. How many of those who start, continue to practice the Dharma?
f. How rare and auspicious a circumstance you are in right now.
13. Associate with people who are energetic, and not prone to laziness and sleepiness. Being with others who are being mindfully aware can inspire us to do the same. We can also inspire others through our own alertness.
14. If all else fails, after sincerely working with the other suggestions, take a short nap and upon awakening and quickly rise begin meditating once more.
In conclusion, practicing with sloth and torpor and all its manifestations (pulling away from what is difficult and unpleasant, etc.) is a practice that develops courage and fearlessness. Every time we face fear and not turn away we are more courageous. And please also remember that fearlessness doesn’t mean we aren’t afraid, it means we will not let fear stop us. Sloth and torpor seem like such mundane topics but it was placed in the mid point of the five hindrances. The other four hindrances are hinged to this third hindrance. We can’t work with them without an alert mind. More importantly, we can’t awaken to our true nature, our birthright, and our peace and freedom without clarity. Please work with these mind states this month. See how often you find yourself pulling away from difficulties. Notice this tropism for what is pleasant and aversion for what is unpleasant! Watch these tropisms arise, manifest and fall away as they will! And therein lies our door to peace, seeing the rise and fall of phenomena, without having to grasp or push away.
