The Five Hindrances
The Sutra
And how, bhikkhus does a bhikkhu dwell contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects? Here a bhikkhu dwells contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in terms of the five hindrances. And how does a 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 present…There being sloth and torpor in him… There being doubt…There being restlessness and remorse (worry) in one… one knows There is restless and worry in me… or if there is no restless or worry present, one knows: “There is no restless and worry present in me”; and one also knows how unarisen restless and worry can arise, and how arisen restless and worry can be removed, and how a future arising of the removed restless and worry 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 – Restlessness and Worry
Knowing the presence or absence of Restlessness and Worry
Restlessness and Worry (or Remorse) are linked because they are both agitated states of mind.
Restlessness is experienced as an unsettled state of mind unable to remain on the object of meditation. It is like a monkey, which is always swinging to the next branch, never able to stay long with any branch that he grabs onto. So it appears that Buddha was using the word “restlessness” to indicate a distracted mind in the present moment or about possible future events.
Worry/Remorse is experienced as a feeling of guilt or remorse concerning something we did in the past, or something we believe we should have done but did not do. It refers to past events.
If there is water in a pot, stirred by the wind, agitated, swaying and producing waves, a man or woman with a normal faculty of sight could not properly recognize and see the image of his or her own face.
In the same way, when one’s mind is possessed by restlessness and remorse, overpowered by restlessness and remorse, one cannot properly see the escape from the restlessness and remorse that have arisen.
At that point one does not properly understand one’s own welfare, nor that of another, nor that of both; and also Dharma passages (previously) memorized a long time ago do not come into one’s mind, not to speak of those not memorized. The Buddha
The Buddha compared restlessness and worry to being a slave, continually having to jump to the orders of a tyrannical master who is always demanding perfection, and who never lets the slave stop working.
Similarly, restless and worry creates confusion and we don’t know what to do.
When there is the absence of restlessness and worry, we need to be aware that this hindrance is not present.
Sutra
Knowing how Restlessness and Worry arise
Commentary
Whenever restlessness and worry are arising in the mind, we need to recognize their presence.
Restlessness can be experienced as agitation or disruptive energy in the body. We cannot sit still. Sometimes it feels like we want to “jump out of our skin.” It can be experienced in the mind as inner turmoil and the inability to stay with the object of meditation. It can manifest as the mind obsessing about something out of proportion for what is occurring.
Restlessness arises when we dwell (unwise reflection) on something that causes us to feel stress, anxiety or inner turmoil, thinking that this agitation can do us no harm.
Restlessness can also arise as the result of too much striving or pushing to realize insights or freedom.
Restlessness can come about by the fault-finding state of mind which cannot be satisfied with things as they are, and so has to move on to the promise of something better.
Restlessness can also be stimulated by conversations that stimulate the mind such as discussions of politics or news events.
Worry arises when we dwell on thoughts of something we feel we should not have done, or we ruminate over something we left undone.
Worry can be about something that happened in the past for which we feel guilty. It can also revolve around the future by imagining some disaster scenarios such as the loss of loved ones, or financial ruin.
On a more subtle level, we can worry about our practice and the spiritual progress we are making. It can lead to comparing ourselves with others and to self-judgment.
Sutra
Knowing how Restlessness and Worry can be removed
Commentary
Generally, restlessness and worry can be removed through increasing mental calmness and stability. This tranquility of mind arises when we one- pointedly focus on a stable meditation object such as the breath. One pointed concentration calms the mind.
Restlessness can also be removed by limiting conversations that create reverberations in the mind, and limiting our speech to more dharma related discussions.
Worry can be overcome by clearing up any incompletions related to the past (if that is possible), and by striving to maintain ethical behaviors in the future.
As with the previous hindrances, restlessness and worry will no longer be present once we become mindfully aware of them. Restlessness and worry cannot co-exist with the knowing of them. We are actually noticing the wake that the restlessness and worry left in the mind and body after it has arisen and fallen away. At the moment of noticing restlessness and worry, realize (know) that at that moment they are no longer present in you.
When restlessness and worry are not present in the mind, we need to recognize their absence. When the mind is free from restlessness and worry it is a feeling of peace, relaxation, and spaciousness.
Sutra
Knowing how to avoid the future arising of Restlessness and Worry
Commentary
When the advice for abandoning restlessness and worry is followed, they will not arise in the future. However, this is only a temporary solution. When an advanced stage of enlightenment is reached, restlessness and worry will be permanently eliminated.
1. The work with the hindrances is cumulative. We don’t abandon working with sense desire, ill will, and sloth and torpor when we begin to work with restlessness and worry.
2. While doing the meditations regarding the hindrances, please continue with your formal daily insight meditation practice.
All the following meditations regarding restlessness and worry are to be practiced SIMULTANEOUSLY. We can work with this hindrance while sitting on the cushion as well as throughout the day, especially throughout the day. Please practice all the methods of dealing with this hindrance. However, primarily focus on developing mindful awareness.
The following are suggestions for overcoming the hindrance of restlessness and worry. Please work with them all so you will be thoroughly skilled in removing this hindrance.
1. When restlessness and worry begin to arise, immediately apply mindful awareness to the hindrance. Directly realize its impermanent, unsatisfactory or selfless nature. “Restlessness and worry are not mine and are not part of a “self”. They are merely transitory states of mind that rise and fall based upon causes and conditions.”
If we are paying mindful or wise attention, although restlessness and worry may arise, they will not take root in the mind and become a hindrance.
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. To directly overcome restlessness and worry, we can tranquilize or calm the mind through concentration practice. The breath is a wonderful object since it has a very tranquilizing and calming effect on the mind. If, when working with these hindrances the touch sensation by the tip of the nose feels too constricting, one can follow the rise and fall of the breath by the abdomen or diaphragm.
3. A subtler and powerful approach to work with this hindrance is to focus on the “knowing” aspect of the mind. Instead of focusing on the restlessness and worry, turn the mind back on the “knowing” of the presence of restlessness and worry. When they arise and you feel their presence say to yourself “Restlessness and Worry are like this”!
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, restlessness and worry)
4. If a horse were in a stall and became agitated, we could calm the horse by putting it in a corral where it has more space to move. Similarly, to calm the mind it can sometimes be helpful to give our thoughts more space to express themselves, still observing them with mindfulness.
By watching our thoughts in this way, without trying to control them, they often come quietly to rest. The key is not to get carried away and create an internal dialogue based upon the thoughts being observed. If we do this we can get caught in myriad of thought loops which can go on for quite a while.
5. Another way is overcome these hindrances is to reflect on those teachings of the Buddha that tend to calm your mind. Try reflecting on your favorite Sutta. Or perhaps reciting the Metta (loving-kindness) Sutta
6. One can focus on the peaceful image of the Buddha sitting in deep Samadhi as a way to overcome the restless tendency of the mind. There are many Buddha images on the web that can be freely downloaded.
7. You can try sitting with the eyes open so the attention is temporarily diverted from the obsessive quality of mind that may be arising.
8. Generally, restlessness is overcome by developing contentment, which is the opposite of faultfinding. One learns the simple joy of being satisfied with little, rather than always wanting more. One is grateful for this moment, rather than picking out its deficiencies. See if you can reflect on the fact that nothing needs to be added to this moment to make it more complete. It may not be the most pleasant of moments but it is what is arising right now.
9. Restlessness in meditation often arises due to our impatience to move quickly on to the next stage of development. Paradoxically, the fastest progress is achieved by those who are content with whatever stage of practice and development they are at now. It is that contentment with “what is” that naturally moves us into the next stage of development. In this way the effort of “doing” disappears and deeper meditation blossoms.
10. A way to prevent worry (remorse) from arising in the future is to understand what are skillful and unskillful forms of speech and actions and to follow the dictates of ethical conduct at all times. Ethical actions today lead to lack of remorse in the future!
11. To calm the worrying mind, one can reflect on the present commitment to ethical behavior, even if you have transgressed in the past. We can realize that we do not need to repeat those unskillful actions, and that we are fully committed to ethical behavior from this point on.
12. A way to cultivate a mind that does not have restlessness and worry is to associate with good friends who have calm and peaceful minds, and to avoid meeting with people whose minds are agitated.
13. To work with restlessness and worry on the deepest level, we can let go of the past, the future, and the present. We can take our seat in the space of freedom that is inherently ours, and surrender to life as it is.
I hope you find working with Restlessness and Worry of benefit! It is one of the last “fetters” that bind us samsara! What a relief it would be to allow this fetter to fall away! And it will of course, in time and with practice!
