THE FIVE HINDRANCES

Concentration is the elimination of bad tendencies, but to attain a mind which is calm
and firmly focused on one object is not easy. There are many causes that disturb the
mind’s balance and poise. When you meditate, you find at times that you cannot get
concentration, however much you try to calm your mind, the mind does not settle.
There are five hindrances to the development of concentration. Whenever you are
aware that the hindrances are there, you should breathe in and out little harder than
normal. In this way you can overcome the hindrances.
These are:
Kāmachanda: Sensuous desires, i.e. wanting to
experience pleasurable sense objects (e.g. wanting
pleasant tastes, pleasant visible forms, pleasant sounds,
etc.).
Byāpāda: Anger, ill-will.

Thīnamiddha: Sloth, torpor, drowsiness, laziness.

Uddhacca Kukkucha: Worry, restlessness, distraction,

‘monkey mind’, unable to calm down.

Vicikicchā: Doubts about the Buddha, Dhamma and

Sangha, or doubts in one’s ability to practice meditation.

Kāmachanda (Sensuous desires): If sensuous desires appear in your mind, you

have to control it, by being mindful that those appeared, and going back to the
meditation object (the touch of the breath below the nostrils, above the upper lip).
Byāpāda (Ill-will and anger): Ill-will and anger may arise due to various thoughts
related to the external world, or when one cannot develop concentration. If you have
difficulties in developing concentration, you may get discouragement or experience
a form of anger such as depression or unsatisfactoriness. If you are satisfied, there is
greed; If you are dis-satisfied, there is anger. If you experience this, you will not be
able to develop good concentration. Going back to the awareness of your in-breath
and out-breath is the way to be free from byāpāda.
Thīnamiddha (Sloth, torpor, drowsiness, or laziness): After some time, you may
get bored and sloth and torpor creep in. In this case, there are instructions given by
the Buddha to his Chief Disciple, Venerable Maha-Mogallana. Venerable Maha-
Mogallana put great efforts in his meditation, even so, he was not able to keep his
body straight. So, the Buddha asked “Mogallana, are you nodding?” “Yes Lord”
Venerable Maha-Mogallana replied. The Buddha advised him to apply these
techniques: When sloth and torpor creep in, do not give attention to it, do not dwell
in it. To do so, you need to divert your attention by breathing in and out little harder
than normal. If it still persists, you should think of the Teachings of the Buddha and
you can mentally chant Parittas. If this is not successful, you should rub your limbs
with your hands and pull your ear lobes. If this is not successful, get up from the
place where you sit, wash your face and your eyes with water, look at all directions
and look at the sky. By doing so, you can overcome laziness and drowsiness.
Uddhacca-Kukkucha (Distraction, restlessness, worry): To be free from
distraction, you have to rely on mindfulness and effort. Worry can be of two kinds:
1. Repent for committing evil deeds in the past. The Buddha said you should not
think of the past evil deeds again and again. Instead, you should decide not to do it
again and perform as many good deeds as you can. In this way, you can escape from
getting the results of the evil deeds. If you think over a past deed over and over again,
you are creating double AKUSALA (twice a bad deed): the bad deed you did and
worrying about it. 2. Regret for failing to perform good deeds in time. This is
especially the case for old people who come to practice meditation at a later stage in
life and feel regret for not having come to understand the value of performing good
deeds earlier. In such case, one should feel happy to have encountered the Teachings
of the Buddha and not think of past. One should instead perform good deeds until
one’s life ends.
Vicikicchā (Skeptical doubts about the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha): This is
wavering between belief and disbelief. Doubts can also be related to one’s own
ability to practice meditation. If you encounter this kind of thoughts, you should try
to overcome it. One way is to decide for oneself that during the 10-day meditation
course, one will not let doubts overpower oneself. If you let doubts overwhelm your
mind, you will not be able to develop concentration.
[The five hindrances by Saya U Khin Zaw, International Meditation Center (IMC-
Yangon), Myanmar 2016]