On the Five Hindrances

revised on 2024-03-27

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 31st March to 4th April 1962

The bhavaṅga mind of the khandha body (life continuum mind) is clear, but the hindrance of sensual desire of wanting and desiring come in and becoming not clear. What one has learned and attended before has disappeared or gone. And also is not seeing the things at the present and no contemplation of the object of desire (kāma-ārammaṇa) with its anicca. So the dependent origination process is going forward. It covers up the three universal characteristics and dukkha sacca. Sāsana disappears (Buddha-dhamma). This is the disappearance of the Sāsana (Buddha-dhamma quite easily disappears in human world because majority of humans always consort with two evil friends (pāpamittas) which are dukkha and samudaya, instead of with two panditas which are nirodha and magga. In daily life humans become heedless (pamāda) is consorting with pāpamittas, and with heedfulness— appamāda is consorting with the wise— i.e., sati-paññā.) They don’t see the existence of the phenomena that accept the hindrances. Even though it’s greed (lobha), upādāna and kamma bhāva also come in as companions. If lobha arises and with contemplation it can’t continue the D.A. process, because it conquers the hindrances. It was like in the Dhammapada verses-Someone with no anger conquers the one who has anger; noble dhamma conquers evil dhamma (pāpa-dhamma).

Sayadaw reminds or warns the disciples (U chit Swe and Daw Ma Ma)- as business man and woman sometimes they will be lost in business but the most important is not lost to defilements (kilesa). The Buddha warning us in the Saccasaṃyutta as— a hundred thousand humans die no one arriving at good destinations after deaths. If you fall into apāyas by kilesa one time and it’s not easy to climb up again to good (sugati) destinations. This point is more important.

(Why are there more animals (pets and food animals) now than ever before? Where are they coming from? There are many kinds of pets, they become great businesses and out of control. When observing the pets they are more like humans. They come back to their family members and friends as pets. Near my surroundings there are more dogs and cats than humans.)

Aversion (byāpāda) is the inability to control one's mind. It is the dhamma that is not beneficial to oneself or others. The first thing is harmful to oneself first. The Buddha gave an example, it's similar to holding a hot iron bar and throwing it at someone. It’s harming you first and will hit the other. It spoils the sīla and samādhi dhammas. At last, worry and remorse (kukkucca) still can come in. At near death one has worry and remorse for mistakes which had been done before. You have to be afraid of the basic cause of byāpāda. If no aversion then worry and remorse do not arise. When people are getting old and searching for Dhamma and these dhammas (hindrances) forbidding them. it forbade path and fruit (magga and phala) but benefitting the apāya dhammas.

Sloth and torpor (thīna-middha) has two kinds— related to lobha and dosa. Concerning oneself and going to sleep is related to lobha (greed). During the sleep bhavaṅga-mind is doing the breathing in and out minds. Lobha is easy to sleep and dosa is slow to sleep. Sloth and torpor are frightening than others. The reason is they are wasting away the time and opportunity or chances of the five dullabha dhammas— the difficult chances to come by. It makes you not see anicca and is wasting your life span. (Sayadaw talked about the difficulty of being born as a human and gave the simile of a blind sea turtle and a yoke with a hole). Wasting away things difficult to come by is wanting to be poor (for suffering). It also opposes the time of sati and therefore, it’s the champion of the hindrances in the place of hindering path and fruit. It makes you no sati. Can’t overcome your mind is the disappearance of cittānupassanā. Not to overcome the mental state (cetasika) also disappearance of vedanā and dhammānupassanās. It could disappear the four satipaṭṭhānas that the dhamma which making the sāsana-dhamma to disappear. Sleeping time is the time for disappearance of sāsana. You were making prayers before to encounter the Buddha Sāsana. Now, it seems to be you’re hiding from the sāsana. You’re hiding away from the Buddha and the Dhamma.

(Sayadaw talked about how difficult it was to become a Buddha and that only after becoming a Buddha could he teach the Dhamma.) There are misconceptions about Buddhas and bodhisattas among some Buddhists. Buddha and bodhisatta are not God or avatars which are the concepts of Hinduism. Otherwise, Buddhism becomes a saṁsāric-vāda— sassata-vāda. Sloth and torpor is forbidding path and fruit (i.e., wanting to sleep mind and sleeping mind (i.e., bhavaṅga mind) is making the Sāsana to disappear. Consorting with sloth and torpor is associated with the Fools.

Asevanā ca bālanam— Not consorting with fools, if you associate with dhammas leading to apāyas (hells, animals, ghosts existence), you’ll arrive there!

(This serious warning is very important for today's humans because there are many problems and sufferings in many sectors of society up to International Levels).

Restlessness is the mind (uddhacca) not going where one intends for it. You’re getting hurt by tumbling down is not the cause of bad-luck. If you can’t have samādhi and the mind will run towards restlessness, sloth and torpor. It can even disturb the worldly matter of prayers. These minds are not staying with the objects and going here and there. They oppose any good work and going towards things which are not good (this point is very evident in today's world. Now humans are more restless than before because of many unwholesome mediums.)

In the whole of saṁsāra living with uddhacca was bad living and dying (It’s delusion of mind (moha) that mostly becoming animals, after deaths. See many kinds and great numbers of pets and animals for meat consumption). If you want to be freed from dangers and sufferings don’t go and ask the astrologers, instead taking them off is finished. If it’s coming in, I can't do the practice. It forbids samādhi and Nibbāna.

Dukkhe añāṇam— not knowing dukkha sacca; in the place of not knowing dukkha sacca it’s the leader. It’s asking you to go anywhere of the 31 realms of existence.

Avijjā paccaya saṅkhāra— Ignorance conditions volitional formation is Restlessness.

Sayadaw talked about the eight doubts on the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, one’s own practice, and the D.A. process (from avijjā to the end of soka, parideva, etc). Because of doubts and wrong views arise, both of them are going together. With the wrong view humans believe in many wrong things and take refuge in them (worldly or spiritual). Can’t make the decision by oneself is doubtful. With doubt (vicikicchā) a person is looking for wrong view (diṭṭhi) as a companion.

With diṭṭhi as companion man is taking wrong refuges. So it’s sure they will fall into apāyas. Even in Buddhists with delusion-not knowing and they are searching for wrong views. (can be mentioned many things from Theravadin to Mahāyanist). Searching for diṭṭhi means looking for reliance. Doubt not only obstructs jhānas and Nibbāna even to good destinations (sugatis). Therefore, it’s very important to overcome this hindrance.

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revised on 2024-03-27

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• Content of Part 14 on "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

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• Content of "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

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• Content of Publications of Ven. Uttamo

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According to the translator— Ven. Uttamo's words, this is strictly for free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma—Dhamma Dāna. You may re-format, reprint, translate, and redistribute this work in any medium.