Tag Archives: Hindrances

Doubt – the fifth hindrance

Posted on February 1, 2023 by lynnjkelly

Gil Fronsdal has useful things to say about the hindrance of doubt: Without a dedication to practicing with the hindrances, any one of them can derail a person from practice. This is especially so for doubt, the fifth and final … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Patience, Wisdom | Tagged doubt, hindrance of doubt, Hindrances, midfulness | 2 Comments

Anxiousness and mindfulness

Posted on January 27, 2023 by lynnjkelly

The fourth of the five hindrances is anxiousness or restlessness. It is paired with its energetic opposite, apathy and laziness. The word anxiousness is chosen deliberately to distinguish it from anxiety, which is a treatable mental or emotional condition. As … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Mindfulness, Precepts, Wisdom | Tagged Anxiety and mindfulness, Hindrances, Mindfulness | 5 Comments

Apathy & laziness (also called sloth and torpor)

Posted on January 22, 2023 by lynnjkelly

A great secret of spiritual life is that the goal is not to acquire anything at all, but to remove the obstacles to our wisdom as we become aware of them. When our detrimental habits have all been eliminated – … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Wisdom | Tagged Hindrances, Mindfulness, obstacles to mindfulness | Leave a comment

Another hindrance – aversion

Posted on January 17, 2023 by lynnjkelly

The first two of the five hindrances are sensual desire and ill will, and they are mirror images of each other. Dukkha is sometimes described as not getting what we want and getting what we don’t want, both of which … Continue reading →

Posted in Anger, Causes and results, Dukkha, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Patience | Tagged Anger, aversion, dosa, Hindrances, Mindfulness | 1 Comment

What’s blocking our meditation?

Posted on January 12, 2023 by lynnjkelly

From the Pali canon, the five hindrances are often presented as the obstacles to be overcome so we can access a truly calm and sharp mind. This so often happens in the background that it takes some effort to become … Continue reading →

Posted in Anger, Causes and results, Compassion, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Patience, Wisdom | Tagged greed, Hindrances, meditation, obstacles | Leave a comment

Mindfulness with low energy

Posted on October 16, 2019 by lynnjkelly

In the Satipaṭṭhāna sutta, which we’re using as a guide for the moment, hindrances three and four (out of five) have to do with energy, too little and too much. We are encouraged to be mindful of the hindrance of … Continue reading →

Posted in Causes and results, Dukkha, General, Hindrances, Mindfulness, Sublime states | Tagged fatigue, Hindrances, Mindfulness, tiredness | Leave a comment