Abandoning the Five Hindrances



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Whoever has gained release from the world, is gaining release, or will gain release, all of them have done so by abandoning the five hindrances, the mental impurities that weaken wisdom, and by firmly establishing their minds in the four abidings of mindfulness, and by developing the seven factors of enlightenment as they really are.

This is how they have gained release from the world, are gaining release, or will gain release.

AN10.95

When one can consistently dwell: "contemplating mind in mind, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief for the world", one's mind is sensitive enough for the next stage in the Gradual Training: Abandoning the Five Hindrances, by developing the Seven Factors of Awakening.

The practice of Abandoning the Five Hindrances is cleansing the mind of the mental impurities that weaken wisdom, the cleansing of all habitual tendencies and defilements that prevent one from dwelling in Right Mindfulness, the Four Dwellings of Mindfulness, for extended periods of time. This prevents one from discerning more and more subtle mind states, and thus blocks further progress on the path to liberation.

Five Hinderances Desire and Karma

To understand the practice of abandoning the Five Hindrances, it's useful to see the hindrances as karma.

Karma is mental energy rooted in desire, which manifests as intentions to fulfill those desires. This volitional mental energy is what drives the sense of "being," leading to the taking on of a birth in a body and the seeking of satisfaction in the world through bodily, mental, and verbal actions. What the Tathagata calls bodily, mental, and verbal fabrications.

Because Karma is rooted in desire, which results in greed, aversion and delusion, this karmic energy, manifesting as thoughts and actions, results in the scattering of mental energy, constantly seeking satisfaction by "feeding" on external objects of the "world." This results in a tainted, disturbed mind, clouded in ignorance, incapable of attaining liberation.

With the development of the Eight-Fold Path, specifically Right Intention, this scattering of mind energy based on the desire to gain happiness from the external world is greatly reduced, resulting in a more collected and settled mind, which is now solely intent on liberation.

However, even at this stage of the Gradual Training, having subdued greed and aversion to the external world, restlessness remains, as a constant stream of ingrained karmic mental energy still seeking an outlet, as desire for existence and desire for experiencing the Five Aggregates. This unsettled mental energy is what the Tathagata refers to as "five impurities of the mind, which when present in the mind, make it neither pliable, workable, nor radiant, and it does not properly attain concentration for the destruction of the taints"

To progress on the path to liberation, we must transform this impure mental energy into pure mental energy by applying the Seven Factors of Awakening, to purify the mind into a pure stream of collected mental energy, which can then be used towards liberation, for the destruction of the taints.

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Disciples, these five impurities of gold, which when present in gold, make it neither pliable, workable, nor radiant, and it does not properly come to fulfillment in any craftsmanship. What are the five?

Iron, copper, tin, lead, and silver, these, disciples, are the five impurities of gold, which when present in gold, make it neither pliable, workable, nor radiant, and it does not properly come to fulfillment in any craftsmanship.

But, disciples, when gold is freed from these five impurities, it becomes pliable, workable, and radiant; it is not brittle and properly comes to fulfillment in any craftsmanship. Whatever ornament one wishes to make from it, whether a ring, earrings, a necklace, or a golden chain, it serves that purpose.

Similarly, disciples, these are the five impurities of the mind, which when present in the mind, make it neither pliable, workable, nor radiant, and it does not properly attain concentration for the destruction of the taints. What are the five?

Sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and doubt, these, disciples, are the five impurities of the mind, which when present in the mind, make it neither pliable, workable, nor radiant, and it does not properly attain concentration for the destruction of the taints.

But, disciples, when the mind is freed from these five impurities, it becomes pliable, workable, and radiant; it is not brittle and properly attains concentration for the destruction of the taints.

AN5.23

Five Hindrances What are the Hindrances

There are five hindrances that block progress on the path to liberation; these are:

  1. Sensual Desire: Craving sensual pleasures and clinging to sensory experiences, such as pleasant sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and tactile sensations.

  2. Ill-will: Feelings of hostility, anger, resentment, or aversion towards oneself, others, situations or states of being.

  3. Sloth and Torpor: Sloth is mental lethargy, sluggishness, or dullness, while torpor refers to physical and mental inertia or drowsiness.

  4. Restlessness and Worry: Restlessness is an agitated, unsettled mind characterized by worry, anxiety, or mental agitation. Worry refers to excessive concern about past or future events, leading to a scattered and distracted mind.

  5. Doubt: Skepticism, indecision, or lack of conviction in the teachings, the practice, or one's own abilities. It undermines confidence and commitment to the path, hindering progress toward liberation.

What these Five hindrances have in common is that because of desire, aversion or delusion, one feels pressure to react to the current situation by either seeking pleasure, avoiding discomfort, or seeking a distraction from the current situation.

Five Hindrances Hindrances and the Gradual Training

Thus far, every stage in the Gradual Training has addressed the hindrances, from gross to more subtle afflictions:

Sila: The letting go of desire, aversion, and attachment to interactions with others through the practice of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood. This involves renouncing desires, expectations, assumptions, and the tendency to take for granted how others should behave. It also means releasing ill-will towards others and avoiding interactions that lead to remorse and long-term disturbances in the mind. By addressing unwholesome mental states, Sila purifies the mind for the practice of Right Mindfulness, dwelling in the Four Dwellings of Mindfulness.

Guarding the Sense Doors: Protecting or preventing oneself from getting entangled in desires, aversions or delusions from making contact with the six senses.

Moderation in Eating: Not getting lost or delighting in flavors, craving food.

Wakefulness: The practice of keeping the mind unobstructed, not getting lost in unwholesome thoughts.

Right Mindfulness: Dwelling in the Four Dwellings of Mindfulness, subduing greed and aversion for the "world."

At this stage in the Gradual Training, the hindrances should only manifest themselves in subtle forms: the inability to dwell in Right Mindfulness for extended periods of time, or the inability to clearly discern more subtle mind states.

However, it is crucial to continue and deepen these previous practices so that the disturbances caused by these less subtle hindrances do not spill over into the practice of dwelling in the Four Dwellings of Mindfulness.

Five Hinderances Right Effort

Overcoming subtle hindrances is an important step in the Gradual Training because one must address these hindrances specifically; simply addressing them during Jhana practice isn't enough. Right Effort throughout daily life is essential.

Just as in previous stages of the Gradual Training, one abandons the hindrances by using the Four Right Efforts.

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Not understanding what things are fit for attention and what things are unfit for attention, he attends to things unfit for attention and does not attend to things fit for attention.

And what are the things unfit for attention that he attends to?

Whatever things, when attended to, lead to the arising of unarisen sensual desire, or to the increase of arisen sensual desire, to the arising of unarisen desire for existence, or to the increase of arisen desire for existence, to the arising of unarisen ignorance, or to the increase of arisen ignorance: these are the things unfit for attention that he attends to.

And what are the things fit for attention that he does not attend to?

Whatever things, when attended to, do not lead to the arising of unarisen sensual desire, or to the increase of arisen sensual desire, to the arising of unarisen desire for existence, or to the increase of arisen desire for existence, to the arising of unarisen ignorance, or to the increase of arisen ignorance: these are the things fit for attention that he does not attend to.

By attending to things unfit for attention and not attending to things fit for attention, unarisen defilements arise and arisen defilements increase....

He attends wisely to: This is suffering; This is the origin of suffering; This is the cessation of suffering; This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.

By attending wisely in this way, three fetters are abandoned: identity view, doubt, and attachment to rites and rituals.

MN2

In MN2, the Tathagata describes the seven methods for abandoning the taints: by seeing, restraining, using, enduring, avoiding, removing, and developing. The key point to understand is that only two of these methods lead to the super mundane path and ultimate liberation.

Abandoning by seeing: Seeing or Right Mindfulness always comes first; we must be completely able to see the problem before we can be addressed. Often just seeing the problem clearly and completely is enough to let go and abandon the hindrance. Through the right view, we develop the insight necessary to let go of wrong views. This method aligns with the wisdom aspect of the super mundane path.

Abandoning by developing: By cultivating the factors of enlightenment, we directly weaken and destroy the hindrances. This is the active process of progressing on the super mundane path.

The remaining five methods, restraining, using, enduring, avoiding, and removing, are effective for temporarily suppressing the hindrances but do not eradicate them. While these methods can be helpful in certain situations, they do not lead to the destruction of the hindrances and, therefore, do not result in liberation.

At this stage of the Gradual Training, generating wholesome states of mind is through the development of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment.

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And what are the defilements to be developed?

Here a disciple wisely develops the mindfulness enlightenment factor, which is based on seclusion, dispassion, cessation, and leads to relinquishment; he wisely develops the investigation of states enlightenment factor... the energy enlightenment factor... the joy enlightenment factor... the tranquility enlightenment factor... the concentration enlightenment factor... the equanimity enlightenment factor, which is based on seclusion, dispassion, cessation, and leads to relinquishment. If he does not develop them, defilements, distress, and fever arise in him.

MN2

As every individual is different, one will need to identify which hindrances affect them the most, understand how and when they arise, recognize their inner strengths to counter each hindrance, and actively cultivate relevant practices to overcome them.

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment lead to the destruction of the taints (asava): sensual desire, existence, views, and ignorance. Only abandoning the taints through right seeing and by developing the bojjhanga leads to their complete destruction.

Five Hindrances Hindrances and Stages of Liberation

Nibbana, or cessation, requires establishing the right causes and conditions so that all karmic processes, including contact, intentions, attention, and all clinging, come to cessation. The hindrances are subtle forms of clinging that must be let go of, at least long enough, for the mind to totally let go.

Until one has reached one of the stages of liberation, these hindrances can only be weakened and overcome temporarily when one enters Jhana. As one attains levels of liberation, some of the hindrances are permanently let go:

Therefore, every step taken in weakening these hindrances takes us nearer to the stages of liberation, where freedom from these hindrances becomes unshakable.

A person who has attained the destruction of the taints or mental intoxicants (asava): sensual desire, existence, views, and ignorance, has developed and well-developed the Seven Factors of Enlightenment. This person is called an arahant, a fully enlightened being.

Sensual Desire

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What is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen sensual desire or for the increase and expansion of arisen sensual desire?

There is, the sign of beauty. In this, frequent improper attention, this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen sensual desire or for the increase and expansion of arisen sensual desire....

And what, is the non-nourishment for the arising of sensual desire that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of sensual desire that has arisen?

There is the perception of unattractiveness. In this regard, the frequent application of wise attention, this is the non-nourishment for the arising of sensual desire that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of sensual desire that has arisen.

SN46.51

At this stage of the practice, when dwelling in one of the Four Dwellings of Mindfulness, sensual desire can manifest itself as lingering disturbances from one's daily activities, or it can manifest as desires and expectations in one's practice.

In other words, the expectation for the practice to be a certain way: To generate peaceful, good feelings, to reach new levels of insights, to be free of disturbances, or basically any expectations.

This manifests as dissatisfaction and thus stopping the practice early or the mind grasping to other hindrances like Ill-will, sloth and torpor to escape lack of sensual stimulation.

Countering any hindrances always starts with Right Mindfulness. Bringing full mindfulness and recognizing the desire and the causes and conditions for this sensual desire.

Along with Right Mindfulness there should be the second factor of Awakening, the investigation of the mental state—what are the causes and conditions that are creating this state. Where am I making this personal, permanent and suffering?

By definition, if there is desire, then there is clinging to a mental state.

Joy arises from the relief of letting go of desire. The more we let go, the more release and relief there is, and this results in more and more subtle joy and happiness.

In other words, to counter sensual desire, we must let go, which results in joy.

By developing the joy factor of enlightenment and Jhana, we can generate happiness independent of the senses, independent of outside conditions.

Desires start to diminish once one realizes for oneself and experiences through direct experience that there is a pleasure greater than sensual pleasures, and that the desire for sensual pleasures themselves is the cause of stress and unhappiness.

ILL-WILL

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What, disciples, is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen ill-will or for the increase and expansion of arisen ill-will?

There is, disciples, the sign of repulsiveness.

In this, frequent improper attention, this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen ill-will or for the increase and expansion of arisen ill-will....

And what, disciples, is the non-nourishment for the arising of ill will that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of ill will that has arisen?

There is, disciples, the liberation of mind by loving-kindness.

In this regard, the frequent application of wise attention, this is the non-nourishment for the arising of ill will that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of ill will that has arisen.

SN46.51

Ill-will or aversion is the ingrained behavioral patterns that causes one to react negatively to expectations not being met, or that anything or anyone should or should not be a certain way. Aversion manifests as irritation, frustration, anger, and resentment toward a person, situation or state of being.

When working with aversion, one has to first realize that aversion itself is the problem, not the conditions of the world. We must realize that we haven't yet learned how to skillfully deal with circumstances, and that it is the resistance itself that's causing the stress and unhappiness.

As the Tathagata says, loving-kindness is the remedy for the ingrained behavioral patterns that causes one to react negatively.

This is developing loving-kindness toward ourselves and others, based on the understanding that everyone is afflicted, everything in life is the result of causes and conditions, and there is no one to blame or anything to take personally.

Loving-kindness is not about feeling sorry or making judgments about ourselves or others. It is a practice to counter the ingrained negative behavioral patterns.

The Tathagata has said that even if you have a speck of ill-will left, you haven't perfected loving-kindness.

SLOTH AND TORPOR

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What, disciples, is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen sloth and torpor or for the increase and expansion of arisen sloth and torpor?

There is, disciples, discontent, lethargy, drowsiness after meals, and mental sluggishness. In this, frequent improper attention, this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen sloth and torpor or for the increase and expansion of arisen sloth and torpor....

And what, disciples, is the non-nourishment for the arising of sloth and torpor that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of sloth and torpor that has arisen?

There is, disciples, the element of initiative, the element of launching forward, the element of exertion.

In this regard, the frequent application of wise attention, this is the non-nourishment for the arising of sloth and torpor that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of sloth and torpor that has arisen.

SN46.51

Overcoming Sloth and Torpor with the Factors of Enlightenment

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Friends, when the mind is sluggish, which of the factors of enlightenment is it not the right time for cultivation, and during which is it the right time?

When, disciples, the mind is sluggish, it is not the right time for the cultivation of the tranquility factor of enlightenment, the concentration factor of enlightenment, or the equanimity factor of enlightenment.

Why is that? Because, disciples, a sluggish mind is difficult to arouse with these states.

However, disciples, when the mind is sluggish, it is the right time for the cultivation of the investigation of states factor of enlightenment, the energy factor of enlightenment, and the joy factor of enlightenment.

Why is that? Because, disciples, a sluggish mind is easily aroused with these states. And indeed, disciples, I say that mindfulness is useful in all things.

SN46.53

RESTLESSNESS AND REMORSE

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What, disciples, is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen restlessness and remorse or for the increase and expansion of arisen restlessness and remorse?

There is, disciples, non-quietude of the mind. In this, frequent improper attention, this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen restlessness and remorse or for the increase and expansion of arisen restlessness and remorse...

And what, disciples, is the non-nourishment for the arising of restlessness and remorse that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of restlessness and remorse that has arisen?

There is, disciples, the calming of the mind. In this regard, the frequent application of wise attention, this is the non-nourishment for the arising of restlessness and remorse that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of restlessness and remorse that has arisen.

SN46.51

Overcoming Restlessness with the Factors of Enlightenment

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And when the mind is restless, for which of the factors of enlightenment is it not the right time for cultivation, and for which is it the right time?

When, disciples, the mind is restless, it is not the right time for the cultivation of the investigation of states factor of enlightenment, the energy factor of enlightenment, and the joy factor of enlightenment.

Why is that? Because, disciples, a restless mind is difficult to calm with these states.

However, disciples, when the mind is restless, it is the right time for the cultivation of the tranquility factor of enlightenment, the concentration factor of enlightenment, and the equanimity factor of enlightenment.

Why is that? Because, disciples, a restless mind is well calmed by these factors. And indeed, disciples, I say that mindfulness is useful in all things.

SN46:53

DOUBT

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What, disciples, is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen doubt or for the increase and expansion of arisen doubt?

There are, disciples, things that give rise to doubt. In this, frequent improper attention, this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen doubt or for the increase and expansion of arisen doubt....

And what, disciples, is the non-nourishment for the arising of doubt that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of doubt that has arisen?

There are, disciples, wholesome and unwholesome states, blameworthy and blameless states, inferior and superior states, dark and bright states with their counterparts.

In this regard, the frequent application of wise attention, this is the non-nourishment for the arising of doubt that has not yet arisen, and for the increase, expansion, and full development of doubt that has arisen.

SN46.51

Developing the Seven Factors of Awakening

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And what is the nourishment for knowing and liberation?

It should be said: the seven factors of enlightenment...

And what is the nourishment for the seven factors of enlightenment?

It should be said: the four foundations of mindfulness...

And what is the nourishment for the four foundations of mindfulness?

It should be said: the three kinds of good conduct...

And what is the nourishment for the three kinds of good conduct?

It should be said: restraint of the senses...

And what is the nourishment for restraint of the senses?

It should be said: mindfulness and clear knowing...

And what is the nourishment for mindfulness and clear knowing?

It should be said: wise attention...

And what is the nourishment for wise attention?

It should be said: faith...

And what is the nourishment for faith?

It should be said: hearing the true teachings...

And what is the nourishment for hearing the true teachings?

It should be said: associating with good people...

Thus associating with good people fulfills the hearing of the true teachings, the hearing of the true teachings fulfills faith, faith fulfills wise attention, wise attention fulfills mindfulness and clear knowing, mindfulness and clear knowing fulfill restraint of the senses, restraint of the senses fulfills the three kinds of good conduct, the three kinds of good conduct fulfill the four foundations of mindfulness, the four foundations of mindfulness fulfill the seven factors of enlightenment, the seven factors of enlightenment fulfill knowing and liberation.

AN10.61

AN10.61: Even though ignorance has no discernible first point, it still has a cause.

The Seven Factors of Enlightenment are nourished by wisely contemplating (yonisomanasikara) the Buddha's teachings. This contrasts with unwisely contemplating which nourishes the five hindrances (nivarana): sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and doubt.

Seven Factors of Awakening Mindfulness

Mindfulness (Sati) serves as the foundation for all practice, involving real-time awareness of present experience. It is the continuous attention to physical sensations, feelings, mental states, and phenomena, without getting entangled in them. What the Tathagata calls Dwelling in one of the Four Dwellings of Mindfulness.

Right Mindfulness is the basis for all the other factors. The other factors will not arrise if you are not fully aware. Also unlike the other factors of awakening, you can never have too much mindfulness.

Seven Factors of Awakening Investigation of States

Investigation of States (Dhamma-vicaya) is the exploration and discernment of mental processes and experiences. It is seeing the arising and passing away of phenomena, discerning skillful from unskillful mental states, and deepening insight into the Four Noble Truths. It includes:

The investigation of phenomena becomes possible when one is fully abiding in one of the Four Dwellings of Mindfulness; when the body is fully relaxed, the mind is centered, stable, and content. With bodily, mental, and verbal fabrications subdued, "knowing" and wisdom arise.

The investigation of phenomena requires having the real-time, constant, all-encompassing awareness of Right Mindfulness to be able to see from start to finish the arising and especially the passing away of phenomena without judging or getting entangled. Investigation isn’t about analyzing or thinking about anything; it is rather the clear, silent seeing of things as they really are.

However, just staying still and aware of phenomena, isn’t enough. This is because of ingrained desire and aversion; the mind tends to automatically be attracted to its own mental fabrications and cling to them. Instead, we must always be aware of clinging to the physical body, feelings or perceptions, our intentions, and the views we construct in consciousness.

Investigation of States requires the ability to probe: to send awareness into a particular area of our experience to investigate it more thoroughly, and at the same time widen the scope of awareness so that all experience is encompassed. When there is clinging, there is a tightening of awareness. We need to expand that awareness so that we can see in a way that is detached from the experience. For example, seeing and investigating desire and aversion, clinging, the sense of self that has been created, and even investigating the seeing itself.

The reason we often can’t see the true nature of things is that we either have too much desire, blinded to a certain outcome, or we have aversion, afraid of what investigation might reveal about our ego. For example, if we experience something that is emotionally or physically unpleasant, we want to change it to make it pleasant. However, this is not investigation, we have not investigated the nature of this unpleasantness.

It's important not to get entangled in the details of the investigation. Instead, we need to investigate in terms of this is stress, this is the source of stress, this is its cessation, and this is the path leading to its cessation. In other words, identifying desire and aversion, clinging, and the making of experience as "me" and "mine," as well as seeing or having constructed a view with mental fabrications expecting some permanence, dependable, predictable, and substantial.

Instead, we must investigate it at the source: Where is the desire or aversion? How am I making this personal or permanent? To do so, we must widen the perspective so that nothing is hidden behind the seeing.

Seven Factors of Awakening Energy

Energy is the mental energy generated from volitional formations, or kamma, from Right Intention for skilful results, such as realizing awakening by developing the Factors of Awakening.

This quality of energy, this exertion, this putting forth of effort has two aspects to it: the development of energy itself, and the development of right effort. Energy can sometimes just be neutral. But what is most important is how we channel that energy, how we use it.

However there is the energy of letting go, when the mind is not scattered all over the place, stressed out, then this energy gets refined and can be put to good use. We want to develop a clean pure energy of the mind.

Energy (Viriya) represents the vigor and enthusiasm that sustain meditation practice. It arises from mindfulness and investigation, creating a positive feedback loop of motivation and effort.

Energy is the third of the Seven Factors of Awakening. It’s also one of the Five Faculties, one of the Five Powers and a factor of the Eightfold Path.

Discovering and exploring a lack of energy is also part of investigating energy. One can begin to investigate the problem and maybe find what is hindering or blocking the free flow of energy within. Normally sloth and torpor is considered as one of the Five Hindrances, but for investigation of dhamma this is a very important area to investigate. It can be transformed into a great source of wisdom. We have this experience of dullness or sleepiness because we are holding on to some aspect of our self. For example, if we’re holding on to a fixed idea of what practice is and our practice isn’t living up to that idea, there’s a conflict. So our energy drains away.

And this is how we can work with all these so-called Hindrances. When we’re able to access them and be more receptive to them, the energy which before was used to suppress or deny them becomes freely available. We have a free source of energy here

However, we can instead become more aware of these mental states and learn to investigate these aspects of our being, rather than trying to deny them. Then we can tap into this energy and transform the Hindrances into a source of wisdom.

There is also a potential danger to energy when it is co-opted by the ego, manifesting as self-inflation. Highly energetic individuals may be driven by self-aggrandizing motives, which can make their energy appear impressive but often mask underlying narrow-mindedness or a "mission-driven" zeal.

When energy is not balanced by the other Factors of Awakening—particularly the calming ones like tranquility, concentration, and equanimity—it can be misinterpreted as an end in itself rather than a means for genuine spiritual growth. This imbalance can lead to restlessness, overexertion, or a distorted sense of purpose in practice.

Types of Mental Energy:

  1. Goal-Oriented Energy
    This energy arises from the desire to achieve a specific outcome, such as enlightenment. While it can provide initial motivation, fixating solely on the end goal reinforces clinging and distracts from the present moment.

  2. Willpower
    Willpower helps overcome initial resistance and establish a practice. However, over-reliance on willpower can be problematic, as it:

  3. Leads to frustration and resentment when progress falls short of expectations.

  4. Reinforces the ego’s sense of control.

  5. Spiritual Urgency (Saṃvega)
    Recognizing the unsatisfactory nature of conditioned existence and the inevitability of suffering can inspire a deeper, more genuine motivation for practice. Reflecting on death, aging, and sickness helps cultivate this sense of urgency.

  6. Inspiration and Faith
    A sincere aspiration to realize truth—rather than personal gain—can be a powerful source of energy. However, inspiration must be grounded in understanding and wisdom to avoid becoming fleeting or attached to specific outcomes.

  7. Curiosity and Interest
    Genuine curiosity and a desire to investigate the Dhamma can foster a sustainable and balanced form of mental energy, allowing for deeper exploration of reality.

Natural Energy: Moving Beyond Willpower

The ultimate goal is to move beyond willpower and tap into a natural, sustainable energy rooted in presence. This involves:

Right Effort: Skillfully Directing Energy

Right effort (Samma-Vayama), a key component of the Eightfold Path, provides a framework for skillfully channeling mental energy. It encompasses four key practices:

  1. Preventing unwholesome states from arising
    Cultivate mindfulness to avoid actions that lead to harmful consequences.

  2. Abandoning unwholesome states that have arisen
    Recognize and release harmful thoughts, emotions, or behaviors.

  3. Cultivating wholesome states
    Engage in practices that develop positive qualities like kindness, compassion, and wisdom.

  4. Maintaining wholesome states
    Nurture and strengthen these positive qualities so they become stable and enduring.

By applying these aspects of right effort, energy can be directed effectively toward liberation and awakening.

Mental energy is essential for spiritual growth, but its effectiveness depends on its source and direction. Shifting from a struggle fueled by willpower to a natural energy grounded in mindfulness, wisdom, and right effort transforms practice into a joyful and liberating journey toward awakening.

Among the meditation themes suggested for rousing energy is the contemplation of our imminent death.

Seven Factors of Awakening Rapture

Rapture (Piti) is the deep joy and happiness that comes from releasing mental preoccupations and dwelling fully in the present moment.

Rapture is the strong happiness born of letting go, when the mind stops wandering and simply abides in stillness.

Joy (pīti) plays a significant role on the spiritual path, offering inspiration, motivation, and a glimpse of liberation. Below are its key aspects:

Joy in Practice

By understanding and cultivating joy as a Factor of Awakening, we transform our practice into a more inspiring and fulfilling journey. Joy reminds us that the path is not only about confronting suffering but also about realizing the profound happiness and freedom of liberation.

Seven Factors of Awakening Tranquility

Tranquility (passaddhi) is a vital factor on the path to awakening, representing the calming and settling of both body and mind. It is more than just the absence of disturbance; it is a proactive quality cultivated through practice and insight. Tranquility builds upon the active foundations of energy and joy, providing a stable ground for deeper understanding and insight.

Tranquility naturally arises as the more active factors—investigation, energy, and joy—begin to settle internal agitation. It emerges gradually, creating space for stillness to take root.

True tranquility is not achieved by forcefully quieting the mind or suppressing thoughts and emotions. Instead, it involves a skillful, balanced approach that acknowledges disturbances and works with them, rather than resisting them.

While external conditions can support tranquility, cultivating inner stillness is essential. This involves turning inward and discovering a peaceful refuge that is independent of external circumstances.

A profound level of tranquility can exist even amidst external disturbances. Recognizing that such disturbances are impermanent helps create space for peace, as they no longer define our state of being.

Several factors can help cultivate tranquility:
- Wholesome Lifestyle: Ethical conduct and abstaining from harmful actions create a foundation for inner peace.
- Restraint of the Senses: Being mindful of how sense impressions affect the mind and choosing calming stimuli—sights, sounds, thoughts, etc.—can promote tranquility.
- Body Awareness: Practices like yoga, Tai Chi, or walking meditation release physical tension, which helps calm the mind.
- Seclusion: Moments of solitude, both physical and mental, create space for reflection and settling.

Tranquility is not passivity; it is a dynamic stillness supported by balanced and mindful energy. This includes:
- Understanding Natural Energy: Allowing the natural flow of energy, rather than relying solely on willpower, fosters sustainability and ease.
- Calming the Breath Body: Gentle, relaxed attention to the breath helps soothe both body and mind.

Tranquility in Practice

Tranquility can manifest in varying degrees, from subtle relaxation to profound stillness. Recognizing these levels helps determine if the current state is conducive to further practice.

When tranquility feels out of reach, investigate potential hindrances such as unwholesome habits, physical tension, or external distractions. Addressing these obstacles can create a clearer path for tranquility to emerge.

Relaxing physical tension through gentle movements or conscious body awareness fosters receptivity to mental stillness.

Rather than resisting mental disturbances, acknowledge their presence, investigate their nature, and allow them to arise and pass naturally. This process gradually leads to deeper tranquility.

Cultivating tranquility is essential for deepening insight and wisdom. As the mind settles and distractions fade, awareness sharpens, and the subtle workings of the mind become clearer. This refined clarity provides the stable foundation needed for the final factors of awakening—concentration, equanimity, and liberation.

Seven Factors of Awakening Concentration

Concentration (Samadhi) is the collected and stable state of mind that naturally develops through sustained mindfulness. It is not forced but arises from the mind's, letting go, dwelling in the present moment.

Concentration is a collectedness of mind, a stability that comes when the mind no longer feels the need to control or resist conditions.

Here's the refined version of your content for improved clarity and coherence:

Concentration (samādhi) is a central pillar of the Buddha’s teachings, representing the stability of mind necessary for profound insight and awakening. It is not merely a temporary state of stillness but a quality to be intentionally cultivated and refined through diligent practice. Concentration encompasses both the deep absorption of the jhānas and the skillful management of mental distractions, known as the Five Hindrances.

Concentration exists along a spectrum, from the basic focus needed for daily life to the profound mental unification experienced in the jhānas.

Concentration, by itself, is a neutral quality. The Buddha emphasized Right Concentration, which refers specifically to deep mental stability cultivated for awakening, grounded in ethical conduct and a balanced mind.

The jhānas are states of deep colledtedness characterized by progressively refined concentration and a temporary suspension of distractions. They unfold as follows:
- First jhāna: Involves applied thought (vitakka), sustained thought (vicāra), joy (pīti), happiness (sukha), and concentration (samādhi).
- Second jhāna: Applied and sustained thought drop away, leaving joy, happiness, and concentration.
- Third jhāna: Joy fades, leaving happiness and concentration.
- Fourth jhāna: Even happiness is transcended, leaving equanimity and pure concentration.

Mindfulness plays a critical role in recognizing and managing the Hindrances. By observing mental states with non-judgmental awareness, we can understand their nature and apply skillful remedies.

Deep concentration may lead to unusual or blissful experiences. The guidance of a teacher can help navigate these states safely and skillfully.

Finding the Right Balance

By understanding and skillfully cultivating concentration, we can develop a mind that is both stable and insightful, paving the way for profound understanding and the realization of awakening.

Seven Factors of Awakening Equanimity

Equanimity (Upekkha) is the balanced, unshakable state of mind that remains undisturbed by external circumstances or internal fluctuations. It embodies acceptance, non-reactivity, and mental stability.

Equanimity is the balance that allows the mind to stay steady. Whatever happens, it's all good—it doesn’t disturb the mind.

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As the seventh and final factor of awakening, it represents profound wisdom and freedom from reactivity. Cultivating equanimity means moving beyond clinging to pleasant experiences and resisting unpleasant ones, anchored in the understanding that all phenomena are impermanent and impersonal.

Equanimity is often misunderstood as indifference or apathy. However, true equanimity is not emotional suppression but a balanced engagement with life, free from being swayed by its ups and downs. It arises from wisdom and an open-hearted responsiveness to all experiences.

Reflecting on the principle of kamma (actions and their consequences) fosters equanimity. Recognizing that all beings are subject to this universal law helps dissolve feelings of personal injustice and cultivates compassion for the shared human condition.

The realization of impermanence is central to equanimity. When we see that all things are in constant flux, the impulse to cling to or resist particular experiences naturally weakens. This understanding allows us to face life’s challenges and joys with greater ease.

Moments of equanimity often arise naturally, even when we’re not actively cultivating it. By noticing these moments, we can deepen our appreciation of equanimity and make it a more conscious part of our lives.

Equanimity in Practice

1. Contemplating the Brahmavihāras
The Brahmavihāras—loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity—form a framework for cultivating a balanced heart. Reflecting on these qualities nurtures a broader perspective and fosters equanimity in our relationships with all beings.

2. Noting Reactivity
Paying attention to our reactions to pleasant and unpleasant experiences reveals habitual patterns of clinging or aversion. Recognizing these tendencies provides the opportunity to choose a more skillful, equanimous response.

3. Reframing Challenges
Difficult situations can be reframed as opportunities for growth and learning rather than personal misfortunes. This perspective helps us approach challenges with wisdom and patience.

4. Developing Patience
Patience is essential for maintaining equanimity. Whether in dealing with others or ourselves, cultivating patience strengthens our ability to remain steady amidst difficulties.

5. Accepting What Cannot Be Changed
Acknowledging the limits of our control reduces frustration and anxiety, freeing us to focus energy on what we can influence. This acceptance fosters greater peace and balance.

Equanimity is not passive resignation but a dynamic and wise quality that balances insight with compassion. It enables us to navigate the complexities of life with grace, freeing us from entanglement in mental dramas and emotional turbulence.

As we cultivate equanimity, we develop the ability to remain open, understanding, and peaceful in all circumstances. This balanced state of mind serves as both the culmination of the path and the ground from which true liberation arises.

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Just as this body is sustained by food, stands because of food, and does not stand without food; in the same way the seven factors of enlightenment are sustained by their respective nourishments, stand because of nourishment, and do not stand without nourishment.

And what is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen mindfulness enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen mindfulness enlightenment factor?

There are things that are the basis for the mindfulness enlightenment factor. In this, appropriate attention is frequently given: this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen mindfulness enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen mindfulness enlightenment factor.

And what is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen investigation of dhamma enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen investigation of dhamma enlightenment factor?

There are wholesome and unwholesome dhammas, blameworthy and blameless dhammas, inferior and superior dhammas, and dhammas that are dark and bright with their counterparts.

In this, appropriate attention is frequently given: this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen investigation of dhamma enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen investigation of dhamma enlightenment factor.

And what is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen energy enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen energy enlightenment factor?

There are the elements of initiative, exertion, and endeavor. In this, appropriate attention is frequently given: this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen energy enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen energy enlightenment factor.

And what is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen joy enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen joy enlightenment factor?

There are things that are the basis for the joy enlightenment factor. In this, appropriate attention is frequently given: this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen joy enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen joy enlightenment factor.

And what is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen tranquility enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen tranquility enlightenment factor?

There are tranquility of body and tranquility of mind. In this, appropriate attention is frequently given: this is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen tranquility enlightenment factor, or for the development and completion of arisen tranquility enlightenment factor.

And what is the nourishment for the arising of unarisen For the arising of the concentration enlightenment factor, or for the development and fulfillment of the arisen concentration enlightenment factor? Disciples, there is a sign of concentration, a sign of non-distraction.

Here, frequent wise attention: this is the nourishment for the arising of the not yet arisen concentration enlightenment factor, or for the development and fulfillment of the arisen concentration enlightenment factor.

And what is the nourishment for the arising of the not yet arisen equanimity enlightenment factor, or for the development and fulfillment of the arisen equanimity enlightenment factor?

Disciples, there are states conducive to the equanimity enlightenment factor. Here, frequent wise attention: this is the nourishment for the arising of the not yet arisen equanimity enlightenment factor, or for the development and fulfillment of the arisen equanimity enlightenment factor.

Just as this body is sustained by food, stands dependent on food, and does not stand without food; in the same way these seven factors of enlightenment are sustained by nourishment, stand dependent on nourishment, and do not stand without nourishment.

SN46.2

*the Buddha has taught that reflecting wisely or contemplating wisely develops the mindfulness enlightenment factor, which is supported by seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and ripens in relinquishment. The same is said for the investigation of Dhamma enlightenment factor, energy enlightenment factor, rapture enlightenment factor, tranquility enlightenment factor, concentration enlightenment factor, and finally, equanimity enlightenment factor—all of which are supported by seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, and ripen in relinquishment.

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When these five hindrances are abandoned in himself, he observes joy arising within, from joy comes delight, with a delighted mind the body becomes tranquil, with a tranquil body he feels pleasure, and with a pleasurable mind, the mind becomes concentrated.

DN9

When Right Mindfulness is fully established, it automatically leads to Right Concentration, and all Seven Enlightenment Factors are fulfilled.

However, the longer one stays abiding in Right Mindfulness, the more likely one of the Hindrances will come up, the more likely one will grasp at something. We must learn how to balance these Seven Enlightenment Factors, so that they are all kept in the right proportion, to keep the mind steady and satisfied, except for Mindfulness, for which there can never be too much.

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when a disciple's mindfulness is established and not confused: the mindfulness enlightenment factor is aroused, he develops the mindfulness enlightenment factor, and the mindfulness enlightenment factor reaches fulfillment.

Dwelling thus mindful, he investigates, examines, and inquires into that state with wisdom. ...the investigation-of-states enlightenment factor is aroused at that time, he develops the investigation-of-states enlightenment factor, and the investigation-of-states enlightenment factor reaches fulfillment at that time.

As he investigates, examines, and inquires into that state with wisdom, energy that is not slack is aroused in him. At the time, Ānanda, when the disciple's energy that is not slack is aroused: the energy enlightenment factor is aroused at that time, he develops the energy enlightenment factor, and the energy enlightenment factor reaches fulfillment at that time.

When energy is aroused, joy that is free from sensuality arises. At the time, Ānanda, when joy that is free from sensuality arises in the disciple whose energy is aroused: the joy enlightenment factor is aroused at that time, he develops the joy enlightenment factor, and the joy enlightenment factor reaches fulfillment at that time.

When the mind is joyful, the body and mind become tranquil. At the time, Ānanda, when the disciple's body and mind become tranquil: the tranquility enlightenment factor is aroused at that time, he develops the tranquility enlightenment factor, and the tranquility enlightenment factor reaches fulfillment at that time.

When the body is tranquil and happy, the mind becomes concentrated. At the time, Ānanda, when the disciple's mind becomes concentrated: the concentration enlightenment factor is aroused at that time, he develops the concentration enlightenment factor, and the concentration enlightenment factor reaches fulfillment at that time.

Dwelling thus with a concentrated mind, he carefully observes with equanimity. At the time, Ānanda, when a disciple dwelling thus with a concentrated mind carefully observes with equanimity: the equanimity enlightenment factor is aroused at that time, he develops the equanimity enlightenment factor, and the equanimity enlightenment factor reaches fulfillment at that time. ...

Thus developed, Ānanda, the four foundations of mindfulness thus frequently practiced fulfill the seven factors of enlightenment.

SN54.13

The Battle Within

Upāsikā Kee Nanayon

Clear insight doesn’t come from thinking and speculating. It comes from investigating the mind while it’s gathered into an adequate level of calm and stability. You look deeply into every aspect of the mind when it’s neutral and calm, free from thought-fabrications or likes and dislikes for its preoccupations. You have to work at maintaining this state and at the same time probe deeply into it, because superficial knowledge isn’t true knowledge. As long as you haven’t probed deeply into the mind, you don’t really know anything. The mind is simply calm on an external level, and your reading of the aspects of the wanderings of the mind under the influence of defilement, craving, and attachment isn’t yet clear.

So you have to try to peer into yourself until you reach a level of awareness that can maintain its balance and let you contemplate your way to sharper understanding. If you don’t contemplate so as to give rise to true knowledge, your mindfulness will stay just on the surface.

The same principle holds with contemplating the body. You have to probe deeply into the ways in which the body is repulsive and composed of physical elements. This is what it means to read the body so as to understand it, so that you can explore yourself in all your activities. This way you prevent your mind from straying off the path and keep it focused on seeing how it can burn away the defilements as they arise, which is very delicate work.

Being uncomplacent, not letting yourself get distracted by outside things, is what will make the practice go smoothly. It will enable you to examine the defilements in the mind in a skillful way so that you can eliminate the subtlest ones: ignorance and delusion. Normally, we aren’t fully aware of even the blatant defilements, but now that the blatant ones are inactivated because of the mind’s solid focus, we can look into the more profound areas to catch sight of the deceits of craving and defilements in whatever way they move into action. We watch them, know them, and are in a position to abandon them as soon as they wander off in search of sights, sounds, smells, and delicious flavors. Whether they’re looking for good physical flavors, bodily pleasure, or good mental flavors, we have to know them from all sides, even though they’re not easy to know because of all the many desires we feel for physical pleasure. And on top of that, there are the desires for happiness imbued with pleasurable feelings, perceptions that carry pleasurable feelings, thought-fabrications that carry pleasurable feelings, and consciousness that carries pleasurable feelings. All of these are nothing but desires for illusions, for things that deceive us into getting engrossed and distracted. As a result, it isn’t easy for us to understand much of anything at all.

These are subtle matters and they all come under the term, “sensual craving”, the desire, lust, and love that provoke the mind into wandering out in search of the enjoyment it remembers from past sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations. Even though these things may have happened long ago, our perceptions bring them back to deceive us with ideas of their being good or bad. Once we latch onto them, they make the mind unsettled and defiled.

So it isn’t easy to examine and understand all the various defilements within the mind. The external things we’re able to know and let go of are only the minor players. The important ones have gathered together to take charge in the mind and won’t budge no matter how you try to chase them out. They’re stubborn and determined to stay in charge. If you take them on when your mindfulness and discernment aren’t equal to the fight, you’ll end up losing your inner calm.

So you have to make sure that you don’t push the practice too much, without at the same time letting it grow too slack. Find the Middle Way that’s just right. While you’re practicing in this way, you’ll be able to observe what the mind is like when it has mindfulness and discernment in charge, and then you make the effort to maintain that state and keep it constant. That’s when the mind will have the opportunity to stop and be still, to be stable and centered for long periods of time until it’s used to being that way.

Now, there are some areas where we have to force the mind and be strict with it. If we’re weak and lax, there’s no way we can succeed, for we’ve given in to our own wants for so long already. If we keep giving in to them, it will become even more of a habit. So you have to use force, the force of your will and the force of your mindfulness and discernment. Even if you get to the point where you have to put your life on the line, you’ve got to be willing. When the time comes for you really to be serious, you’ve got to hold out until you come out winning. If you don’t win, you don’t give up. Sometimes you have to make a vow as a way of forcing yourself to overcome your stubborn desires for physical pleasure that tempt you and lead you astray.

If you’re weak and settle for whatever pleasure comes in the immediate present, then when desire comes in the immediate present you fall right for it. If you give in to your wants often in this way, it’ll become habitual, for defilement is always looking for the chance to tempt you, to incite you. As when we try to give up an addiction to cigarettes, or meat: It’s hard to do because craving is always tempting us. “Take just a little,” it says. “Just a taste. It doesn’t matter.” Craving knows how to fool us, the way a fish is fooled into getting caught on a hook by the bait surrounding the hook, screwing up its courage enough to take just a little, and then a little more, and then a little more until it’s sure to get snagged. The demons of defilement have us surrounded on all sides. Once we fall for their delicious flavors, we’re sure to get snagged on the hook. No matter how much we struggle and squirm, we can’t get free.

You have to realize that gaining victory over your enemies, the cravings and defilements in the heart, is no small matter, no casual affair. You can’t let yourself be weak or lax, but you also have to gauge your strength, for you have to figure out how to apply your efforts at abandoning and destroying to weaken the defilements and cravings that have had the power of demons overwhelming the mind for so long. It’s not the case that you have to battle to the brink of death in every area. With some things, such as giving up addictions, you can mount a full-scale campaign and come out winning without killing yourself in the process. But with other things, more subtle and deep, you have to be more perceptive so as to figure out how to overcome them over the long haul, digging up their roots so that they gradually weaken to the point where your mindfulness and discernment can overwhelm them. If there are any areas where you’re still losing out, you have to take stock of your sensitivities to figure out why. Otherwise, you’ll keep losing out, for when the defilements really want something, they trample all over your mindfulness and discernment in their determination to get what they’re after: “That’s what I want. I don’t care what anyone says.” They really are that stubborn! So it’s no small matter, figuring out how to bring them under control. It’s like running into an enemy or a wild beast rushing in to devour us. What are we going to do?

When the defilements arise right before your eyes, you have to be wary. Suppose you’re perfectly aware, and all of a sudden they spring up and confront you: What kind of mindfulness and discernment are you going to use to disband them, to realize that, “These are the hordes of Mara, come to burn and eat me. How am I going to get rid of them?” In other words, how are you going to find a skillful way of contemplating them so as to destroy them right then and there?

We have to do this regardless of whether we’re being confronted with physical and mental pain or physical and mental pleasure. Actually, pleasure is more treacherous than pain because it’s hard to fathom and easy to fall for. As for pain, no one falls for it because it’s so uncomfortable. So how are we going to contemplate so as to let go of both the pleasure and the pain? This is the problem we’re faced with at every moment. It’s not the case that when we practice we accept only the pleasure and stop when we run into pain. That’s not the case at all. We have to learn how to read both sides, to see that the pain is inconstant and stressful, and that the pleasure is inconstant and stressful, too. We have to penetrate clear through these things. Otherwise, we’ll be deluded by the deceits of the cravings that want pleasure, whether it’s physical pleasure or whatever. Our every activity, sitting, standing, walking, lying down, is really for the sake of pleasure, isn’t it?

This is why there are so many, many ways in which we’re deluded with pleasure. Whatever we do, we do for the sake of pleasure without realizing how deeply we’ve mired ourselves in suffering and stress. When we contemplate inconstancy, stress, and not-selfness, we don’t get anywhere in our contemplation because we haven’t seen through pleasure. We still think that it’s a good thing. We have to probe into the fact that there’s no real ease to physical or mental pleasure. It’s all stress. When you can see it from this angle, that’s when you’ll come to understand inconstancy.

Then once the mind isn’t focused on wanting pleasure all the time, its stresses and pains will lighten. It will be able to see them as something common and normal, to see that if you try to change the pains to find ease, there’s no ease to be found. In this way, you won’t be overly concerned with trying to change the pains, for you’ll see that there’s no pleasure or ease to the aggregates, that they give nothing but stress and pain. As in the Buddha’s teachings that we chant every day: “Form is stressful, feeling, perception, thought-fabrications, and consciousness are all stressful.” The problem is that we haven’t investigated into the truth of our own form, feelings, perceptions, thought-fabrications, and consciousness. Our insight isn’t yet penetrating because we haven’t looked from the angle of true knowing. And so we get deluded here and lost there in our search for pleasure, finding nothing but pain and yet mistaking it for pleasure. This shows that we still haven’t opened our ears and eyes; we still don’t know the truth. Once we do know the truth, though, the mind will be more inclined to grow still and calm than to go wandering off. The reason it goes wandering off is because it’s looking for pleasure, but once it realizes there’s no real pleasure to be found in that way, it settles down and grows still.

All the cravings that provoke and unsettle the mind come down to nothing but the desire for pleasure. So we have to contemplate so as to see that the aggregates have no pleasure to offer, they they’re stressful by their very nature. They’re not us or ours. Take them apart and have a good look at them, starting with the body. Analyze the body down to its elements so that the mind won’t keep latching on to it as “me” or “mine.” You have to do this over and over again until you really understand.

It’s the same as when we chant the passage for Recollection while Using the Requisites, food, clothing, shelter, and medicine, every day. We do this so as to gain real understanding. If we don’t do this every day, we forget and get deluded into loving and worrying about the body as “my body,” “my self.” No matter how much we keep latching onto it over and over again, it’s not easy for us to realize what we’re doing, even though we have the Buddha’s teachings available, explaining these things in every way. Or we may have contemplated to some extent, but we haven’t seen things clearly. We’ve seen only in a vague blurry way and then flitted off oblivious without having probed in to see all the way through. This is because the mind isn’t firmly centered. It isn’t still. It keeps wandering off to find things to think about and get itself all agitated. This way it can’t really get to know anything at all. All it knows are a few little perceptions. This is the way it’s been for who knows how many years now. It’s as if our vision has been clouded by spots that we haven’t yet removed from our eyes.

Those who aren’t interested in exploring, who don’t make an effort to get to the facts, don’t wonder about anything at all. They’re free from doubt, all right, but it’s because their doubts have been smothered by delusion. If we start exploring and contemplating, we’ll have to wonder about the things we don’t yet know: “What’s this? What does it mean? How should I deal with it?” These are questions that lead us to explore. If we don’t explore, it’s because we don’t have any intelligence. Or we may gain a few little insights, but we let them pass so that we never explore deeply into the basic principles of the practice. What little we do know doesn’t go anywhere, doesn’t penetrate into the Noble Truths, because our mindfulness and discernment run out of strength. Our persistence isn’t resilient enough, isn’t brave enough. We don’t dare look deeply inside ourselves.

To go by our own estimates of how far is enough in the practice is to lie to ourselves. It keeps us from gaining release from suffering and stress. If you happen to come up with a few insights, don’t go bragging about them, or else you’ll end up deceiving yourself in countless ways. Those who really know, even when they have attained the various stages of insight, are heedful to keep on exploring. They don’t get stuck on this stage or that. Even when their insights are correct they don’t stop right there and start bragging, for that’s the way of a fool.

Intelligent people, even though they see things clearly, always keep an eye out for the enemies lying in wait for them on the deeper, more subtle levels ahead. They have to keep penetrating further and further in. They have no sense that this or that level is plenty enough, for how can it be enough? The defilements are still burning away, so how can you brag? Even though your knowledge may be true, how can you be complacent when your mind has yet to establish a foundation for itself?

As you investigate with mindfulness and discernment, complacency is the major problem. You have to be uncomplacent in the practice if you want to keep up with the fact that life is ebbing away, ebbing with every moment. And how should you live so that you can be said to be uncomplacent? This is an extremely important question, for if you’re not alive to it, then no matter how many days or months you practice meditation or restraint of the senses, it’s simply a temporary exercise. When you’re done, you get back to your same old turmoil as before.

And watch out for your mouth. You’ll have trouble not bragging, for the defilements will provoke you into speaking. They want to speak, they want to brag, they won’t let you stay silent.

If you force yourself in the practice without understanding its true aims, you end up deceiving yourself and go around telling people, “I practiced in silence for so many days, so many months.” This is deceiving yourself and others as well. The truth of the matter is that you’re still a slave to stupidity, obeying the many levels of defilement and craving within yourself without realizing the fact. If someone praises you, you really prick up your ears, wag your tail and, instead of explaining the harm of the defilements and craving you were able to find within yourself, you simply want to brag.

So the practice of the Dhamma isn’t something that you can just muddle your way through. It’s something you have to do with your intelligence fully alert, for when you contemplate in a circumspect way, you’ll see that there’s nothing worth getting engrossed in, that everything, both inside and out, is nothing but an illusion. It’s like being adrift, alone in the middle of the ocean with no island or shore in sight. Can you afford just to sit back and relax, to make a temporary effort and then brag about it? Of course not! As your investigation penetrates inwardly to ever more subtle levels of the mind, you’ll have to become more and more calm and reserved, in the same way that people become more and more circumspect as they grow from children to teenagers and into adults. Your mindfulness and discernment have to keep growing more and more mature in order to understand the right and wrong, the true and false, in whatever arises: That’s what will enable you to let go and gain release. And that’s what will make your life in the true practice of the Dhamma go smoothly. Otherwise, you’ll fool yourself into boasting of how many years you practiced meditation and will eventually find yourself worse off than before, with defilement flaring up in a big way. If this is the way you go, you’ll end up tumbling head over heels into fire, for when you raise your head in pride, you run into the flames already burning within yourself.

To practice means to use the fire of mindfulness and discernment as a counter-fire to put out the blaze of the defilements, because the heart and mind are aflame with defilement, and when we use the fire of mindfulness and discernment to put out the fire of defilement, the mind can cool down. Do this by being increasingly honest with yourself, without leaving an opening for defilement and craving to insinuate their way into control. You have to be alert. Circumspect. Wise to them. Don’t fall for them! If you fall for whatever rationale they come up with, it means that your mindfulness and discernment are still weak. They lead you away by the nose, burning you with their fire right before your very eyes, and yet you’re still able to open your mouth to brag!

So turn around and take stock of everything within yourself. Take stock of every aspect, because right and wrong, true and false, are all within you. You can’t go finding them outside. The damaging things people say about you are nothing compared to the damage caused inside you when defilement burns you, when your feeling of “me” and “mine” raises its head.

If you don’t honestly come to your senses, there’s no way your practice of the Dhamma can gain you release from the great mass of suffering and stress. You may be able to gain a little knowledge and let go of a few things, but the roots of the problem will still lie buried deep down. So you have to dig them out. You can’t relax after little bouts of emptiness and equanimity. That won’t accomplish anything. The defilements and mental effluents lie deep in the personality, so you have to use mindfulness and discernment to penetrate deep down to make a precise and thorough examination. Only then will you get results. Otherwise, if you stay only on the surface level, you can practice until your body lies rotting in its coffin but you won’t have changed any of your basic habits.

Those who are scrupulous by nature, who know how to contemplate their own flaws, will keep on the alert for any signs of pride within themselves. They’ll try to control and destroy conceit on every side and won’t allow it to swell. The methods we need to use in the practice for examining and destroying the defilements within the mind aren’t easy to master. For those who don’t contemplate themselves thoroughly, the practice may actually only increase their pride, their bragging, their desire to go teaching others. But if we turn within and discern the deceits and conceits of self, a profound feeling of disenchantment and dismay arises, causing us to pity ourselves for our own stupidity, for the amount to which we’ve deluded ourselves all along, and for how much effort we‘ll still need to put into the practice.

So however great the pain and anguish, however many tears bathe your cheeks, persevere! The practice isn’t simply a matter of looking for mental and physical pleasure. “Let tears bathe my cheeks, but I’ll keep on with my striving at the holy life as long as I live!” That’s the way it has to be! Don’t quit at the first small difficulty with the thought, “It’s a waste of time. I’d do better to follow my cravings and defilements.” You can’t think like that! You have to take the exact opposite stance: “When they tempt me to grab this, take a lot of that, I won’t! However fantastic the object may be, I won’t take the bait.” Make a firm declaration! This is the only way to get results. Otherwise, you’ll never work yourself free, for the defilements have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves. If you get wise to one trick, they simply change to another, and then another.

If we’re not observant to see how much we’ve been deceived by the defilements in all sorts of ways, we won’t come to know the truth within ourselves. Other people may fool us now and then, but the defilements fool us all of the time. We fall for them and follow them hook, line, and sinker. Our trust in the Lord Buddha is nothing compared to our trust in them. We’re disciples of the demons of craving, letting them lead us ever deeper into their jungle.

If we don’t contemplate to see this for ourselves, we’re lost in that jungle charnel ground where the demons keep roasting us to make us squirm with desires and every form of distress. Even though you have come to stay in a place with few disturbances, these demons still manage to tempt and draw you away. Just notice how the saliva flows when you come across anything delicious! So you have to decide to be either a warrior or a loser. The practice requires that you do battle with defilements and cravings. Always be on your guard, whatever the approach they take to seduce and deceive you. Other people can’t come in to lead you away, but these demons of your own defilements can because you’re willing to trust them, to be their slave. You have to contemplate yourself carefully so that you’re no longer enslaved to them and can reach total freedom within yourself. Make an effort to develop your mindfulness and discernment so as to gain clear insight and then let go until suffering and stress disband in every way!

notes:

Ananda talks about is abandoning the five hindrances, or Pancha Nibarana Pahina. That the five hindrances are the blocks to the jhanas, or mental absorptions. They cover the mind and intoxicate it with unwholesome states which include include covetousness (abijja), ill will , dullness and drowsiness (also known as sloth and torpor), restlessness and worry, and doubt.

Having abandoned dullness and drowsiness, one dwells perceiving light, mindful and clearly comprehending, and purifies one's mind from dullness and drowsiness. Then, having abandoned restlessness and worry, one dwells at ease within oneself with a peaceful mind and purifies one's mind from restlessness and worry. Having abandoned doubt, one dwells as one who has passed beyond doubt, unperplexed about wholesome states, and purifies one's mind from doubt.

When you see these five hindrances have been abandoned, you regard that as freedom from debt, which is non-covetousness; good health, which is non-ill will; being released from a prison, which is not having dullness and drowsiness; freedom from slavery, which is not having restlessness and worry; and having a place of safety, which is freedom from doubt.

When these hindrances are absent, gladness arises. When one is glad, rapture arises. When the mind is filled with rapture, the body becomes tranquil. Again, when there is tranquility in the body, one experiences happiness, and the mind becomes concentrated. Thus, one enters into the jhanas, the mental absorptions.

Quote

when a noble disciple dwells in seclusion and experiences joy, five conditions do not exist for him at that time.
The suffering of sensual pleasures does not exist for him at that time.
The suffering of unwholesome states does not exist for him at that time.
The happiness of sensual pleasures does not exist for him at that time.
The happiness of unwholesome states does not exist for him at that time.
The suffering of wholesome states does not exist for him at that time.

AN5.176

Sutta Study

SN46.2: Just as the body depends on food, the awakening factors depend on nutriment. The Tathagata gives specific conditions for each of the factors.

SN46.3: Here the awakening factors are described in the context of hearing the teachings and reflecting on them. This leads to full enlightenment, or at least to some lesser attainment.

SN46.4: The various awakening factors can be donned at different times of the day, like a man who puts on bright colored clothes whenever he wants.

SN46.2: Just as the body depends on food, the awakening factors depend on nutriment. The Tathagata gives specific conditions for each of the factors.

SN46.26: The awakening factors lead to the ending of craving.

SN46.51: The Tathagata spells out in detail the factors that nourish the hindrances, and those that nourish the awakening factors.

SN46.52: Some wanderers tell some Buddhist desciples that they, too, teach the five hindrances and the seven awakening factors, so what is the difference? The Tathagata explains by giving a detailed analytical treatment that he says is beyond the scope of the wanderers.

SN46.54: Some wanderers tell some Buddhist desciples that they, too, teach the five hindrances and the four Brahmā meditations, so what is the difference? The Tathagata explains the detailed connection between the Brahmā meditations and the awakening factors, which taken together lead to liberation.

SN46.55: The brahmin Saṅgārava asks why sometimes verses stay in memory while other times they don’t. The Tathagata replies that it is due to the presence of either the hindrances of awakening factors. He gives a set of similes illustrating each of the hindrances with different bowls of water.

AN5.23: The hindrances are like the corruptions in gold.

SN54.2: Mindfulness of the breath is very beneficial. It is developed together with the seven factors of awakening.

SN54.12: Venerable Lomasavaṅgīsa explains to Mahānāma that the difference between a trainee and the Realized One is that the trainees practice to give up the hindrances, whereas the Realized One has already ended all defilements.

SN54.13: Answering Ānanda, the Tathagata explains how one thing fulfills four things, four things fulfill seven things, and seven things fulfill two things.