5 Nivaranas that hinder our progress to Nibbāna

The Pali term nīvaraṇa (Sanskrit: nivāraṇa) refers to an obstacle or hinderance.

In the Nīvaraṇa Sutta (AN 9:64) the Buddha says “Mendicants, these five hindrances (nīvaraṇas) are destroyers of sight, vision, and knowledge. They block wisdom, they’re on the side of anguish, and they don’t lead to extinguishment (Nibbāna). What five? Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. These five hindrances are destroyers of sight, vision, and knowledge. They block wisdom, they’re on the side of anguish, and they don’t lead to extinguishment.” For full translation of sutta see here

Even if your goal is not final Nibbana, knowing these five hinderances are useful both in meditation and through the day.

Sensual desire (kamacchanda)

The activity of meditation is to rest the attention on an object, it could be breath, mantra or any particular aspect that you are investigating. Every morning I sit down often with the best of intentions, however soon I find my attention moves to something else… thoughts of food, nice experiences I have had in the past or wish to have. Beautiful objects that I want or crave, people I desire or want. This is my mind influenced by Kamacchanda, Sensual Desire. As long as my attention remains driven by all the craving for sense objects the possibility of experiencing a peaceful, calm, mind state, simply by focusing on my meditation object will be hindered.

Not only during meditation, I also notice how so many times during the day I am drawn to activities to fulfil this sense-based craving. Nothing inherently wrong with appreciating and enjoying the world of sensual pleasure, if it doesn’t cause harm, however it’s the movement towards craving to satisfy some sort of lack or itch that is the hinderance. As none of these sense objects have the nature to completely satisfy, this can lead us down the path of compulsive shopping, spending, and addiction to substances. So I am beginning to recognize how my body and mind craves sensual pleasure and that it is a hinderance to something skillful in my life. It is a useful wake-up call to exercise moderation in my activities. Like right now I want to watch a movie, eat a whole packet of gummy bears, as writing this blog post is too difficult and a bit boring. But! No, I recognize “Kamacchanda, Sensual Desire” has risen in me and I continue tapping away on these keys!

Sense objects give little enjoyment, but much pain and much despair; the danger in them prevails. — MN 14

Ill-will (byapada):

Now there will be other days I find my mind very much overtaken by a general sense of irritation and aversion. I often get triggered listening to the news. We seem to be going through chaotic times globally. Places, people in the world going through financial, political and if I may say a spiritual crisis. Of course I have my view and opinion, and often I find myself solidify in a stance of righteous anger…I KNOW I am right!! (;)). This puts me in a critical fault finding irritable mind state. Some days I feel miserable and frustrated! All those sheep, hypnotised by the narrative…and all those evil elites ruining this world with their greedy power hungry agendas!! This is what the Buddha called a mind overtaken by Ill-will.

I feel justified in nursing this state of mind. I know intuitively when things are not ok…and to overlook what is happening and to recognize when something is wrong, is necessary. True, however we all know how taking actions from a space of anger often leads to unwholesome deeds which have negative karmic results. So beginning to see that this ill will is a hinderance to clear-seeing and wisdom, is useful. Makes me want to, though reluctantly, let it drop and pick up the antidote of Metta Bhavana, loving kindness meditation. May I be happy…grunt.grrrrrr, nothing to be happy about! May all beings be happy....really…how silly,…May I be happy…May all beings be happy…honestly I don’t see the possibility…ok May Leo (my cat) be happppppppppurrrrrr……

Without having overcome these five, it is impossible for a monk whose insight thus lacks strength and power, to know his own true good, the good of others, and the good of both; nor will he be capable of realizing that superhuman state of distinctive achievement, the knowledge and vision enabling the attainment of sanctity.— AN 5:51

Sloth and torpor (thina-middha)

Oh my old friend laziness and sloth. I can definitely identify this as a hinderance, some mornings. Sometimes, even before I step into my meditation cushion in the morning. It’s too dark to wake up, the bed feels nice…snooozeee, I read sleep is necessary for health…zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Yet another morning meditation session hindered by sloth and torpor. Sometimes it can strike me in the middle of a meditation session. My mind just feels so heavy, dull, and I have no energy to sit through the end of the sitting. Maybe I should just end this and enjoy a nap. And not only during meditation, during my day I know I have things to do in terms of work but feeling no energy and a general sense of laziness makes me move toward more listless activities. Lying on the couch, scrolling mindlessly through Instagram posts…a bit of sloth (thina-middha) flavoured with sensual desire (kamacchanda).

How does one stimulate the mind at a time when it needs stimulation? If due to slowness in the application of wisdom or due to non-attainment of the happiness of tranquillity, one’s mind is dull, then one should rouse it through reflecting on the eight stirring objects. These eight are: birth, decay, disease and death; the suffering in the worlds of misery; the suffering of the past rooted in the round of existence; the suffering of the future rooted in the round of existence; the suffering of the present rooted in the search for food. — Vism. IV,63

Restlessness and remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca)

An overall inability to focus on the object of meditation. Some days my mind seems to be filled with excessive mental chatter. A feeling of un-groundedness. First my mind runs here, then it runs there. A feeling of physical agitation, I can’t seem to settle into a comfortable steady position. My knee hurts, my back feels itchy a buzzing sensation. My mind is anything but steady. My attention keeps moving from one thing to the next. Times like this I often feel my body is expressing some unresolved unconscious issue. Since I am not really willing to look at it, it expresses it as physical discomfort and my unspoken emotional undertone of fear and anxiety gets expressed in chaotic defensive overthinking. This one is a bit similar to the previous Ill will state, I feel energised…but it’s almost too much. As if, if the string was pulled one more time, it would snap! Coffee overdose feeling moving to panic attack…! So once again rather than getting crashed by the wave…becoming aware that it is a hinderance is definitely useful…knowing like all things it too will pass and this doesn’t have to be my default forever state of mind, is a wise reflection. It’s just how things are now with my mind state, uddhacca-kukkucca strikes! Some slow steady inhalations…slow steady exhaaaaaaaaaaalaaaaaaations,….repeat, repeat, repeat….cool, slow…….

Sceptical doubt (vicikiccha)

For me doubt has been layered and subtle. Almost as if I cannot see that my mind is being confused by doubt. Of course I often doubt whether it is ever possible to get a calm clear mind just by watching the flow of breath. Hmm it hasn’t worked so far…so what are the chances it will work. Well the Buddha said it would…yes it worked for him, he was THE BUDDHA!!!, he didn’t meet us deluded modern human beings in 2022…maybe we need stronger techniques…I think I need to do some more research…before I sit down to meditate. Clear calm peace still eludes me…maybe I am doing something wrong, not sure it’s worth getting up every morning for this. Perhaps I am just avoiding stuff I have to do, but wasting time with the excuse of trying to meditate twice a day. Meditating for so long still I remain deluded, confused, unhappy!! Well hang on..am I getting a bit carried away with my thoughts here….Is this Doubt? Counter thought…yes the Buddha said Breath Meditation led to peace and tranquility…he knew what he was talking about, he attained final Nibbana. He also taught many humans and celestial beings and guided them to varying levels of liberation. Maybe I should just do the work…and be patient.

“Monks, there are these five hindrances. Which five? Sensual desire as a hindrance, ill will as a hindrance, sloth & drowsiness as a hindrance, restlessness & anxiety as a hindrance, and uncertainty as a hindrance. These are the five hindrances. (“Nivarana Sutta: Hindrances”, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu)

It has been days since I have been meaning to write on the subject of five hinderances and many of the above nīvaraṇas have come in the way of actually getting this done. But it’s done now!! A few months ago while meditating, a thought popped into my head. ‘More Production, Less Consumption’! I do spend a lot of time reading, listening to podcasts, audiobooks, Youtube videos with very interesting people sharing their thoughts and opinions. No doubt I see how that has improved my understanding on various subjects…however that little insight made me realise the necessity of actually writing, drawing and producing, rather than passively consuming. At some level too much of consumption leads to intensify these various hinderances. Having a bit of restraint, enduring through all the resistance has led me to this sentence. So good things happen if we recognize that obstacles arise in different forms.

For more in-depth exploration on the subject see ‘The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest’. Selected Texts from the Pali Canon and the Commentaries compiled and translated by Nyanaponika Thera