Meditation Q&A 81–85: Five Hindrances, Right Mindfulness and Stream-Entry

MEDITATION Q&A 81–85: FIVE HINDRANCES, RIGHT MINDFULNESS AND STREAM-ENTRY

QUESTION 81: WHEN THE HINDRANCE OF SLOTH AND TORPOR IS ELIMINATED AND THE PRACTITIONER IS NO LONGER SLEEPY, CAN HE/SHE THEN PRACTICE VIGOROUSLY?

Answer: It is true that when the Hindrance of Sloth and Torpor is eliminated, the practitioner loses the feeling of sleepiness, and the need for sleep naturally disappears even if he/she stays up very late. When the mind becomes tranquil and bright, many people are eager to advance further and try to stay awake to practice. Later, their health deteriorates, and their bodies weaken. Some people are eager for quick results and want to practice vigorously for enlightenment, but in the end, they go insane. It is important to remember that the more stable the mind becomes, the greater the harm if there is a mistake.

At that time, if everything no longer bothers the practitioner, they can devote more time to practice, but they must balance it with their health to be harmonious to progress further. The practitioner should not abuse this ability to stay awake for long periods but should allow the brain to sleep, as even the Buddha had to sleep a few hours each night.

QUESTION 82: THE HINDRANCE OF RESTLESSNESS IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. HOW SHOULD IT BE UNDERSTOOD?

Answer: “Restlessness” refers to a state where the body is not at peace and cannot remain still. The cause is the constant transmission of signals from the brain to the entire body and limbs, causing slight movements. For a new practitioner, sitting still can feel like torture because the body is accustomed to constant movement. Due to a restless mind, the body always wants to fidget. Sometimes, even an itch can make us unable to sit still. When one's practice becomes more refined, others may see us sitting still, but in reality, there are still subtle movements.

When the Hindrance of Restlessness is eliminated, the neural activities in the brain calms down, and the practitioner will feel the entire body becoming stiff and immobile, but without tension. This feeling is always accompanied by a very deep state of mindfulness, and the mind is quite pure and mindful. One should absolutely not force the body to become immobile by tensing the whole body, as this will strain the brain's nervous system and lead to physical problems.

When one achieves Right Mindfulness to the point where there is a feeling of not perceiving the body, it does not necessarily mean that the Hindrance of Restlessness has been eliminated, because when Restlessness ends, the body should have a feeling of stiffness. Later, when entering the first Jhāna, the body will begin to feel soft and relaxed while still remaining immobile.

QUESTION 83: WHAT IS THE HINDRANCE OF DOUBT? WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A PERSON WHO HAS ELIMINATED THIS HINDRANCE?

ANSWER: "Doubt" in this context refers to a state of wavering, uncertainty, or skepticism. When the Hindrance of Doubt has not been eliminated, the practitioner, despite diligent practice, will still experience some uncertainty. They may question whether they are on the right path, whether their practice will yield results, or what the benefits of sitting meditation might be. When one attains deep Mindfulness, and progresses to overcoming the Hindrance of Doubt, the feeling of uncertainty immediately vanishes. The practitioner gains immense confidence in the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) and the path of spiritual cultivation they are following.

However, even though the meditation level of someone who has overcome the Hindrance of Doubt is very high—to the point where their Mindfulness would remain even if they were thrown into a fire—they have not necessarily reached the point of no decline. The practitioner might still harbor some remaining wrong views and could potentially make mistakes. At the same time, because their Mindfulness is so strong, they may develop extreme self-confidence, which can turn into extremism. They may easily say inappropriate things, look down on others, or even speak disrespectfully of the Buddha, which could lead to their decline in this life or the next.

In many discourses (suttas), the Buddha praises the elimination of the Five Hindrances as like casting off a heavy burden, getting rid of debt, or emerging from a wilderness. It brings great lightness and tranquility to the mind. After overcoming the Hindrance of Doubt, thus overcoming all five Hindrances, the practitioner prepares to enter the first Jhāna.

QUESTION 84: AFTER ATTAINING RIGHT MINDFULNESS, IS THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS ALWAYS THE SAME?

ANSWER: When a practitioner's Right Endeavor matures, their level of Awareness gradually increases until it becomes powerful and naturally becomes the master of their mind. Alternatively, due to past causes ripening, the practitioner may suddenly experience enlightenment, and an overwhelming Awareness fills their mind. At that moment, wandering thoughts become like strangers, flickering shadows on the periphery, or troublesome parasites that need to be purged from one's inner being.

However, the Awareness that masters the mind can also vary in strength and depth. When Awareness is not yet very strong, wandering thoughts will still lurk and flicker, though they no longer have the power to dominate the mind. When Awareness is deep, wandering thoughts disappear altogether. An example of this is the level of enlightenment of Master Yixuan, the patriarch of the Linji (Rinzai) school, where wandering thoughts had no ground to exist.

QUESTION 85: THE BUDDHA AFFIRMED THAT A STREAM-ENTERER (FIRST SAINTHOOD - SOTĀPANNA) HAS ERADICATED THE INSTINCT OF DOUBT. DOES THE HINDRANCE OF DOUBT DIFFER FROM THE INSTINCT OF DOUBT?

ANSWER: From an unstable, flickering mindfulness, sometimes remembering, sometimes forgetting, to a stable, unwavering mindfulness, to the stage of entering fully into Right Mindfulness, is a major transformation. In this
tranquil and bright Mindfulness, the practitioner may have already attained the Sainthood of Stream-enterer.

If the practitioner attains the Sainthood of Stream-enterer, then that one has broken the three instincts, which include doubt, self-view, and clinging to rites and rituals (these will be explained in the following questions). If the practitioner only attains Right Mindfulness, then he/she will gradually break the five hindrances, which are sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, doubt, and restlessness and remorse.

So, since both are "doubt," why is one called a "instinct" and the other a "hindrance"? Because these two "doubts" are different. When the instinct of doubt is broken, the practitioner experiences the following psychological states:

• Unwavering faith in the Buddha, the Dharma (teachings of enlightenment), and the noble Sangha (community of Arahants)

• Being clear about the rightness or wrongness of all things in life, even without supernatural powers or divine vision, leads to a clear and decisive attitude.

• This decisive self-confidence leads the practitioner to love morality and not compromise with evil.

• Possessing wisdom to understand all things deeply, spontaneously discovering many doctrines, but still in accordance with the Tathagata's teachings.

Therefore, a Stream-enterer gradually develops the qualities of a role model in life, present as a teacher to the community. However, their level of meditation might not necessarily be equal to that of someone who has broken the hindrance of doubt.

A person who has broken the hindrance of doubt experiences the following psychological states:

• Extreme self-confidence, which can become extremist, because they clearly see that they can no longer lose Right Mindfulness. Due to excessive self-confidence, the practitioner may say inappropriate things, sowing the seeds of demerit for future lives where they may regress in their meditative practice, though not in this life.

• The practitioner understands and responds to esoteric Zen phrases with lightning speed.

When comparing the hindrance of doubt and the instinct of doubt, we see that the self-confidence of a Stream-enterer leans towards morality, while the self-confidence of one who has attained Right Mindfulness and broken the hindrance of doubt leans towards expressing their self-mastery.

Written by:
Janna

Related Articles:

Meditation Q&A 76–80: Karma, Mind Concentration and the Five Hindrances

Meditation Q&A 71–75: Dopamine, Meditative Bliss, True Mind and Buddha-Nature

Meditation Q&A 66–70: The Hidden Secrets of Breath Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation Q&A 61–65: Overcoming Drowsiness and the Six Steps of Mindfulness

Meditation Q&A 56–60: Karma, Contemplation, Repentance and Samadhi

Meditation, Business Intuition and Wisdom Without Greed

Instruction on Meditation: Essential Methods and Practice Guide

The Basic Meditation Technique: 5 Essential Steps to Practice Meditation