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The Five Hindrances
Training the mind

The Five Hindrances

Pañca nīvaraṇāni

Five things that block the mind from settling and wisdom from arising — name the one you have and the remedy becomes obvious.

5 points

"Hindrance" means what obstructs. These are the states that stop the mind from settling and prevent insight: sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and worry, and doubt.

The Buddha compared them to five bowls of water: water dyed with colour, water boiling, water covered with algae, water ruffled by wind, and water muddied with silt. In none of them can you see your own face — but for five different reasons, so each needs its own remedy.

  1. 1

    Sensual desire Kāmacchando

    Attraction to sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches, pulling the mind out towards what it wants until it cannot stay with what is here. Like water dyed with colour, in which no reflection shows.

    Applying it in daily life

    Counter it by looking at the other side of what you want — its real price and how briefly the satisfaction lasts — then postpone the decision for a while.

  2. 2

    Ill will Byāpādo

    Anger, resentment and thoughts of harm, heating the mind until nothing can be seen straight. Like water on the boil.

    Applying it in daily life

    Counter it with loving-kindness, starting with yourself before extending it to the person you resent. If that's still too much, change the subject of thought first and return when cooler.

  3. 3

    Dullness and drowsiness Thīnamiddhaṃ

    Sleepiness and a mind that has lost heart, leaving no energy for anything. Like water covered with algae so nothing below is visible.

    Applying it in daily life

    Fix the body first — wash your face, change posture, walk, or simply get enough sleep — then lift the mind by recalling something that gives it heart.

  4. 4

    Restlessness and worry Uddhaccakukkuccaṃ

    A mind racing without pause, plus anxiety about what was done wrong or left unfinished. Like water constantly ruffled by the wind.

    Applying it in daily life

    Write down everything on your mind before sitting or before sleep. The brain stops rehearsing once it trusts that the matter has been recorded.

  5. 5

    Doubt Vicikicchā

    Uncertainty that stops you acting — both about the method and about whether you can do it at all. Like muddy water in which nothing at all can be seen.

    Applying it in daily life

    Counter it by getting clear information from someone who knows, and by actually testing it. Most doubt dissolves through doing, not through more thinking.

Try it in daily life

When meditation won't settle or work won't hold your attention, don't conclude that you lack discipline. Run the five questions: what am I wanting, who am I annoyed with, am I sleepy, what am I restless about, and what am I unsure of?

Once you've identified it correctly, the remedy becomes obvious — if you are sleepy, wash your face or walk, rather than forcing yourself to sit until you doze off.

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