New York Insight Blog

The fourth hindrance of restlessness and worry, encountered in meditation and in daily life, is nervous unsettled physical energy, characterized by quickly changing thoughts, anxiety, agitation and worry in the mind, and difficulty sitting still.

Sleepiness, a/k/a sloth and torpor (the phrase admirably describes the state)—is the third of the five hindrances or difficult energies that arise in practice. Training the mind to work with them in meditation is a template for arousing energy for quotidian tasks.

Aversion, the opposite of desire, is the second hindrance encountered in meditation as well as daily life. Anger, fear, boredom and judgment are facets of aversion. Anger is outflowing, expressive, energized; and fear is held in, frozen, imploding—both striking-out against what is happening, wanting to declare it not-to-be-so, separating from it, pushing it away.

The first hindrance is desire for sense pleasure—pleasant sounds, sights, tastes, smells and bodily sensations. Desire in itself is not wrong or a problem—it is the concomitant mentality in which we believe that if we can string together enough pleasant experiences—the right job, relationship, personality, looks, amount of money, etc., we will have a permanently happy life without cease—the “if only...” mentality.

Let us reflect on what is known as the Five Hindrances in the Teachings. These hindrances are common experiences that arise in meditation: desire (attachment), aversion (anger, fear), sleepiness (sloth and torpor), restlessness (agitation) and doubt. Meditation mirrors our actual lives—as they arise in meditation, they also arise in daily life. Their arising is not a problem. It is only a problem when we are overwhelmed, consumed, or define ourselves by them, when we tangle with them rather than working skillfully.

The fifth precept is refraining from alcohol and drugs (authentic medical need excluded) “that cause heedlessness.” I am inspired by this, as the last words of the Buddha are reputed to be “strive on with heedfulness.” This is something upon which we can deeply reflect—the need for sobriety and clarity of mind as requisites for the heedfulness highlighted in the Buddha’s last injunction as he lay dying. How can we practice heedfulness having ingested that which is designed to encourage heedlessness?