Nivarana

Nīvara 'ṇ 'a : 'hindrances', are five qualities which are obstacles to the mind and blind our mental vision. In the presence of them we cannot reach neighbourhood-concentration (upacāra-samādhi) and full concentration (appanā-samādhi), and are unable to discern clearly the truth. They are:

1. sensuous desire (kāmacchanda),

2. ill-will (byāpāda),

3. sloth and torpor (thīna-middha),

4. restlessness and scruples (uddhacca-kukkucca), and

5. sceptical doubt (vicikicchā ; q.v.).

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "VU Times"">In the beautiful similes in A. V, 193, sensuous desire is compared with water mixed with manifold colours, ill-will with boiling water, sloth and torpor with water covered by moss, restlessness and scruples with agitated water whipped by the wind, skeptical doubt with turbid and muddy water. Just as in such water one cannot perceive one's own reflection, so in the presence of these 5 mental hindrances, one cannot clearly discern one's own benefit, nor that of others, nor that of both.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "VU Times"">Regarding the temporary suspension of the five hindrances on entering the first absorption, the stereotype Sutta text (e g. A. IX, 40) runs as follows:

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "VU Times"">"He has cast away sensuous desire; he dwells with a heart free from sensuous desire; from desire he cleanses his heart.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "VU Times"">"He has cast away ill-will; he dwells with a heart free from ill-will, cherishing love and compassion toward all living beings, he cleanses his heart from ill-will.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "VU Times"">"He has cast away sloth and torpor; he dwells free from sloth and torpor; loving the light, with watchful mind, with clear consciousness, he cleanses his mind from sloth and torpor.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "VU Times"">"He has cast away restlessness and scruples; dwelling with mind undisturbed, with heart full of peace, he cleanses his mind from restlessness and scruples.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "VU Times"">"He has cast away skeptical doubt; dwelling free from doubt, full of confidence in the good, he cleanses his heart from doubt.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "VU Times"">"He has put aside these five hindrances, and come to know these paralysing defilements of the mind. And far from sensual impressions, far from unwholesome things, he enters into the first absorption, etc."

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: "VU Times"">The overcoming of these five hindrances by the absorptions is, as already pointed out, a merely temporary suspension, called 'overcoming through repression' ''(vikkhambhana-pahāna). They disappear forever on entering the four supermundane paths (s. ariyapuggala),'' i.e. skeptical doubt on reaching Sotāpanship; sensuous desire, ill-will and mental worry on reaching Anāgāmiship; sloth, torpor and restlessness on reaching Arahatship.

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<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin">Buddhist Dictionary By Nyanatiloka

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