ON SKILLFUL ANALYSIS OF HINDRANCES

ON SKILLFUL ANALYSIS OF HINDRANCES

"When you start out meditating, and you see that states in your mind are arising and passing away, you're already dealing in what's called the frame of reference of mental qualities in and of themselves. Even though your focus is on the breath, you can't help but notice that there are times when the mind is concentrated on the breath and times when it's not. You've got to learn how to figure out both sides of the question: which things are helping to foster concentration, and which things are getting in the way of concentration. And you have to learn how to encourage the first sort of conditions, and get rid of the second.

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So even though we're focusing on the breath as our primary frame of reference, there's this other frame of reference going on at the same time. You have to learn how to recognize which qualities are hindrances and which are the factors for awakening. The hindrances are the primary set of unskillful qualities; the factors for awakening are the primary skillful ones. In fact, the factors of awakening are the ones that get you started on this path to begin with, for they help you in sorting all of these things out.

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The factors for awakening begin with mindfulness. Once you're mindful of the breath, for instance, you begin to see that there are skillful and unskillful qualities arising in the mind and that you've got to learn how to distinguish them. That's called analysis of qualities, the second factor for awakening. Then you foster the effort to do away with the unskillful ones and to encourage the skillful ones, which is the third factor for awakening: persistence. So right there you've got the first three of the factors for awakening. You want to encourage that ability to observe your mind, because even though you're trying to stay with the breath, or trying to stay focused on the breath, you're not going to be able to do it unless you've got these other faculties helping you along. As Ajaan Lee explains it, analysis of qualities is directly connected with directed thought and evaluation, which are factors of jhana. Those are things you need to help you get into the meditation, to get solidly with the breath.

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So you're dealing with two different frames of reference right there: the body in and of itself and these mental qualities in and of themselves. So when any of the hindrances arise—sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and anxiety, or uncertainty—your first duty is simply to recognize them for what they are, to see that they are hindrances and they deserve to be let go. That right there is quite an accomplishment because for the most part, when a hindrance arises, we're already with it. We're on its side…

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…The same goes with ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and anxiety, uncertainty and doubt. You've got to decide whether you're on their side or on the side of the breath. And the best way to decide is just to watch these things, step back from them. Ask yourself, when they come, what comes along with them? When they go away, what goes away with them? And when they come, why do they come? What intentions underlie them? Can you trust those intentions? .."

THANISSARO BHIKKU

Excerpt from "INCONSTANCY"

[https://www.dhammatalks.org/]

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