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Hindrances
mockeymind
Veteran
Can anybody give or share their experience on how to handle Five Hindrances in the practice? I found unwanted thoughts sometimes surface during meditation. There are times that it just go way, but sometimes stays and its hard to focused even in the breath. I got the problem particularly in "ill will"
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Comments
Practice.
It really means that.
You can dedicate your mal thoughts to the creatures of the hell realms. They love that stuff. You can also practice reframing or metta based practices.
I feel it is also worth following @hows often mentioned advice of allowing the arising of such states without trying to change them. In time paradoxically they will just wear out BUT we may not like their presence.
Did not like the bad thoughts?
There, there, nice thought will be along later ... almost like soothing a monkey minded toddler . . .
Hope that is helpful
Have you read MN 20? There, the Buddha suggests five methods for dealing with unskillful thoughts in the course of meditation. Perhaps that might be helpful.
I think mindfulness is a good ally.
The more aware you are of negative feelings as they arise, the easier it will be to nip the storyline you tell yourself about the situation (which is usually the problem) in the bud.
When I find myself in the grip of a strong negative emotion, it usually happens because I have neglected my dwelling in the here and now, and I let the negative storyline come too far.
can be observed. It is felt as a pull towards an experience or pushing away.
appears as inability to stay with the meditation object eg. breath. The mind proliferates with thinking.
shows up as mental dullness and drowsiness.
The important traits to have is to be aware of what is going on all and just be patiently be with whatever is experienced especially with ill will. Accepting that it is there and watching it fade away does require patience.
Same with all the other hindrances.
Whatever comes up, the breath, mantra etc is your anchor so you don't get swept away by the currents.
Thanks for all your answers. I'll try to deal with it by maybe reframing what mindfulness for me. If I could only look at it as "just experience" it may just work. Thanks again.
This might be of interest, particularly in terms of antidotes to the hindrances:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel026.html
I have a question about the hindrances, in a few suttas i once read the Buddha first gladdens them with a teaching, and when he sees their mind is gladdened, pliable and without hindrances he then teaches them the higher teachings of the 4 Noble Truths and the six sense bases and such, anyone know the name of that sutta?