In traditional Buddhist texts the five energies of Lust, Aversion, Torpor, Restlessness, and Doubt are called “Mind Hindrances.” They are called hindrances of the mind because they obscure clear seeing, just as sandstorms in the desert or fog on a highway can cause travelers to get lost. They hinder the possibility of us reconnecting with the peaceful self that is our essential nature. They confuse us. We think they are real. We forget that our actual nature is not the passing storm. The passing storm is the passing storm. Our essence remains our essence all the time.
