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Kindle Notes & Highlights
Know when a hindrance is present and when it is absent, • Know the conditions leading to the arising and removal of a hindrance, and • Know the conditions that prevent future arisings of a hindrance.
if we tend to self-indulgence or self-pity, the warrior mode suggested by Sayadaw U Paṇḍita might be more appropriate: “Pulverize the defilements, show them no mercy.” Here we take the sword of wisdom and forcefully cut through our attachments and identification with them. Two simple notes that I have found helpful in loosening the grip of repetitive patterns of the hindrances are “dead end” and “enough.”
people think that if we have too much lovingkindness, always focusing on the good in others, it will make us stupid in some way, that we’ll no longer see the truth of what is going on or be able to take appropriate action. But it is precisely the mind not clouded by anger or hatred that allows us to see situations clearly and to chart the right course of action, even in very difficult situations.
as we practice it, recognize it, and become more familiar with it, mettā begins to arise more and more spontaneously in our lives. It becomes the way we are,
mettā as a dissolver of aversion also becomes the ground for wisdom. The more loving and patient we are with difficulties and disturbances, the less lost we are in reactivity.
This is the habit of retreating from challenges rather than arousing the energy and effort to engage with them.
This pattern of retreating from difficulties strengthens the tendencies toward laziness and inactivity, passivity and lethargy.
the factors of sloth and torpor keep us from drawing on the strength that we actually have.
notice when sloth and torpor are present and when they are absent, so that we can recognize the difference.
discontent, lethargy, lazy stretching, drowsiness after meals, sluggishness of mind: frequently giving careless attention to them is the nutriment for arising of unarisen sloth and torpor and for the increase and expansion of arisen sloth and torpor.”
Sometimes we’re fooled into unwise attention because sloth and torpor can come masquerading as compassion for oneself.
at times we do need rest, but often we don’t; instead, the retreating mode of this hindrance is simply coming into play.
Even when we think that nothing much is happening in our practice and we’re just falling asleep, if we keep on going, the intention and energy of perseverance eventually bear fruit.
Encouragement
There might be a strong, and even traumatic, emotion arising, and sometimes sloth and torpor arise as a defense against feeling it. Care is needed here, because sloth and torpor sometimes act as appropriate regulators for how much and how quickly powerful repressed feelings come up.
imbalance of concentration and energy. If the concentration is much stronger than the energy, we sometimes fall into what is called “sinking mind.”
a very pleasant, dreamlike state, in which there is a calm, floating feeling, but not much alertness.
KNOW WHAT CONDITIONS THE REMOVAL OF SLOTH AND TORPOR
the first strategy is simply to be mindful of it, making sloth and torpor the very objects of our attention.
although there is not much energy or alertness, the mind is not restless. So if we can bring some mindfulness and interest to bear, it’s possible to find the threads of concentration and calm within the sleepy state itself.
our attachment to clarity can keep us from being deeply mindful of the sleepiness or dullness. We might be struggling with it so much that we don’t actually see these states clearly for what they are.
at times, simple mindfulness is not strong enough to stay aware in the midst of sloth and torpor.
as an antidote to this hindrance, we should develop clarity of cognition.
through a careful noting of a greater number of objects as a way of brightening awareness.
When we include more objects in our field of awareness, the mind becomes more active and alert, counteracting the influence of sloth and torpor.
Another way clarity of cognition develops is through an emphasis on two particular factors of mind.
The first is called vitakka in Pali, sometimes translated as “initial application,” the aiming of the mind toward the object. The second factor is called vicāra, which is “sustained applicat...
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and they oppose the forces of sloth and torpor. We can emphasize these factors by consciously remembering to aim and connect with the arising of each object of awareness, and then sustain the attention for its duration.
Clarity of cognition also means developing a radiant mind. In Tibetan, the words for “radiant” and “knowing” are the same.
in developing the radiant mind, we focus more on the knowing aspect than ...
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by focusing on light. We can do this simply by directing our attention to the perception of light either from an external source, be it natural or artificial, or from some internal vision of light in the mind.
If we are feeling very sleepy, it can be helpful to open our eyes and sit with the gaze slightly raised;
sleepiness is not some monolithic, unchanging state requiring us to go to sleep, but rather a changing energy pattern that we can be with and allow to pass through.
other suggestions for working with it include changing postures, standing or walking, going outdoors, splashing water on one’s face, and even pulling one’s earlobes.
Engage with Good Friends and Profitable Talk
The last two remedies for sloth and torpor are good friends and profitable talk.
When we’re feeling ...
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seeing others practicing can e...
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when we’re feeling energetic, we can recognize that we may b...
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The Buddha then spoke of all these various ways of arousing energy. He concluded by saying that if none of these remedies work, then we should take rest.
When we’re tired and feel we need a nap, I have found that lying down until everything lets go and we’re about to fall asleep, and then getting up at just that moment, is usually sufficient to rejuvenate us.
We can also lie down with a specific intention to get up at a certain time, and we can make the intention to be mindful in the sleeping state itself.
THE FOURTH OF THE HINDRANCES the Buddha mentions in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta are the mind states of restlessness and worry.
in the throes of the restless mind, we get so lost in our own obsessive thoughts that we lose touch with the reality of what is really going on.
“ten unwholesome actions.” These are actions that cause harm to others, lead to remorse in ourselves, and bring unwanted karmic results.
three unwholesome actions of body: killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct.
four unwholesome actions of speech: lying, harsh talk, backbitin...
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three unwholesome actions of mind: covetousness, ill will, and...
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Worry and restlessness also arise from an excess of striving in our practice and an overconcern with one’s progress or level of insight.
“Don’t check. Just go straight.”
Guilt
