Norman gives a talk on the Five Hindrances to the San Francisco Zen Center.
The five hindrances are identified as mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in our daily lives. Within the Mahayana tradition, the five hindrances are identified as obstacles to samatha (tranquility) meditation.
The five hindrances are:
- Sensory desire (kāmacchanda): seeking for pleasure through the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and physical feeling.
- Ill-will (vyāpāda; also spelled byāpāda): feelings of hostility, resentment, hatred and bitterness.
- Sloth-and-torpor (thīna-middha): half-hearted action with little or no concentration.
- Restlessness-and-worry (uddhacca-kukkucca): the inability to calm the mind.
- Doubt (vicikiccha): lack of conviction or trust.
