Stillness Flowing (audiobook) 18 Chapter VI: The Heart of the Matter - Thorns and Prickles
Jan 15, 2021
Explore the five hindrances to meditation, including sensual thoughts and ill-will, and discover how they stifle insight. Learn practical strategies like loving-kindness meditation and mindful effort to counteract these obstacles. Dive into techniques for overcoming sloth, agitation, and doubt, with tips for maintaining alertness and clarity. Gain valuable encouragement for slow progress and insights on treating these hindrances as teachers. Ultimately, embrace the journey of awareness and detachment from mental states.
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Hindrances Stultify Insight
- The five hindrances are overgrowths that stultify insight and must be overcome for deep practice.
- A mind free of these hindrances becomes pliant, lucid, and capable of realizing higher states.
Acknowledge And Return To Object
- When a hindrance arises, acknowledge it and return patiently to the meditation object without regret.
- Recognize the distraction as changeful and impermanent to introduce wisdom into the practice.
Use 'Changeful' As The Single Axe
- Use the reflection 'changeful' as an axe to cut through all mental states, pleasant or unpleasant.
- Keep reminding yourself everything is unstable so mental states lose their grip on you.