Thus, beginning from the ordinary distracted condition of the untrained mind, a yogin begins developing concentration. This initial practice arouses certain mental factors which counter the hindrances and unify the mind upon its object. The complete suppression of the hindrances marks the achievement of access concentration. The attainment of jhāna then lies close at hand. When, through further application, these factors can unify the mind to the degree of immersion in its object, the jhāna is actually attained.
As this statement points out, the five hindrances while “nourishing” ignorance are nourished in turn by the three wrong ways of practice, non-restraint of the senses, lack of mindfulness and self-composure, unwise consideration, and so on. Through unwise consideration a man fails to control his mind. Lacking mindfulness he allows his senses to roam unchecked in their objective fields, seeking sensual gratification. Obsessed by sense stimuli, he then engages in the three wrong ways of practice – bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct – and these actions reinforce the hindrances, which then maintain the ignorance that holds him in bondage.
The Buddha often calls attention to the crucial role played by “unwise consideration”
(ayoniso manasikāra) in the arising of unwholesome states. Unwise consideration is
“inexpedient reflection, reflection on the wrong track” (anupāyamanasikāra). It is reflection which apprehends its object through the four “perversions” (vipallāsa), considering the impermanent as permanent, pain as pleasure, non-self as self, and the foul as beautiful.1 This wrong reflection is particularly instrumental in causing the arising and growth of all the five hindrances:
In him who practices unmindful observation sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, excitement and flurry [restless and worry], and doubt, if not already arisen, arise, and if already arisen, sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, excitement and flurry [restlessness and worry], and doubt are conducive to increasing, and growth thereof.2 (Wr. tr.).
But unwise consideration functions not only as a general cause for the hindrances as a group; it is a specific cause for each of the hindrances individually as well. As the general phenomenon of incorrect attention unwise consideration serves as the common ground for all the hindrances. Acts of incorrect attention, however, always take on
F. L. Woodward with an Introduction by Mrs. Rhys Davids. (Pali Text Society Translation Series nos. 22, 24, 25-27]. 5 vols. 1932-36; reprint, London: Luzac & Co., l936-79), 5:79 (hereafter cited as GS.).
“Avijjamp’āhaJ bhikkave sāhāraJ vadāmi. No anāhāraJ. Ko cāhāro avijjā? Pañca nīvaraLāti’ssa vacanīyaJ. Pañcap’āhaJ bhikkhave nīvaraLe sāhāre vadāmi. No anāhāre. Ko cāhāro pañcannaJ nīvaraLānaJ? TīLi duccaritānīti’ssa vacanīyaJ. TīLi p’āhaJ bhikkhave duccaritāni sāhārāni vadāmi, no anāhārāni. Ko cāhāro tiLLaJ duccaritānaJ? IndriyasaJvaroti’ssa vacanīyaJ. IndriyasaJvaraJ p’āhaJ bhikkhave sāhāraJ vadāmi no anāhāraJ. Ko cāhāro indriyasaJvarassa? Asatāsampajaññanti’ssa vacanīyaJ… Asatāsampajaññā p’āhaJ bhikkhave sāhāraJ vadāmi; no anāhāraJ… Ko cāhāro asatāsampajaññassa? Ayoniso manasikāroti’ssa vacanīyaJ. AyonisomanasikāraJ p’āhaJ bhikkhave sāhāraJ vadāmi; no anāhāraJ. Ko cāhāro ayonisomanasikārassa? Assaddhiyanti’ssa vacanīyaJ.
AssaddhiyaJ p’āhaJ bhikkhave sāhāraJ vadāmi; no anāhāraJ. Ko cāhāro assaddhiyassa?
Asaddhammasavananti’ssa vacanīyaJ. AsaddhammasavanaJ p’āhaJ bhikkhave sāhāraJ vadāmi; no anāhāraJ. Ko cāhāro asaddhamasavanassa? Asappurisa saJsevoti’ssa vacanīyaJ.” AN. 5:113.
1. Soma Thera, trans., The Way of Mindfulness, being a translation of the Satipa((hāna Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya; its Commentary, the Satipa((hāna Sutta Va55anā of the Papañcasūdanī of Buddhaghosa Thera; and Excerpts from the Līnatthapakāsanā )īkā, Marginal Notes, of Dhammapāla Thera on the Commentary, (Kandy, Ceylon: Buddhist Publication Society, 1941-1967), p. 116 (hereafter cited as Soma Thera, Way of Mindfulness).
2. “Ayoniso bhikkhave manasikaroto anuppanno ceva kāmachando uppajjati uppanno ca kāmacchando bhīyyobhāvāya vepullāya saJvattati. Anuppanno ceva byāpādo uppajjati… AnuppannaJ ceva thīnamiddhaJ…, uddhaccakukkuccaJ…, Ayoniso ca bhikkhave manasikaroto anuppannāceva vicikicchā uppajjati, uppannā ca vicikicchā bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya saJvattati.” SN. 5:93-94.
particular forms which can be correlated with particular hindrances. Differences in the modes in which unwise consideration occurs are determined by the variations in its objects and associated factors. Depending on these variations, unwise consideration becomes a cause for each separate hindrance:
Just as this body, monks, is sustained by nutriment, stands in dependence on nutriment, and does not stand without nutriment, in the same way the five hindrances are sustained by nutriment, stand in dependence on nutriment, and do not stand without nutriment.
1. What, monks, is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen sensual desire, and for the growth and expansion of sensual desire that has already arisen?
There is, monks, the beautiful appearance of things. Habitual unwise consideration of that is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen sensual desire, and for the growth and expansion of sensual desire that has already arisen.
2. And what, monks, is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen ill will, and for the growth and expansion of ill will that has already arisen? There is, monks, the repulsive appearance of things. Habitual unwise consideration of that is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen ill will…
3. And what, monks, is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen sloth and torpor…? There is, monks, discontent, drowsiness, langour, surfeit after meals, and sluggishness of mind. Habitual unwise consideration of them is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen sloth and torpor…
4. And what, monks, is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen restlessness and worry…? There is, monks, non-tranquility of mind. Habitual unwise consideration of that is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen restlessness and worry.
5. And what, monks, is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen doubt…?
There are, monks, matters which are grounds for doubt. Habitual unwise con-sideration of them is the nutriment for the arising of unarisen doubt…1 (Wr. tr.).
1. “Seyyathāpi bhikkhave ayaJ kāyo āhāra::hitiko āhāraJ pa:icca ti::hati anāhāro no ti::hati. EvaJ eva kho bhikkhave pañca nīvaraLā āhāra::hitikā āhāraJ pa:icca ti::hanti, anāhāraJ no ti::hanti.
[1] Ko ca bhikkhave āhāro anuppannassa vā kāmacchandassa uppādāya uppannassa vā kāmacchandassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya? Atthi bhikkhave subhanimittaJ; tattha ayonisomana-sikārabahulīkāro ayaJ āhāro anuppannassa vā kāmacchandassa uppādāya uppannassa vā kāma-cchandassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya.
[2] Ko ca bhikkhave āhāro anuppannassa vā byāpādassa uppādāya uppannassa vā byāpādassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya? Atthi bhikkhave pa:ighanimittaJ. Tattha ayonisomanasikārabahulīkāro ayaJ āhāro anuppannassa vā byāpādassa uppādāya uppannassa vā byāpādassa bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya.
[3] … thīnamiddhassa… ? Atthi bhikkhave arati tandivijambhitā, bhattasammado, cetaso ca līna-ttaJ; tattha…
[4] … uddhaccakukkuccassa…? … cetaso avūpasamo…
[5] … vicikicchāya uppādāya…? Atthi bhikkhave vicikicchā::hāniyā dhammā, tattha ayoniso manasikārabahulīkāro ayaJ āhāro anuppannāya vā vicikicchāya uppādāya uppannāya vā viciki-cchāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya.” SN. 5:64-65.
Thus we see that the five hindrances arise and increase, in general, through engagement in the three wrong ways of practice, lack of sense control, lack of mindfulness, and unwise consideration. Specifically, sensual desire arises through unwise consideration of the attractive appearance of things, ill will through unwise consideration of the repulsive features of things, sloth and torpor through unwise consideration of states conducive to lethargy, restlessness and worry through unwise consideration of disturbing states, and doubt through unwise consideration of matters provocative of doubt.