Chapter 39 Chapter Thirty-Seven Five Covers—Five Mental Disorders

There are five kinds of heart disease. Being polluted by it, the heart is not soft, loving and bright.If the disease is not cured, the afflictions will not be extinguished. —— "Corresponding Department" Obstacles (Nivarana—Ni+var, impeding, hindering) means preventing a person's progress and development, as well as blocking the way to liberation or ascension to heaven, and can also be interpreted as covering, blocking, and restraining memories. There are five such obstacles, namely: desire (kamacchanda), anger (vyapada), lethargy (thina-middha), restlessness (uddhacca-kukkucca), and doubt (vicikiccha).

1.Desire and love refer to greed and attachment to sense objects such as color, sound, smell, taste, touch, etc.It is considered an obstacle that binds one in this saha world. Ordinary sentient beings are trapped by this seductive root dust, and due to lack of self-control and self-discipline, they inevitably develop lust.This obstacle is restricted by meditation on the one-pointedness (ekaggata) of the five natures. It can be subdued after the first holy fruit is certified, and it can be eradicated when the fruit is not returned.Subtle forms of attachment, such as attachment to the material and formless worlds (ruparaga, aruparaga), can only be completely eradicated at the attainment of arhatship.

The following six methods can eliminate greed: ①Thinking of aversion to things, ②Constant visualization of disgust, ③Restricting the senses, ④Eating in moderation, ⑤Association of good friends, ⑥Worthy speech. 2.Anger - malice, disgust.Desirable things lead to attachment, and unfavorable things lead to aversion.These are the two great fires that burn the world and, aided by the defilements of ignorance, they create misery in this world. Joy (piti), one of the meditations, can counteract malice.When the one-return fruit is attained, anger can be reduced, and it can be eradicated only when the arhat is proved.

The following six methods can eliminate malicious intentions: ① generate good thoughts about things, ② often visualize charity, ③ generate thoughts of karma as one’s own karma, ④ stick to this view, ⑤ make many good friends, and ⑥ use beneficial words. 3.Drowsiness is interpreted as a heart disease, sleep as a psychosis, and the numb heart is like a dull bat hanging from a tree, or molasses stuck to a bamboo pole, or cheese too stiff to spread.Drowsiness and sleep should not be considered as physical laziness, because even an Arahant who is free from these two defilements feels physical fatigue.They make the mind weary and are the opposite of energy (viriya).It is subdued by meditation as one of meditation, and it is eradicated at the attainment of Arhatship.

The following six methods can cut off drowsy eyes: ① remember to eat an appropriate amount, ② change the body posture, ③ think about bright things, ④ be in an open place, ⑤ make friends, ⑥ beneficial words. 4.Agitation—mental restlessness and emotional agitation, it is a mental state associated with all unwholesome consciousness.Generally speaking, unwholesome kamma is associated with excitement and restlessness. Misdeeds—worried about Zhongzhong, or regret for the evil deeds, or regret for not doing good deeds.Regret for one's bad karma does not free one from the inevitable consequences.The best form of repentance is to make a vow not to repeat bad karma.

These two hindrances are subdued by the joy (sukha) factor, one of the meditations.When one attains Arhatship, restlessness is eradicated and misdeeds are eradicated in non-return. These two afflictions can be eradicated in the following six ways: ① learn a lot, ② ask and discuss, ③ understand the nature of the precepts, ④ get close to senior elders, ⑤ make many good friends, ⑥ helpful words. 5.Doubt—doubt, hesitation.The Pali word vicikiccha means one who lacks the medicine of wisdom (vi=emptiness, cikiccha=wisdom).It is also interpreted as vexation (vici = seeking, kiccha = vexation) arising from complex thinking.

This does not refer to doubts about the Buddha, etc., because even non-Buddhists can overcome this doubt and attain jhana.As a bondage, doubt is doubt about Buddha etc., but as a hindrance, it means not being persistent in something.The interpretation of this doubt in the classic commentaries is the inability to decide anything as such.In other words, doubts and uncertainties. Contemplation can subdue this obstacle, and it will be eliminated when the first fruit is attained. The following six methods can eliminate this doubt: ① be proficient in the law and discipline, ② discuss and inquire, ③ understand the nature of the precepts, ④ firm confidence, ⑤ make many good friends, ⑥ helpful words.