This seven-week course examines the Buddha’s teachings on the five hindrances that undermine the clarity and stability of mind. These afflictive states are often regular visitors for meditators. With practice, sense desire, aversion, dullness, restlessness, and doubt can be more quickly recognized with a non-judging awareness in a way that neutralizes their disturbing and obscuring effect on the mind. Developing these skills goes to the heart of calming the mind and living in a skillful and compassionate way Here are some study resources that you can use: -Gil Fronsdal’s new book, Unhindered: A Mindful Path Through the Five Hindrances, is now available. Of course, you can order a copy through Amazon. But you could support one of our local independent book stores. I have asked Moon Palace Books at 3260 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis (612) 454-0455 to order some copies for us. It might take them several days to have them in stock. I'll send an email when they are in. Gil's book provides a detailed discussion of each of the five hindrances. The book also provides instruction on how to turn the light of mindfulness directly on the hindrances so to transform them from obstructions to steps along the path of freedom. Overcoming the hindrances reveals the beauty of our hearts and the wisdom of a clear mind.

Chanting 6:30 Ajahn Metta begins with sharing how she has found her misery in the midst of the beautiful surroundings at Beatenberg. She addresses the five hindrances, mental conditions that not only confront us on retreat but in our day to day lives.

SBMG Retreat at Applegate, CA

An overview of the five hindrances, and some tools for working with difficult emotions and mind-states that get in the way of cultivating metta

Guided meditation, mostly silent with occasional questions to notice the presence or absence of the five hindrances

A brief overview of the five hindrances, mental states that obscure clear seeing

The Five Hindrances and some techniques for working with difficult emotions

The purpose of insight as seeing clearly into the three universal characteristics of anicca - impermanence, dukkha - unsatisfactoriness, and anatta - not-self, and how the five hindrances of sensual desire, ill will or aversion, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and sceptical doubt get in the way of clear seeing