Tonight we will review the Buddha's teaching on the Seven Factors of Awakening. There are the inherent qualities of mind that when recognized and developed in balance with each other inevitably lead onward to awakening. They include mindfulness, investigation, energy/persistence, joy, tranquility, concentration/steadiness and equanimity. Joseph Goldstein calls these factors, "The sap that runs through the Buddha's tree of liberation; a powerful healing medicine that we must actually develop in our own minds." In the Buddhist tradition, it is thought that just to be reminded of these inherent qualities, to bring them to mind, is considered to be deeply healing and protecting. Are we willing to learn to recognize them, and learn how to feed or strengthen these aspects of the mind. Here is a link to the Ahara Sutta, a discourse of the Buddha's where he describes how to strengthen and weaken the factors of awakening This discourse also describes how to feed and weaken the five hindrances

This is the first talk in a speaker series titled "Recollective Meditations." Shaila Catherine speaks about the meditation practice known as recollection of the Buddha, Buddhanusati. The practice involves the contemplation of qualities associated with the awakened mind. Each quality highlights a feature that the Buddha brought to perfection — in conduct, virtue, mental development, wisdom, teaching abilities, social influence, and mental powers. The reflection on these virtuous qualities of the Buddha establishes faith, confidence and inspiration for the path, deepens concentration, inhibits hindrances, strengthens joy, and refreshes the mind. It also serves as a classic protection against doubt. By contemplating the accomplishments of the Buddha, we may sense the potential for awakening within our own lives.

What are the hindrances to meditation and how do we work constructively with them?

the doors to the deathless; right view the essential reference; that which can arise and be gladdened; 11 doors or entry points –4 jhanas, 4 bhrama-viharas and three immaterial states; the Buddha advised meditators to “absorb”, rather than concentrate / tightening up; a sponge must absorb to open up, not contract; need to drench ourselves in withdrawal; viveka, vitaka, vichara, piti and sukka; in the body; using wise (rather than hard or tight) attention; withdrawal from unwise attention; intention (the inclination of the heart) comes before attention and replaces immature lunging in or irresolute attention; make the intention one pointed as the mind settles down and the attention will follow; necessary wise preparation; a wise cow in the mountains; shortcoming of language; tracking the breath through the body, its beginnings and endings; a careful and deliberate enjoying is to be encouraged; open and soften; spread it through the body by directing it; first jhana; seeing the presence and absence of hindrances and learning though the simplicity of the experience of it; it’s like THIS now; not rushed , not biased or corrupted by the mind turning things upside down/ getting things wrong; appreciate the comparative slowness of the dawning quality on the citta; the open moments; pausing at the end of things; what’s helpful now?

coming out of self view; bringing forth energy; recalling the spiritual faculties; applying wise energy regardless of the system used; calm as a consequence of faith and confidence; two recollections; don’t let the citta be bound by historical or domestic considerations; willingness to do the work; feeding the citta; mindfulness of the body, the inevitable decay of the body; what is it that evades or finds truth uncomfortable; differing views of Samadhi; the” I-am” looking for support; learning to push away the hindrances through experience; noticing craving, ill will and resistance; using metta, compassion, mudita, upekkha to approach unification of the citta by removal of the 5 hindrances; now is the time to rise up to it; restlessness, boredom, doubt; know them as they are not as myself; this is not worthy of this citta; using the wisdom factor to find appropriate attention; who is that?; feel how it is; going beyond thought; discernment of the release of grasping; the shift moment and the growth of confidence in it; noticing the struggle to find something; what about the measurelessness/ the sign-less?

The retreat setting is structured to support our practice of restraint and withdrawal. As we re-enter our daily lives, we can consider what structures and practices to put into place to keep these going. Our ability to withdraw allows for the unification and strength needed for discernment, to know how to counteract the hindrances.

[Begins 3:25] On this eve of New Year’s Day, Ajahn Sucitto recommends a Buddhist resolution: Look near, look far. We can use this to work with the hindrances. Look near: look right into your heart, into how the body and breathing are affected. Look far: consider the consequences, where contentment and happiness actually come from. The hindrances can help us adjust our lives, they tell us where we’re off track. [Ends58:45]

Meditation is not a set of techniques; it is authentic, direct access to your inner heart/felt subjective experiences. Many times what’s found there is dukkha. Much of it can be resolved just by developing the inner body and clearing the hindrances.

Balance between samadhi and vipassana; hindrances as cause for liberation; teachings of Ajahn Chah.

This talk explores how to cultivate wise relationship to the energies of desire, aversion, sleepiness, restlessness and doubt.

Overview of the foundations of mindfulness. The hindrances are observed as part of the 4th foundation. Understanding the hindrances both in terms of how they need to be kept in balance as as expressions of development.

How can we stay true to our spiritual aspirations and work to fulfill them without compromise? Diligence in our practice is a great resource for growing the endurance, patience, and courage we will need to guard the mind against the hindrances and keep our focus on present moment awareness. This is the way to free ourselves from all suffering. And it is also a gift we can offer to help others through life's inevitable trials.

When we can wisely relate to grasping, aversion, sleepiness/dullness, restlessness/worry and doubt as visitors rather than enemies, they can transform into their wisdom nature. Note: Description of the gem of sleepiness is at the end of the next morning's instructional sit.

This talk weaves together the theme of self-compassion with how to work with hindrances that arise when we practice. We explore working with our minds, cultivating kindness for ourselves, and the recognition of our shared humanity.

Wise attention deals with how we are directing our mind. We have the ability to choose what we think about, and how we pay attention. Wise attention can be divided into two parts. First, it deals with guarding the mind, so we can maintain a balanced mind, and protect the mind from various kinds of defilement such as the five hindrances. Second, wise attention encompasses the development of our mind, which starts with improving the quality of our observation. This improvement then leads to understanding, clarity and wisdom.

How to work with the hindrances that come up in meditation practice and an Introduction to how the Dhamma informs all Mindfulness-Based Approaches.

How can we transform the hindrances into the path of awakening

The 5 Hindrances and the path of mindful awakening.

MN:125 dealing with renunciation, virtue, sense control, mindfulness, the hindrances and entry to satipatthana by insight. Followed by tranquility. A variant of the gradual training

Five hindrances with a metta flavour

This talk offers reflections on navigating the five hindrances.

Here we look at fourth satipatthana and its specific instructions on what to see and how to see it—the five hindrances, the five aggregates, the six sense bases, the seven factors of awakening, and the four noble truths—with an eye to realizing how this practice helps us overcome self-view.

This talk includes real practice stories about working with the hindrances and seeing how we deconstruct the layers of self-view.

Handling the spans of the mind in meditation. Recognizing hindrances and waking up.

Contextualising of Nivarana and identifying their psychological manifestations.

Contemplation with Pause and Relax. Why we don�t know and see things as they actually are? 1. We want out/2. Too busy/3. Mind won�t settle/Pause, Relax, Open now

Mindfulness of the body feelings, emotions, thoughts, and hindrances.

The practice of mindfulness of the five hindrances can help to understand their impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and impersonal nature and thereby experience freedom

Guided Meditation on the five hindrances; sense desires, ill-will, restlessness and worry, sloth and torpor and doubt

Working with the Five Hindrances and introduction to the 32 Parts of the Body Meditation.

(A) Short exposition of S 53,3 / S v 112: When to practice which particular awakening factors. (B) Exposition of S 51,1 / S v 102-105: a look at a terse text and a commentary’s helpful suggestions.

Structural difference of the 4th satipaṭṭhāna in comparison to the other three. Focusing on the nivāraṇa (hindrances) and bojjhaṅga (awakening factors) as possibilities for inquiry and investigation.