Features
Five Hindrances in Buddhism
by Dr. Justice Chandradasa Nanayakkara
Nyanaponika Thera in his Buddhist writings states: “unshakable deliverance of the mind is the highest goal in Buddha’s doctrine. Here deliverance means; the freeing of the the mind from all limitations, fetters, and bonds that tie it to the Wheel of Suffering, to the Circle of Rebirth. It means cleansing the mind of all defilements that mar its purity; removing all obstructions that impede its progress from the mundane (lokiya) to the supermundane consciousness (lokuttara citta) that is, to Arahatship.
Life’s spiritual path is paved with many hindrances and obstacles. Out of those many obstacles, Buddhism stresses five recurring hindrances (Nivaranas) that impede a person’s spiritual progress. They are (1) Sensual desires (Kamachanda) derived from gratification from the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and physical sensation. (2), Ill will (Vyapada) feelings of hostility, resentment, hatred, and bitterness. (3), Sloth and Torpor (Thina Middha) halfhearted action with little or no effort or concentration (4), Restlessness and Worry (Uddachha Kukucha) inability to have a composed mind and focus one’s energy. (5), Skeptical Doubt or Indecision (vickiiccha) lack of conviction or trust in one’s abilities. These five hindrances are potent negative forces in the mind that make a person lose mindfulness, hinder his ability to see things as they are and become mentally focused and concentrated. Moreover, the five negative states of mind prevent a person from seeing clearly and making the right decisions and derail him from his spiritual path to liberation. These hindrances are forces of distraction encountered by a person engaged in meditative practice and his daily life. They prevent the development of concentration (Samadhi) which is a cornerstone of the path to liberation from suffering. It is only by constant and earnest efforts that the harmful influence of the five hindrances could be avoided. The Buddha using analogy stated that the mind with five mental hindrances is comparable to gold contaminated with five impurities such as iron, copper, tin, lead, and silver which make the gold not pliant, wieldy, or luminous but brittle and cannot be wrought well. But the mind that is free from such hindrances will be malleable wieldy, luminous, and pliant and be able to concentrate properly by eradicating mental impurities and attain wisdom. It is believed the five mental defilements (kileses) are not inherently wrong as they can provide opportunities for deeper insights into the nature of life’s suffering, compassion, and deliverance. The hindrances occur to a greater or lesser extent in every person.
The first hindrance, sensual desire is the craving derived from the gratification of our five senses: sight, sound, smell taste, and touch. It is normal for an average person to get tempted by alluring sensual objects. Lack of self-control results in the inevitable arising of passions. They arise from positive emotions associated with our senses but tend to cause us to lose track of our goals.
It is in the very nature of sensual desires that they can never be satisfied as the mind is constantly detecting objects that are coming in through our five senses. There is no end to the seeking of our enjoyment of pleasurable objects and their sensation. These sensual objects arise and disappear as do all other phenomena. Once you enjoy them you are left with the same unsatiated desires for more gratification. As soon as a person experiences one object of sensual delight rather than finding contentment and satisfaction from it, he becomes obsessed with new desires. A person who is obsessed with sensual pleasures assumes that happiness consists in submitting to the dictates of sensual desires but real happiness eludes him as craving for sensual pleasures becomes insatiable. This drives him to ceaseless pursuit of new sensual gratification. When the mind is attached to sensory experience it gives rise to too many attachments in the world and it becomes completely entangled in worldly ways and you become so trapped in delusion that you cannot see things in their true perspective. Attachments to sensual objects increase our greed, clinging and grasping, and keep us bound to the wheel of samsara. Although the five hindrances cannot be eradicated before achieving stages of Awakening they can be lessened to a great extent through mindfulness. The misconception that buddhism gives an unfair valuation to sensual pleasures, to the neglect of their positive aspects is not sustainable as the Buddha never dismissed sensual desires outright but admitted that sensuality can give a person a certain measure of happiness and satisfaction. But he declared that happiness based purely on sensuality is ephemeral and shortlived. It is the constant pursuit of sensory pleasures that bars inner peace, and mindfulness distracting us from our spiritual goals. that Buddhism does not approve of. Seeking pleasure is natural but excessive craving can tether us to the wheel of samsara preventing deeper spiritual fulfillment. When that happens the hope of reaching the end of suffering would become dismal until you overcome the sensual desires that cloud your mind.
Antidotes to sensual desires include renunciation turning away from distracting stimuli, and investing the experience of desire with mindfulness that clouds our mind and prevents us from seeing the true nature of things. Similarly, when we are overcome by sensual desires we should reflect and meditate on the true nature of our life and its ephemerality, and one day we are all going to end up as decaying corpses. This kind of reflection weakens lustful thinking as we realize the imminence of our death (Joseph Goldstein). Regarding sensual desires arising out of taste, a person is expected to indulge in moderate consumption of food solely for maintaining and sustaining the body not for enjoyment, beautifying, or adorning the body. Association and maintaining friendships with wise and noble friends also tend to mitigate sensual desires.
The second hindrance ill-will is characterised by negative emotion towards a person, object, or situation. It refers to feelings of resentment, anger, and hostility. it is an unwholesome mental state that wishes harm and misfortune on others. It clouds our judgment, prevents us from looking at situations from their true perspective, and hampers our ability to feel compassion and empathy. A specific way of dealing with ill will when it is overpowering is to generate loving thoughts, wishing happiness, and love to all beings everywhere and the specific person towards whom you direct your anger. Although, initially, you may find it difficult to cultivate those wholesome thoughts eventually anger is bound to dissipate and the mind becomes calm and collected. Another insightful way of dealing with anger and aversion is to reflect upon the law of karma and understand that we are all heirs to our actions. Kamma is an immutable law of cause and effect and we cannot avoid the consequences. The underlying intentions behind our actions determine the nature of their results.
The third hindrance is sloth and torpor are a compound word that combines both the emotional and somatic aspects of excessively low energy. It is a morbid state of the mind that refers to physical laxity, mental dullness, and callous indifference. It can manifest as sleepiness, a lack of motivation, and depression. It should not be understood as bodily drowsiness, because Arahhants who have conquered these two states, also experience bodily fatigue. (Narada). An antidote for strong sloth and torpor would be refreshing the body by giving it a rest so that our mind becomes clear-headed and focused. Engaging in walking meditation and vigorous bodily movement will also act as an antidote.
The fourth hindrance is restlessness and worry. It is another impediment to spiritual progress. Here the restless mind is likened to flustered bees in a shaken hive so that the mind cannot concentrate and focus on wholesome things. Moreover, an agitated and flustered mind prevents calmness and blocks the spiritual path. Similarly, worry is just as detrimental. People who worry over one thing and another, over things done or left undone, and over misfortunes, are unable to have peace of mind. These unwholesome states of mind prevent concentration.
The fifth and last hindrance is skeptical doubt. It refers to a loss of trust and faith in Dhamma. There are two types of doubt. An unhealthy and unwholesome doubt that undermines a person’s spiritual practice, and a healthy doubt that informs the spiritual practice. A person entertaining healthy doubt should seek intelligent clarification and investigation of Dhamma as Buddha expounded in Kalama Sutta, while a person nursing unhealthy doubt is so prejudiced and cannot be convinced by any reasoning. A person engaged in meditative practice sometimes tends to evaluate his practice pondering constantly whether any benefit would accrue to him by it. Any doubt and lack of confidence entertained by a person in this regard is bound to impede his spiritual practice. When a doubt arises in a person, it is important to recognise it as a doubt and realise that it is constantly changing. Another way to resolve a doubt concerning meditative practice is to seek clarification from a knowledgeable teacher. Any doubt entertained about any person or matter can evidence itself in a person’s behaviour and conduct, as a result of his unsettled state of mind.
In brief, to subdue the hindrances a person has to develop five psychic factors known as jhana. Sense desire is subdued by ekagatta one-pointedness or unification of the mind. Ill will by joy (piti) sloth and torpor by applied thought (vittakka) restlessness and worry by happiness (sukha) and doubt by sustained thought (vicara) Psychic factors raise a meditative person from lower to higher levels of mental purity (Piyadassi).
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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