1.
The Discourse on Obstruction
51.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"Monks."
"Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"Monks, these five are obstructions, mental hindrances, that climb over the mind, weakeners of wisdom. Which five? Sensual desire, monks, is an obstruction, a mental hindrance, that climbs over the mind, a weakener of wisdom. Anger, monks, is an obstruction, a mental hindrance, that climbs over the mind, a weakener of wisdom. Sloth and torpor, monks, is an obstruction, a mental hindrance, that climbs over the mind, a weakener of wisdom. Restlessness and remorse, monks, is an obstruction, a mental hindrance, that climbs over the mind, a weakener of wisdom. Sceptical doubt, monks, is an obstruction, a mental hindrance, that climbs over the mind, a weakener of wisdom. These, monks, are the five obstructions, mental hindrances, that climb over the mind, weakeners of wisdom.
That indeed, monks, a monk without abandoning these five obstructions, mental hindrances, that climb over the mind, weakeners of wisdom, with weak wisdom, with feeble wisdom, will know his own benefit, or will know the benefit of others, or will know the benefit of both, or will realise a superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones - this is impossible. Just as, monks, a mountain river, going far, with a swift current, able to carry things away. If a man were to open up plough-channels on both sides of it. Thus indeed, monks, the stream in the middle of the river, being distracted, dispersed, scattered, would neither go far, nor have a swift current, nor be able to carry things away. So too, monks, that indeed a monk without abandoning these five obstructions, mental hindrances, that climb over the mind, weakeners of wisdom, with weak wisdom, with feeble wisdom, will know his own benefit, or will know the benefit of others, or will know the benefit of both, or will realise a superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones - this is impossible.
That indeed, monks, a monk having abandoned these five obstructions, mental hindrances, that climb over the mind, weakeners of wisdom, with powerful wisdom, will know his own benefit, or will know the benefit of others, or will know the benefit of both, or will realise a superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones - this is possible. Just as, monks, a mountain river, going far, with a swift current, able to carry things away. If a man were to close off the plough-channels on both sides of it. Thus indeed, monks, the stream in the middle of the river, being undistracted, undispersed, unscattered, would go far, and have a swift current, and be able to carry things away. So too, monks, that indeed a monk having abandoned these five obstructions, mental hindrances, that climb over the mind, weakeners of wisdom, with powerful wisdom, will know his own benefit, or will know the benefit of others, or will know the benefit of both, or will realise a superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones - this is possible." The first.