[LeThanhPhong]

(Quora) 
How do I avoid sleep in meditation and improve meditation

Answered by Bhikkhu Vilama:

Thank you for posing such an important question which, though is seemingly simple enough, need a thorough solutions not only for you, but for all yogis who practice Westernized Mindfulness Meditation. This solution is as ancient as Buddhism history and being carefully taught to every Theravadin yogis before and during Mindfulness Meditation practice to maximize the success; Unfortunately, western yogis and their teachers do not have this knowledge in their practice. It not only shows you how to tackle your sleepiness, but also other four problems in meditation and in life.

In the Buddhist tradition, the five hindrances (Sanskrit: पञ्च निवरण pañca nivāraṇa; Pali: पञ्च नीवरणानि pañca nīvaraṇāni) are identified as mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in our daily lives.

(Đối với người tu Thiền thì năm triền cái chính là các ác pháp, tà pháp là: "Tham dục; Sân hận; Hôn trầm-Thuỵ miên; Trạo cử-Hối quá; và Nghi ngờ", làm cho hành giả tu Thiền không thể đạt được Tâm yên lặng, định tĩnh, là nền tảng phát huy trí huệ đưa đến Giác ngộ, Giải thoát.)


The five hindrances are:

1. Sensory desire (kāmacchanda): the particular type of wanting that seeks for happiness through the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and physical feeling (including sexual fantasies, sensual imaginative indulges, etc. while sitting)
   
   
2. Ill-will (vyāpāda; also spelled byāpāda): all kinds of thought related to wanting to reject; feelings of hostility, resentment, hatred and bitterness.
   
   
3. Sloth-and-torpor (thīna-middha): heaviness of body and dullness of mind which drag one down into disabling inertia and thick depression, mostly manifested as sleepiness
   
   
4. Restlessness-and-worry (uddhacca-kukkucca): the inability to calm the mind causing agitation, fidgeting, anxiety.
   
   
5. Doubt (vicikiccha): lack of conviction or trust (does this meditation work? does my master really know what he is teaching? am I doing alright? am I good enough to understand correctly how to meditate? etc. )
   

HOW TO OVERCOME THE FIVE HINDRANCES

Any problem which arises in meditation will be one of these Five Hindrances, or a combination. So, if one experiences any difficulty, use the scheme of the Five Hindrances as a 'check list' to identify the main problem. Then you will know the appropriate remedy, apply it carefully, and go beyond the obstacle into deeper meditation.

The Mindfulness Meditation tradition teaches the RAIN formula for investigating the hindrances:

• R: Recognize it.
  
• A: Accept it.
  
• I: Investigate it, be curious. What is it like?
  
• N: Non-identification. This is just a passing process that comes and goes, not who we are.
  

1. Sensory desire (kamacchanda)
Sensory desire refers to that particular type of wanting that seeks for happiness through the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and physical feeling. It specifically excludes any aspiration for happiness through the sixth sense of mind alone. In its extreme form, sensory desire is an obsession to find pleasure in such things as sexual intimacy, good food or fine music. But it also includes the desire to replace irritating or even painful five-sense experiences with pleasant ones, i.e. the desire for sensory comfort."

The cause of sensory desire is none other than paying partial attention to pleasurable characters (ayoniso manasikara).

In order to overcome the hindrance of sensory desire (kamacchanda), the meditator must first apply mindfulness and recognize that the hindrance is present. Then one must look at the hindrance, analyze it, make it the object of our meditation, experience it fully.

Sensory desire is not only a hindrance in meditation practice, but also a great obstacle in our day-to-day life. Because of its dangerous lure, many fall victims to addiction such as substance abuse, alcohol, food binge (and subsequently to health risks), shopping binge, gambling and extreme forms of sport, … Also because of sensory desire, many may also seek to commit adultery and other things which destroy their family happiness

2. Ill will (vyapada)
The hindrance of ill will (vyapada) is latching onto thoughts or feelings based on anger, resentment, hostility, bitterness, etc.

Ill will refers to the desire to punish, hurt or destroy. It includes sheer hatred of a person, or even a situation, and it can generate so much energy that it is both seductive and addictive. At the time, it always appears justified for such is its power that it easily corrupts our ability to judge fairly. It also includes ill will towards oneself, otherwise known as guilt, which denies oneself any possibility of happiness. In meditation, ill will can appear as dislike towards the meditation object itself, rejecting it so that one's attention is forced to wander elsewhere.

Which is the cause of Ill will? It’s paying partial attention to dislike characters.

In order to overcome the hindrance of ill will, the meditator must first apply mindfulness and recognize that the hindrance is present. Then one must look at the hindrance, analyze it, make it the object of our meditation, experience it fully.

This hindrance manifests in daily life as hot-temper, hatred, crankiness, grumpiness, hostility, prejudice, jealousy, etc…. which destroy relationship and reputation. Practice loving-kindness to others and to oneself help control this hindrance.

3. Sloth-torpor (thina-middha)
Sloth-torpor is a dull, morbid state that is characterized by unwieldiness, lack of energy, and opposition to wholesome activity.

When this hindrance is present, we lose our focus in meditation. We may not be agitated in any perceptible way, but there is no mental clarity. We gradually become more and more drowsy, and then eventually go to sleep.
Paying too much attention to sluggishness and tiredness and sleepiness is the cause of Sloth-Torpor.

Setting a goal, a reasonable goal, is a wise and effective way to generate energy, as is deliberately developing interest in the task at hand. A young child has a natural interest, and consequent energy, because its world is so new. Thus, if one can learn to look at one's life, or one's meditation, with a 'beginner's mind' one can see ever new angles and fresh possibilities which keep one distant from sloth and torpor, alive and energetic. Similarly, one can develop delight in whatever one is doing by training one's perception to see the beautiful in the ordinary, thereby generating the interest which avoids the half-death that is sloth and torpor. [...] Sloth and torpor is a common problem which can creep up and smother one slowly. A skilful meditator keeps a sharp look-out for the first signs of sloth and torpor and is thus able to spot its approach and take evasive action before it's too late. Like coming to a fork in a road, one can take that mental path leading away from sloth and torpor. Sometimes, it is better to try to refresh ourselves by getting up and going for a walk or washing our face, after which we return to our meditation.

In daily life, this problem is manifested as laziness, passivity, idling, low energy, avoidance of hard work, etc…. which leads to unfavorable appraisal and disrespect from others, stop one from self-growth.

4. Restlessness-worry (uddhacca-kukkucca)
The hindrance of restlessness-worry (uddhacca-kukkucca) refers to a mind that is agitated and unable to settle down.
Restlessness [uddhacca] refers to a mind which is like a monkey, always swinging on to the next branch, never able to stay long with anything. It is caused by the fault-finding state of mind which cannot be satisfied with things as they are, and so has to move on to the promise of something better, forever just beyond. [...] Remorse [kukkucca] refers to a specific type of restlessness which is the karmic effect of one's misdeeds.

Paying too much attention to the agitative status of the mind is the very cause of Restlessness-worry.

• Restlessness [uddhacca] is overcome by developing contentment, which is the opposite of fault-finding. One learns the simple joy of being satisfied with little, rather than always wanting more. One is grateful for this moment, rather than picking out its deficiencies. For instance, in meditation restlessness is often the impatience to move quickly on to the next stage. The fastest progress, though is achieved by those who are content with the stage they are on now. It is the deepening of that contentment that ripens into the next stage.
  
  
• Remorse [kukkucca] refers to a specific type of restlessness which is the kammic effect of one's misdeeds. The only way to overcome remorse, the restlessness of a bad conscience, is to purify one's virtue and become kind, wise and gentle. It is virtually impossible for the immoral or the self-indulgent to make deep progress in meditation.
  

This hindrance is non other than anxiety, worries which limit our living a fullest life.

5. Doubt (vicikicchā)
The hindrance of doubt (vicikicchā) refers to doubt about one's ability to understand and implement the meditation instructions, as well as about the teacher and Buddhist teachings in general.

Doubt refers to the disturbing inner questions at a time when one should be silently moving deeper. Doubt can question one's own ability 'Can I do This?,' or question the method 'Is this the right way?,' or even question the meaning 'What is this?.' It should be remembered that such questions are obstacles to meditation because they are asked at the wrong time and thus become an intrusion, obscuring one's clarity.
Paying too much attention to the unclarity of principles or rules causes Doubt.

• Such doubt is overcome by gathering clear instructions, having a good map, so that one can recognise the subtle landmarks in the unfamiliar territory of deep meditation and so know which way to go. Doubt in one's ability is overcome by nurturing self-confidence with a good teacher. A meditation teacher is like a coach who convinces the sports team that they can succeed.
  
  
• The end of doubt, in meditation, is described by a mind which has full trust in the silence, and so doesn't interfere with any inner speech. Like having a good chauffeur, one sits silently on the journey out of trust in the driver.
  

In real life, this is skepticism which hinders one from getting to the bottom of understanding and knowledge.

In terms of gaining insight into and overcoming the Five Hindrances, according to the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha proclaimed:

“How, monks, does a monk live contemplating mental objects in the mental objects of the five hindrances?

Herein, monks, when sense-desire is present, a monk knows, "There is sense-desire in me," or when sense-desire is not present, he knows, "There is no sense-desire in me." He knows how the arising of the non-arisen sense-desire comes to be; he knows how the abandoning of the arisen sense-desire comes to be; and he knows how the non-arising in the future of the abandoned sense-desire comes to be. “

Each of the remaining four hindrances are similarly treated in subsequent paragraphs.

Wish you success in practice
*Courtesy of Meditation Master Ajahn Brahmavamso



Phra Visuddhisamvarathera AM, known as Ajahn Brahmavaṃso, or simply Ajahn Brahm, is a British-Australian Theravada Buddhist monk. Wikipedia
Born: August 7, 1951 (age 68 years), London, United Kingdom
Parents: Hazel Betts
Education: University of Cambridge, Latymer Upper School
Albums: Der Elefant, der das Glück vergaß - Buddhistische Geschichten, um Freude in jedem Moment zu finden (Ungekürzt)
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