What
is Food for the
Mental Hindrances (Nivarana)?
At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha once said:
Just
as this body, is sustained by food, is dependent on food, & cannot continue
without food,
even
so, friends, are the five mental hindrances indeed also sustained by a kind of
food, they
are
also dependent on sustaining nutriment, & cannot continue without ever
renewed feeding…
And what, friends, is feeding the arising of yet unarisen
Sense-Desire and feeding
the growth
and increase of already arisen
Sense-Desire ???
It is frequent, careless & irrational attention to the
Alluring &
Attractive Feature of things!
This food makes absent sensual lust arise and feeds too the growth of already
present greed…
And what, friends, is feeding the arising of yet unarisen
Evil-Will and feeding the
aggravation
and increase of already arisen
Evil-Will ???
It is frequent, careless & irrational attention to the
Displeasing
& Repulsive Feature of things!
This is food makes absent aversion arise and feeds too the growth of already
present anger…
And what, friends, is feeding the arising of yet unarisen
Lethargy and Laziness and
feeding too
of the deterioration and increase of already present
Lethargy and Laziness ???
It is frequent, careless & irrational attention to
Apathy,
Drowsiness, & eat too much Dullness!
This is food makes absent sloth arise and feeds too the worsening of already
present Laziness…
And what, friends, is feeding the arising of yet unarisen
Restlessness and Regret
and feeding too
for the growth and escalation of already present
Restlessness and Regret
???
It is frequent, careless & irrational attention to the
Non-Tranquil,
Agitated and Stressed Mind!
This food upsets & stirs the mind and feeds also the intensity of already
arisen anxiety &
worry…
And what, friends, is feeding the arising of yet unarisen
Doubt and Uncertainty and
feeding too
for the expansion and proliferation of already present
Doubt and Uncertainty ???
It is frequent, careless & irrational attention to
Doubtful
Theories, and Speculative Views!
This food bewilders the mind and feeds
also the escalation of already present perplexed confusion!
Just as this body, is supported by food, is dependent on food, & cannot go
on without food, exactly
& even so, friends, are these Five Mental Hindrances supported by feeding,
dependent on feeding,
and they cannot persist without this continual mental feeding by wrongly
directed attention…
