What Feeds the Five Hindrances?
At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha once explained:
Just as this body, is sustained by food, is dependent on food, and 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 food,
and cannot continue without ever renewed feeding!
And what, friends, is feeding for the arising and growth of sense-desire?
It is frequent and careless attention to the alluring & attractive features!
This food makes sensual lust arise and feeds also growth of habitual greed…
And what, friends, is feeding for the arising and aggravation of ill-will?
It is frequent & careless attention to the displeasing & repulsive features!
This food makes aversion arise and boosts also any habitual anger…
And what feeds the emergence & deterioration of lethargy-&-laziness?
It is frequent & careless attention to drowsiness, & too much eaten dullness!
This is food makes sloth arise and feeds also worsening of habitual laziness…
And what feeds the arising and escalation of restlessness-&-regret?
It is frequent & careless attention to the excited, agitated & stressed mind!
This food upsets & stirs the mind & intensifies also habitual anxiety & worry…
And what feeds the arising, deepening & expansion of doubt-&-uncertainty?
It is frequent & careless attention to doubtful theories & speculative views!
This food bewilders the mind & feeds also escalation of habitual confusion...
Just as this body is supported by food, is dependent on food, and cannot
go on without food, exactly so, friends, are these 5 Mental Hindrances
supported by feeding, dependent on feeding, and cannot persist without
this continual mental feeding by wrongly directed attention…
