..續本文上一頁tle, that he wasn”t able to walk anymore. His body became so thin and the blood almost dried out. There were only bones and skin left and he was near to death. Then he realized that this is not the right way. He will die before he reaches enlightenment and freedom from defilements. He understood that this is the wrong way to practice. By practicing like that, the mind will not be properly trained. It”s the mind that is important and not the body.

　　If you do not eat enough you can”t be successful and if you eat too much, the hindrances will appear and you won”t be able to practice either. Eat and then sleep – so you can”t reach Nibbana. A farmer has to plough his field. He eats and then he goes and does his work. However the climate may be, if there is rain or heat – he has to go and do his job. As meditator you have to do it like that. Nothing should keep you away from practicing. To eat too much and then go to sleep – so you won”t reach Nibbana. Eat and be aware, when you feel it is enough, drink water to fill up the stomach. That”s what the Buddha recommended. So you will be able to overcome the hindrances.

　　In the Buddha”s time there was a rich man, who was very fat. He had the habit to come to the temple on Uposatha day. One day he was approaching the Buddha and asked: “Venerable Sir, what can I do, I always eat too much and then I feel very uncomfortable. The only thing I can do is go to sleep.” The Buddha recommended, that he should tell one of his servants to count each spoonful he was eating and then to find out with how many spoonful he would feel well. Then he should stop eating and fill his stomach with some more water. After eight days, on the following Uposatha day the rich man came again and told the Buddha, that he feels very happy now, his stomach doesn”t feel that full anymore.

　　As a meditator you have to be aware and know what is the right amount for you to eat, so that you are still able to meditate. Sometimes it tastes very delicious and you eat too much, then when you drink water you are too full. When trying to meditate, it doesn”t work because the hindrances are too strong and you go to sleep. You have no clearness of mind. The five hindrances avoid that you enter concentration and you are not able to reach Nibbana. Sloth and torpor avoid that you enter concentration. They avoid that the knowledge of remembering past existences (pubbenivasanussati-nana) appears and you will not be able to know what the Buddha taught.

　　As meditator you should check yourself all the time. You should not be foolish but know by yourself why the hindrances arise and how to overcome them. Then you will progress in the Dhamma. In this way, you can become a noble one. Citta-vimangsa is the name of this virtue. Consider how to overcome these hindrances when they appear in the mind. The hindrances obstruct our progress in many ways. They lead to negligence in keeping the moral principles, we cannot enter concentration and no knowledge can arise. All these happens because of the five hindrances.

　　If a boxer is not strong and quick enough to fight his opponent in the ring, then he will be knocked out. If concentration mindfulness and energy are well developed you will be able to knock out the hindrances. That”s sure. You have to be very careful and defend yourself with hands and feet until you knock out the hindrances completely. If you cannot do it while sitting, then stand up and do some standing meditation, if this doesn”t work, do walking meditation. These are a useful methods to overcome the hindrances. Absorption and Nibbana can happen in these postures as well. If you walk, do it slowly and mindfully.

　　One good example is the venerable Ananda. The first Buddhist council was arranged three months after the final Nibbana (P…

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