Overview
The Hindrances (Nīvaraṇa) are the primary obstacles to deep concentration and insight. This Dyad isolates the precise mental factors that act as these blinders, separating the corrupted elements from the rest of the mind.
The List
- Nīvaraṇā dhammā - States that are hindrances: While conventionally taught as five, the Abhidhamma identifies eight specific mental factors that create these hindrances: Greed (lobha), Hatred (dosa), Sloth (thīna), Torpor (middha), Restlessness (uddhacca), Worry (kukkucca), Doubt (vicikicchā), and Ignorance (avijjā).
- No nīvaraṇā dhammā - States that are not hindrances: All other mental factors, all consciousnesses, matter, and Nibbāna.
Textual References
- Abhidhamma: Dhammasaṅgaṇī (Duka) – Provides the strict Abhidhammic definition of what constitutes a meditative blockage.