Table of Contents

  • Synopsis
    • AN 5.51 āvaraṇa-suttaṃ
      • (1.)
      • (2.)
      • (3.)
      • (4.)
      • (5.)
      • (under influence of 5niv, monk can’t see clearly)
      • (simile of river getting split and losing power)
      • (repeat: under influence of 5niv, monk can’t see clearly)
      • (monk NOT under influence of 5niv can know and see)
      • (simile: undispersed river is mighty)
      • (repeat: monk NOT under influence of 5niv can know and see)
      • (end of sutta)

Synopsis

AN 5.51 āvaraṇa-suttaṃ

AN 5.51 āvaraṇa-suttaṃ
 AN 5.51 obstacles-discourse
evaṃ me sutaṃ —
 Thus I heard -
ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati
 one time, the-blessed-one, (at) sāvatthi (he) dwelled,
jeta-vane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
 in Jeta's-grove, anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.
tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi —
 there indeed the-blessed-one, (to the) monks (he) addressed -
“bhikkhavo”ti.
 monks!
“bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ.
 "[Yes], lord" those monks (to) the-blessed-one (they) responded.
bhagavā etad-avoca —
 the-blessed-one {said}-this
♦ “pañc'-ime, bhikkhave, āvaraṇā nīvaraṇā
 "Five-(of)-these, *********, obstacles, hindrances,
cetaso ajjhāruhā
 (the) mind (it) overwhelms,
paññāya dub-balī-karaṇā.
 wisdom (it) weakens.
katame pañca?
 which five?

(1.)

kāmac-chando, bhikkhave,
 sensual-desire, *********,
āvaraṇo nīvaraṇo
 (is an) obstacle, (a) hindrance,
cetaso ajjhāruho
 (the) mind (it) overwhelms,
paññāya dub-balī-karaṇo.
 wisdom (it) weakens.

(2.)

byāpādo, bhikkhave,
 Ill will, *********,
āvaraṇo nīvaraṇo
 (is an) obstacle, (a) hindrance,
cetaso ajjhāruho
 (the) mind (it) overwhelms,
paññāya dub-balī-karaṇo.
 wisdom (it) weakens.

(3.)

thina-middhaṃ, bhikkhave,
 Sloth & drowsiness, *********,
āvaraṇaṃ nīvaraṇaṃ
 (is an) obstacle, (a) hindrance,
cetaso ajjhāruhaṃ
 (the) mind (it) overwhelms,
paññāya dub-balī-karaṇaṃ.
 wisdom (it) weakens.

(4.)

uddhaccakukkuccaṃ, bhikkhave,
 Restlessness & anxiety, *********,
āvaraṇaṃ nīvaraṇaṃ
 (is an) obstacle, (a) hindrance,
cetaso ajjhāruhaṃ
 (the) mind (it) overwhelms,
paññāya dub-balī-karaṇaṃ.
 wisdom (it) weakens.

(5.)

vici-kicchā, bhikkhave,
 Uncertainty, *********,
āvaraṇā nīvaraṇā
 (is an) obstacle, (a) hindrance,
cetaso ajjhāruhā
 (the) mind (it) overwhelms,
paññāya dubbalīkaraṇā.
 wisdom (it) weakens.
ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca
 these indeed, monks, [are] five
āvaraṇā nīvaraṇā
 obstacles, hindrances,
cetaso ajjhāruhā
 (the) mind (it) overwhelms,
paññāya dubbalīkaraṇā.
 wisdom (it) weakens.

(under influence of 5niv, monk can’t see clearly)

“so vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 "[when] the ****, ***********, monk,
ime pañca āvaraṇe nīvaraṇe
 his five obstacles (and) hindrances
cetaso ajjhāruhe
 (that the) mind (is) overcome (by),
paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe
 (that his) wisdom (is) weakened (by)
ap-pahāya,
 (are) not-abandoned,
a-balāya paññāya dubbalāya
 (when he is) without-power (and) wisdom weak,
att'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) his-own-benefit,
par'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) other's-benefit,
ubhay'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) both-[parties']-benefit,
uttari vā manussa-dhammā
 (for a) superior ** human-state,
alam-ariya-ñāṇa-dassana-visesaṃ
 (a) truly-noble-knowledge-(and)-vision-distinction,
sacchi-karissatīti
 [that he] would-realize (this),
n'etaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati.
 [there is] no'[way]-this condition happens.

(simile of river getting split and losing power)

seyyathāpi,bhikkhave,
 "Suppose, monks,
nadī pabbateyyā dūraṅ-gamā
 (a) river from-the-mountain, far-(it)-goes,
sīgha-sotā
 (whose) strift-stream
hāra-hārinī.
 carries-and-carries-away-rapidly [everything with it].
tassā puriso
 a man,
ubhato naṅgala-mukhāni
 (to) both [sides] plough-channels
vivareyya.
 (that) should-open (it up).
evañhi so, bhikkhave,
 thus-indeed that, **********,
majjhe nadiyā soto
 middle (of the) river current
vikkhitto visaṭo byādiṇṇo
 (is) dispersed, diffused, dissipated;
n'eva dūraṅ-gamo assa
 surely-not (a) [far] distance-going water,
na sīgha-soto
 not (a) swift-stream [of current],
na hāra-hārī.
 (it) doesn't carry-and-carry-away-rapidly [everything with it].

(repeat: under influence of 5niv, monk can’t see clearly)

evamevaṃ kho,bhikkhave,
 Just like that, monks,
so vata bhikkhu
 when a monk,
ime pañca āvaraṇe nīvaraṇe
 his five obstacles (and) hindrances
cetaso ajjhāruhe
 (that the) mind (is) overcome (by),
paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe
 (that his) wisdom (is) weakened (by)
ap-pahāya,
 (are) not-abandoned,
a-balāya paññāya dubbalāya
 (when he is) without-power (and) wisdom weak,
att'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) his-own-benefit,
par'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) other's-benefit,
ubhay'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) both-[parties']-benefit,
uttari vā manussa-dhammā
 (for a) superior ** human-state,
alam-ariya-ñāṇa-dassana-visesaṃ
 (a) truly-noble-knowledge-(and)-vision-distinction,
sacchi-karissatīti
 [that he] would-realize (this),
n'etaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati.
 [there is] no'[way]-this condition happens.

(monk NOT under influence of 5niv can know and see)

“so vata, Bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 “when a, ***********, monk,
ime pañca āvaraṇe nīvaraṇe
 his five obstacles (and) hindrances
cetaso ajjhāruhe
 (that the) mind (is) overcome (by),
paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe
 (that his) wisdom (is) weakened (by)
pahāya,
 (having) abandoned (them),
balavatiyā paññāya
 (with) power (and) wisdom,
att'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) his-own-benefit,
par'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) other's-benefit,
ubhay'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) both-[parties']-benefit,
uttari vā manussa-dhammā
 (for a) superior ** human-state,
alam-ariya-ñāṇa-dassana-visesaṃ
 (a) truly-noble-knowledge-(and)-vision-distinction,
sacchi-karissatīti
 [that he] would-realize (this),
Ṭhānam-etaṃ vijjati.
 {this}-condition (can) be-known.

(simile: undispersed river is mighty)

seyyathāpi, bhikkhave,
 "Suppose, monks,
nadī pabbateyyā dūraṅ-gamā
 (a) river from-the-mountain, far-(it)-goes,
Sīgha-sotā
 its current swift,
hāra-hārinī.
 carries-and-carries-away-rapidly [everything with it].
tassā puriso
 a man,
ubhato naṅgala-mukhāni
 (to) both [sides] plough-channels
pidaheyya.
 (that) should-close (it up).
evañhi so, bhikkhave,
 thus-indeed that, **********,
majjhe nadiyā soto
 middle (of the) river current
A-vikkhitto a-visaṭo a-byādiṇṇo
 (is) not-dispersed, not-diffused, not-dissipated,
Dūraṅ-gamo ceva assa
 far-(it)-goes indeed, (that) water,
Sīgha-soto ca
 (a) swift-stream [of current],
Hāra-hārī ca.
 (it) carries-and-carries-away-rapidly [everything with it].

(repeat: monk NOT under influence of 5niv can know and see)

evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave,
 “Just like that, monks,
“so vata, Bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 “when a, ***********, monk,
ime pañca āvaraṇe nīvaraṇe
 his five obstacles (and) hindrances
cetaso ajjhāruhe
 (that the) mind (is) overcome (by),
paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe
 (that his) wisdom (is) weakened (by)
pahāya,
 (having) abandoned (them),
balavatiyā paññāya
 (with) power (and) wisdom,
att'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) his-own-benefit,
par'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) other's-benefit,
ubhay'-atthaṃ vā ñassati
 (that he) {understands} (what is for) both-[parties']-benefit,
uttari vā manussa-dhammā
 (for a) superior ** human-state,
alam-ariya-ñāṇa-dassana-visesaṃ
 (a) truly-noble-knowledge-(and)-vision-distinction,
sacchi-karissatīti
 [that he] would-realize (this),
Ṭhānam-etaṃ vijjati.
 {this}-condition (can) be-known.

(end of sutta)