Sutta references for hindrances and jhana related statements

Question

In the YouTube video entitled "Characteristics of a Sotapanna", Ven. Dhammavuddho Mahathera stated (with some paraphrasing):

So who are the people who do not have the five hindrances? In the suttas, it is stated by the Buddha that as long as a person has not attained piti (rapture) and sukha (joy or bliss) which are secluded from unwholesome states and sensual pleasures, the five hindrances will obsess him and obsess him habitually. ..... (with example of someone raping his own daughter because he couldn't control his hindrances)

So there are two conditions if a person has the hindrances. Firstly, it obsesses your mind, it enslaves your mind. Secondly, it is habitual, it is very often there. ..... When a person attains the first jhana, these hindrances reduce to a very low level, that they are not considered hindrances any more. ..... They are eliminated for good.

Which sutta(s) support the following?

• The five hindrances are overcome only by the attainment of jhana (at least the first jhana)
• The five hindrances obsess and enslave the mind habitually, even outside times of sitting in meditation (you can find this elaborated in the video)

Answer 1

1. The five hindrances are overcome only by the attainment of jhana (at least the first jhana)

This statement is found in Tipitaka normally. All previous context in DN SubhaSutta is for preparing to attain Jhana. And we can found something like this in whole Tipitaka even in MN KayagatasatiSutta which is the preparing of MN MahasatipatthanaSutta.

Seeing that the hindrances have been given up in them, joy springs up. Being joyful, rapture springs up. When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, they feel bliss. And when blissful, the mind becomes immersed.

Quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, they enter and remain in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected. They drench, steep, fill, and spread their body with rapture and bliss born of seclusion. There’s no part of the body that’s not spread with rapture and bliss born of seclusion.

So, Jhana is so very important even for MN MahasatipatthanaSutta.

2. The five hindrances obsess and enslave the mind habitually, even outside times of sitting in meditation (you can find this elaborated in the video)

Mind is arising and vanishing more than trillion times per second. The ordinary never notice there are so many unwholesome while they are doing wholesome.

In MN Bodhi-Rāja-Kumāra Suttaṁ, The Buddha chose to teach Āḷāra the Kālāma, Uddaka the Rāma's son and five monks because they have little dust in their eyes like lotus over the water.

They are Jhana Mastery but the Buddha said they have "have little dust in their eyes" in that sutta.

Then, Prince, it occurred to Brahmā Sahampati who knew with his mind the reasoning in my mind: ‘Alas, the world is lost, alas, the world is destroyed, inasmuch as the mind of the Tathāgata, the perfected one, the fully awakened one, inclines to little effort and not to teaching Dhamma.’ Then, Prince, as a strong man might stretch out his bent arm, or might bend back his outstretched arm, even so did Brahmā Sahampati, vanishing from the Brahmā-world, become manifest before me. Then, Prince, Brahmā Sahampati, having arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, having saluted me with joined palms, spoke thus to me: ‘Lord, let the Lord teach Dhamma, let the well-farer teach Dhamma; there are beings with little dust in their eyes who; not hearing Dhamma, are decaying, (but if) they are learners of Dhamma they will grow.’ Thus spoke Brahmā Sahampati to me, Prince; having said this, he further spoke thus:

Answer 2

raping his own daughter because he couldn't control his hindrances

I think this expression misuses the term 'hindrances', makes it confusing because it gives the impression that evil behavior is because people can't control the hindrances but Devadatta could control hindrances better than most people and still did many worse harmful things.

I think for support you will draw on lines like this;

Dhp Verse 222: He who controls his rising anger as a skilful charioteer keeps in check a chariot, — him I call a charioteer; other's are merely rein-holders.

"Lord, when a disciple of the noble ones enters & remains in seclusion & rapture, there are five possibilities that do not exist at that time: The pain & distress dependent on sensuality do not exist at that time. The pleasure & joy dependent on sensuality do not exist at that time. The pain & distress dependent on what is unskillful do not exist at that time. The pleasure & joy dependent on what is unskillful do not exist at that time. The pain & distress dependent on what is skillful do not exist at that time. When a disciple of the noble ones enters & remains in seclusion & rapture, these five possibilities do not exist at that time." Piti

As to hindrances being the default mode of operation. I think it's obvious because beings are generally oppressed by laziness & sloth, sensual desire, aversion, doubt, restlessness, anxiety or whatnot and seclusion from all 5 is exceptional.

Answer 3

Which sutta(s) support the following?

1. The five hindrances are overcome only by the attainment of jhana (at least the first jhana)

2. The five hindrances obsess and enslave the mind habitually, even outside times of sitting in meditation (you can find this elaborated in the video)

For #1, i don't think there's any that explicitly states that they're overcome ONLY BY jhanas. For example, AN 9.64 suggests using Satipatthana as the method to overcome:

"Monks, there are these five hindrances. Which five? Sensual desire as a hindrance, ill will as a hindrance, sloth & drowsiness as a hindrance, restlessness & anxiety as a hindrance, and uncertainty as a hindrance. These are the five hindrances.

"To abandon these five hindrances, one should develop the four frames of reference. Which four?... ~~ AN 9.64 ~~

For #2, it should be fairly obvious since AN 5.51 uses the continuous flowing river downstream simile:

"Suppose there were a river, flowing down from the mountains — going far, its current swift, carrying everything with it — and a man would open channels leading away from it on both sides, so that the current in the middle of the river would be dispersed, diffused, & dissipated; it wouldn't go far, its current wouldn't be swift, and it wouldn't carry everything with it. In the same way, when a monk has not abandoned these five obstacles, hindrances that overwhelm awareness and weaken discernment, when he is without strength and weak in discernment for him to understand what is for his own benefit, to understand what is for the benefit of others, to understand what is for the benefit of both, to realize a superior human state, a truly noble distinction in knowledge & vision: that is impossible. ~~ AN 5.51 ~~