3

So far I have been exposed to some frontier thinking (thanks for those who truly are helping).

Where did the "hindrances" originate from?

The question is, who or what transpired for us to have these negative conditions?

For example, the Bible talks in mystery about "sin", which is a transgression of "divine law".

So in Buddhism, somewhere in the universe of mind, is the origin of the hindrances something like craving/desire that gave birth to suffering? From what was that born out off, and for what reason if any?

1 Answer 1

2

A new born child is born (refer to MN 64) with the underlying tendencies (refer to AN 7.11) to the five hindrances. The child is born that way.

For a young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion ‘identity,’ so how could identity view arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to identity view lies within him. A young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion ‘teachings,’ so how could doubt about the teachings arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to doubt lies within him. A young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion ‘rules,’ so how could adherence to rules and observances arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to adhere to rules and observances lies within him. A young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion ‘sensual pleasures,’ so how could sensual desire arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to sensual lust lies within him. A young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion ‘beings,’ so how could ill will towards beings arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to ill will lies within him.

MN 64

The hindrances (sensual desire, ill-will, restlessness & remorse, sloth & torpor and doubt) are just more elements ('dhatu'). To quote MN 115:

There are, Ānanda, these six elements: the sensual desire element, the renunciation element, the ill will element, the non-ill will element, the cruelty element, and the non-cruelty element. When he knows and sees these six elements, a bhikkhu can be called skilled in the elements.”

The hindrances come from ignorance & are sustained by the three types of bad karma.

"Monks, ignorance is the leader in the attainment of unskillful qualities..."

Avijja Sutta

~~~

the five hindrances, too, have their nutriment ('food'), monks; they are not without a nutriment. And what is the nutriment of the five hindrances? 'The three ways of wrong conduct,' should be the answer.

AN 10.61

In Pali Buddhism, ignorance is the 1st cause for the creation of the 'worlds' (of mental sufferings).

And what is the origination of the world? From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications....from becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress & despair come into play. This is the origination of the world.

SN 12.44

What primitive religions such as Judaism call 'God', Buddhism calls 'ignorance'. For example, Genesis 6:5 describes how God regretted his creation, which shows how God has ignorance. Since 'regret/remorse' is one of the five hindrances, God also has hindrances. God also loves the smell of the the fatty parts of the meat (Genesis 8:21; Leviticus 3; etc), which shows God also has the hindrance of sensual desire.

More modern religions, such as Christianity, teach 'God is love' (1 John 4:8). In Christianity, God has no hindrances because it is said: "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5).

If the old Jewish God is the same as the new Christian God, maybe this God learned how to be free from the five hindrances from the Buddha, who is the "Teacher of Gods & men" (sattha devamanussanam).

4
  • 1
    I often used to think God of being lonely so for want ( desire ) of more company creation was born !! That was a while before now ignorance ?? Do you just mean lack of truth or a choice and yes agree the holy bible has a very human like God my favorite frm scripture in the old testimony is Ecclesiastes very much on the topic of Buddhism ...all is futile a chase after the wind "" . so through ignorance began all this worldly suffering..
    – user10244
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 1:06
  • 1
    Yes after further study ...I agree that ignorances are the root causes ..
    – user10244
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 1:14
  • Ecclesiastes like Proverbs, Job, etc, are post-exilic writings, meaning they were composed after the Jewish exile in Babylon. The creation story is probably also post-exilic since it includes the 'Tree of Life', which is only found in Proverbs & the New Testament. In other words, they were probably influenced by the new Buddhism. After the fall of Babylon to the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 539 BCE, exiled Judeans were permitted to return to Judah. Ecclesiastes. The presence of Persian loan-words and Aramaisms points to a date no earlier than about 450 BCE (Wikipedia) Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 1:37
  • Right now I think there was a wave of thinking around 500bc that was different to the usual normality ...Buddhism along with Ecclesiastes are correct views expressed in word and when one inquired about the teaching we can asuredly say it's true within the experience we term as life . also like the Buddha , Ecclesiastes stands out in its form as the bible is structured to save mankind however in this book we learn how things are futility and very difficult to understand let achieve realisation .
    – user10244
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 6:11

You must log in to answer this question.