1So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

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2“Mendicants, there are these five obstacles and hindrances, parasites of the mind that weaken wisdom. What five? Sensual desire … Ill will … Dullness and drowsiness … Restlessness and remorse … Doubt … These are the five obstacles and hindrances, parasites of the mind that weaken wisdom.

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3Take a mendicant who has feeble and weak wisdom, not having given up these five obstacles and hindrances, parasites of the mind that weaken wisdom. It’s simply impossible that they would know what’s for their own good, the good of another, or the good of both; or that they would realize any superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones.

Suppose there was a mountain river that flowed swiftly, going far, carrying all before it. But then a man would open channels on both sides, so the mid-river current would be dispersed, spread out, and separated. The river would no longer flow swiftly, going far, carrying all before it.

In the same way, take a mendicant who has feeble and weak wisdom, not having given up these five obstacles and hindrances, parasites of the mind that weaken wisdom. It’s simply impossible that they would know what’s for their own good, the good of another, or the good of both; or that they would realize any superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones.

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4Take a mendicant who has powerful wisdom, having given up these five obstacles and hindrances, parasites of the mind that weaken wisdom. It’s quite possible that they would know what’s for their own good, the good of another, or the good of both; or that they would realize any superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones.

Suppose there was a mountain river that flowed swiftly, going far, carrying all before it. But then a man would close up the channels on both sides, so the mid-river current would not be dispersed, spread out, and separated. The river would keep flowing swiftly for a long way, carrying all before it.

In the same way, take a mendicant who has powerful wisdom, having given up these five obstacles and hindrances, parasites of the mind that weaken wisdom. It’s quite possible that they would know what’s for their own good, the good of another, or the good of both; or that they would realize any superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones.”

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ​   ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:  "bhikkhavo"ti.

"Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: 

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2"Pañcime, bhikkhave, āvaraṇā nīvaraṇā cetaso ajjhāruhā paññāya dubbalīkaraṇā. Katame pañca? Kāmacchando, bhikkhave, āvaraṇo nīvaraṇo cetaso ajjhāruho paññāya dubbalīkaraṇo. Byāpādo, bhikkhave, āvaraṇo nīvaraṇo cetaso ajjhāruho paññāya dubbalīkaraṇo. Thinamiddhaṁ, bhikkhave, āvaraṇaṁ nīvaraṇaṁ cetaso ajjhāruhaṁ paññāya dubbalīkaraṇaṁ. Uddhaccakukkuccaṁ, bhikkhave, āvaraṇaṁ nīvaraṇaṁ cetaso ajjhāruhaṁ paññāya dubbalīkaraṇaṁ. Vicikicchā, bhikkhave, āvaraṇā nīvaraṇā cetaso ajjhāruhā paññāya dubbalīkaraṇā. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca āvaraṇā nīvaraṇā cetaso ajjhāruhā paññāya dubbalīkaraṇā.

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3So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ime pañca āvaraṇe nīvaraṇe cetaso ajjhāruhe paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe appahāya, abalāya paññāya dubbalāya attatthaṁ vā ñassati paratthaṁ vā ñassati ubhayatthaṁ vā ñassati uttari vā manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṁ sacchikarissatīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, nadī pabbateyyā dūraṅgamā sīghasotā hārahārinī. Tassā puriso ubhato naṅgalamukhāni vivareyya. Evañhi so, bhikkhave, majjhe nadiyā soto vikkhitto visaṭo byādiṇṇo neva dūraṅgamo assa na sīghasoto na hārahārī.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, so vata bhikkhu ime pañca āvaraṇe nīvaraṇe cetaso ajjhāruhe paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe appahāya, abalāya paññāya dubbalāya attatthaṁ vā ñassati paratthaṁ vā ñassati ubhayatthaṁ vā ñassati uttari vā manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṁ sacchikarissatīti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

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4So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ime pañca āvaraṇe nīvaraṇe cetaso ajjhāruhe paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe pahāya, balavatiyā paññāya attatthaṁ vā ñassati paratthaṁ vā ñassati ubhayatthaṁ vā ñassati uttari vā manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṁ sacchikarissatīti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, nadī pabbateyyā dūraṅgamā sīghasotā hārahārinī. Tassā puriso ubhato naṅgalamukhāni pidaheyya. Evañhi so, bhikkhave, majjhe nadiyā soto avikkhitto avisaṭo abyādiṇṇo dūraṅgamo ceva assa sīghasoto ca hārahārī ca.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, so vata bhikkhu ime pañca āvaraṇe nīvaraṇe cetaso ajjhāruhe paññāya dubbalīkaraṇe pahāya, balavatiyā paññāya attatthaṁ vā ñassati paratthaṁ vā ñassati ubhayatthaṁ vā ñassati uttari vā manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṁ sacchikarissatīti ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.