法苑珠林 71.35

71.35

Humbly examining the sūtras and treatises, when practitioners cultivate the Path, all say that the five desires are the root of obstacles to the Path. If one does not learn to sever them, there is no way to realize sagehood. If one wishes to know their root, three kinds are briefly stated: first, internally, the five sense faculties; second, externally, the five sense objects; third, the five consciousnesses produced thereby. Due to these three, defiled desire can arise. Therefore, the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* says: 'Good sons, it is like a vicious elephant whose mind is not yet tamed. If a person rides it, it does not go according to his wishes, but leaves the cities and towns far behind to go into open wilderness, beyond his ability to control well. These five sense faculties are also like this: they take a person far away from the city of nirvāṇa to the wilderness of saṃsāra. Good sons, it is like a flattering minister who teaches the king to do evil; the flattering ministers of the five sense faculties are also like this, constantly teaching sentient beings to commit immeasurable evils. It is like an evil son who does not accept the instructions of teachers, elders, and parents, and thus there is no evil he will not commit; untamed five sense faculties are also like this, not accepting the good words and instructions of teachers and elders, and committing every evil. Good sons, ordinary people who do not restrain their five sense faculties are constantly plundered and harmed by hell, animals, and hungry ghosts, just as resentful bandits bring harm to good people.' Furthermore, the *Yijiao jing* says: 'The calamity of the thieves of the five faculties brings disaster across multiple lifetimes; their harm is exceedingly grave, and one cannot fail to be cautious. Therefore, the wise restrain them and do not follow them, holding them as if they were thieves. Even if one gives way to them, before long one sees their destruction.' Now, as for 'hindrances' (nīvaraṇa), it means to shade and cover; that is, covering and obstructing the practitioner, causing their resolve and nature to sink into gloom, concentration and wisdom to lose their clarity, and eclipsing good people. Being obstacles to cultivating the right path, they are called 'hindrances'. Therefore, the *Abhidharmasamuccaya* says: 'These hindrances cause good factors to fail to become evident; this is the meaning of hindrance. Covering their minds and obstructing various good factors so that they cannot function—hence it is called the meaning of hindrance.' The preceding five desires arise from the external five sense objects; these five hindrances burst forth from the internal five sense faculties.