One who guards the 8, 10, or 227 moral precepts1 may be considered to have overcome attachment to bodily sense desires, though his heart is still entangled with them. Again, he will experience pleasant and painful feelings, strong or weak, according to circumstances, and not being skilled, he will not understand these states clearly. This is like green wood which has been left on dry land, then a person wanting to make a fire tries to light it. but without success.
One who keeps the eight moralities as a basis, and who frets his heart from sense desires will experience pleasant and painful feelings, strong or weak, according to circumstances, and being skilled, he understands these states clearly. This is like dry wood which has been left on dry land, then a person wanting to make a fire lights it successfully.2
When one knows, in the words of the above simile, that one wants to “Light the Fire”, then one must attend to one’s morality in order to develop Purity (Parisuddhi), and one must completely abandon all anxieties and worries. One should then look for an environment which is peaceful and in solitude (Viveka) ; far from disturbances, where the eye is not distracted by forms, and the ear is not distracted by sounds. Or, one may practise late at night when it is quiet and one can easily attain a state of detachment of heart.
If one tries to practise Samadhi in a place which is noisy and disturbed, like the front of a cinema hall, one will not be successful unless one is skilled, when one may perhaps get as far as Access (Upacara) Samadhi which is still in the Sensual Realm. Under these conditions one is not likely to get to Absorption (Appana) Samadhi which is in the Form Realm because noise and disturbance are part of the nature of objects of sense desires (Kamaramman& #3642;a). Even if one leaves such a place and goes somewhere quiet, one still may not be able to attain detachment of the Citta because by constant habit our Cittas all tend to revert to the sensual realm which is inherently within us, and which turns into. Grasping (Upadana). However well one guards one’s Morality, it can only disperse the gross defilements (Kilesa) which arise in bodily actions and speech. This is. called the Expunging of Faults (Vitikama Dosa), or, the moralities which lead to renunciation of sense desires; but they can only do this to the extent of attaining bodily detachment.
The heart, however, is still concerned with sense desires, so it is called, Prepossessed with Defilements (Pariyut& #3642;t& #3642;hana Kilesa). The defilements at the core of us are strong, and are called the Five Hindrances (Nivaran& #3642;a); these being:
1.Sensual Lust (Kamacchanda).
2. III Will (Byapada).
3. Sloth and Torpor (Thinamiddha).
4. Restlessness and Mental Rambling (Uddhacca).
5. Doubt and Uncertainty (Vicikiccha).
In order to reduce these Hindrances; we must,
1.Not take food at the wrong time (6th Precept).
2.Not listen to singing and noises of the world of entertainment (7th Precept)
3. Avoid the use of a bed which is large and high and which has a soft mattress (8th Precept).
The Five Hindrances prevent the Citta from reaching virtue and goodness. The practice of Samadhi is thus necessary in order to quell these hindrances which are at the core of the defilements. One who is going to practise Samadhi should therefore examine these hindrances to find out which of them are hidden in his heart.
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