What Are Karmic Obstacles?

Everyone has karmic obstructions. First there is ignorance (avidyā); because of ignorance, one creates unwholesome karmic actions that are not in accordance with the Dharma, and only then do obstructions arise. What kind of karmic actions? What do they obstruct? In which aspects do these obstructions manifest? Who is it that has the obstructions? What is the principle behind obstruction? And how can obstructions be removed?

So-called obstruction means, for example, that I want to cultivate meditative concentration (samādhi), yet no matter what, I cannot succeed; every time I try to cultivate concentration, obstructions from people, matters, and things appear, or my mind clings and wanders intensely, and I have no way to stop it. I want to cultivate merit, but I simply cannot; I am unable to take any actual action, and every time I resolve to act, a thought arises—forget it, let's talk about it later, there's no need to do this—and so I lapse into slackness. Every time I want to contemplate and practice contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the Buddha's teachings, my mind is a mess, restless and disordered, with no place to start, unable to understand even a single passage. Even when I want to do good deeds, all sorts of obstacles arise, and I can never accomplish them. In short, none of my plans can be realized; I always make resolutions, but they are useless and change nothing in the slightest. All of these hindrances are obstructions—they are karmic obstructions—psychological obstacles and adverse conditions brought about by one's own ignorant karmic actions of greed, hatred, and delusion in past lives.

How can the evil karma of past lives, which has become karmic seeds, influence one's cultivation in this life? Karmic obstruction is also called cause and effect—causes and effects are related and connected. If one creates evil karma with regard to matter A, performing actions not in accordance with the Dharma, then the retribution will appear in matter A, and matters concerning A will not succeed. Likewise, if one creates unwholesome karmic actions with regard to matter B, the retribution will manifest in matter B, and matters concerning B will not succeed. For example, if in a past life one slandered the Three Jewels, then in this life, upon encountering the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, one will not feel joy, and wanting to draw near to the Three Jewels will meet with obstruction and resistance. Even if one has the intention to cultivate diligently, one cannot understand even the written words on the page; the Buddha's teachings do not enter the mind. The evil karma of slandering the Three Jewels thus becomes a serious obstruction to one's cultivation in this life.