The Greatest Obstacle to Meditation Is Distress

Individuals with minor afflictions and good physical constitution have smoothly flowing energy channels, making it easy to activate the vital energy mechanism. This results in physical and mental lightness, ease, and joy, thereby giving rise to meditative absorption (dhyana). Those with many afflictions find it difficult to experience joy or physical and mental lightness. Their energy channels are obstructed, making it hard to activate the vital energy mechanism, and meditative absorption is difficult to attain. Even desire-realm dhyana is not easily achieved, and form-realm dhyana becomes even more challenging.

Practitioners who are not yet able to embark on the path should frequently examine and reflect upon the afflictions within their own minds, striving to subdue and overcome them as much as possible. Afflictions manifest in all aspects of daily life, such as having a narrow mind, being stubborn and rigidly adhering to one's views, being short-sighted and ignorant, arguing unreasonably and refusing to yield even when in the right, being contentious and fond of disputes, enjoying quarrels over trivial household matters, indulging in comparisons, being scheming, spreading rumors and causing trouble, engaging in false speech, divisive speech, and harsh speech, having a strong tendency towards gossip and fault-finding, craving attention and self-display, desiring power, fame, and profit, being heavily greedy, pursuing material wealth, harboring intense anger and resentment, being unwilling to let go of hatred and vexation, constantly dwelling in sorrow and resentment, and so on. The afflictions of sentient beings are truly innumerable. Nevertheless, regardless of the type, those who wish to be free from suffering must strive diligently to subdue and eradicate every affliction. Only then does progress on the path become possible.