What Are Karmic Hindrances?

All sentient beings have karmic obstacles, which first arise from ignorance. Because ignorance creates unwholesome karmic actions, obstacles then manifest. What kinds of karmic actions obstruct what? In what aspects do these obstructions manifest? Who experiences these obstacles? What is the principle behind these obstacles? How can they be removed?

So-called obstacles manifest in situations such as: when I try to cultivate meditative concentration, I simply cannot succeed; every time I attempt to practice, hindrances related to people, events, or objects arise, or my mind becomes heavily distracted and I am unable to restrain it. When I wish to cultivate blessings, I find myself unable to do so, incapable of taking any concrete action; each time I resolve to act, a thought arises telling me to forget it, to postpone it, that it's unnecessary, and thus I lapse into laziness. Every time I attempt to contemplate and practice the Dharma, my mind becomes chaotic and unsettled, unable to focus, failing to comprehend even a single passage. Even when I intend to perform good deeds, various obstacles inevitably arise, preventing me from accomplishing them. In short, all plans fail to materialize; resolutions are made but prove useless, changing nothing at all. All these hindrances are obstacles, karmic obstacles, arising from the mental hindrances and adverse conditions generated by one's own past-life greed, hatred, delusion, and ignorant karmic actions.

How can past-life evil karma, stored as karmic seeds, affect present-life cultivation? Karmic obstacles are also called cause and effect; causes and effects are interconnected. When one commits unwholesome karma concerning matter A, engaging in improper conduct, the karmic retribution will manifest concerning matter A, causing endeavors related to A to fail. Similarly, engaging in unreasonable karmic actions concerning matter B will result in the manifestation of karmic retribution concerning matter B, causing actions related to B to fail. For example, if one slandered the Three Jewels in a past life, in this life one will not feel joy upon encountering the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; attempts to draw close to the Three Jewels will encounter hindrances and resistance. Even with the sincere wish to cultivate well, the written Dharma remains incomprehensible; the Dharma does not enter the heart. The evil karma of slandering the Three Jewels thus becomes a severe obstacle to cultivation in this present life.