Awareness in Buddhist Meditation

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six senses, namely the six organs and their six objects; the ten fetters
(saṁyojana) which prevent progress on the path to deliverance,
their origination, functioning and prevention thereof; the seven factors
of enlightenment (bojjhaṅga), their arising, presence and development;
the four noble truths (ariya sacca) of conflict (dukkha), its
origin (samudaya), its cessation (nirodha) and the path to cessation
(magga)—each and all are mind-objects, separately and comprehensively
dealt with by the present author in several monographs as
follows: The five hindrances (nīvaraṇa), which prevent the absorption
of the mind, and the overcoming thereof are fully dealt with in
‘Agony and Ecstasy’ (1978).
The five Hindrances
The five hindrances are those mental qualities which obstruct mental
vision of insight, namely, sensuous desire (kāmacchanda), ill-will
(vyāpada), sloth and torpor (thīna-middha), agitation and worry
(uddhacca-kukkucca) and sceptical doubt (vicikicchā). These hindrances
are disturbing the placid waters of reflection which make
clear perception impossible. The five stages of mental absorption
(jhāna) calm the mind and make pure awareness possible. These
stages are concentration of thought through logical application
(vitakka), sustained discursive thinking (vicāra), spiritual rapture
(pīti) and delight of well-being (sukha) leading to one-pointedness
of thought (citt’ekaggatā). This method of concentration (samādhi)
is the spiritual detachment which can overcome the obstruction of
the hindrances.
The five Aggregates
The five aggregates of clinging (pañc’ūpādānakkhandha) are the aggregates
of physical and mental existence, which form the basis of
all clinging (upādāna). They are the physical body (rūpa) and
the mental ‘body’ consisting of sensations (vedanā), perceptions