Master Jun Hong Lu’s Discourse
Guan Yin Hall
Sydney, Australia
23 March 2020
(An Excerpt)
A BRIEF DEFINITION OF THE FIVE HINDRANCES
Master Jun Hong Lu:
The fifth Hindrance is called the Hindrance of Doubt, a feeling of suspicion. When one is suspicious, it will give rise to a lot of afflictions. If you have doubts about the truth and efficacy of the Dharma, you will not be able to persevere along the path of Dharma practice. If you doubt the existence of kind-hearted people in this world, you are bound to live a dispirited life. Many of those who are suicidal would say, “What’s the point of me living in this world? I’ve only met wicked people, who are out there just to cause me to harm my entire life.”
A lot of girls also share the same sentiment, “Why are all the men so nasty and evil?” Is it true that kind-hearted people do not exist at all? No, of course, they do. I am one of them. I have been desperately saving and helping people without caring for myself. And I am not alone ─ all of you are also kind-hearted people who are practising Buddhism diligently and devoting yourselves to helping sentient beings selflessly.
Suspicion begets idle fear. Only those who harbour an ulterior motive will doubt others. How is it possible for someone who is always suspicious of others to have friends? If a business person, for example, always doubts others, will others cooperate with him in business? If you suspect that your wife is unfaithful to you all the time, do you think she would want to spend the rest of her life with you? Would you gain the liking of your manager if you always doubt him? How do you expect your superior to entrust you with more responsibilities if you always feel that he is trying to make life difficult for you? How will you be emotionally and physically well if you keep harbouring the belief that you would be stricken with cancer one fine day? These are all examples of the Hindrance of Doubt. Having a doubtful mind will lead to increased karmic obstacles and hinder one’s cultivation of the mind.
Therefore, as Buddhist practitioners, we should avoid being doubtful and proactively adopt wholesome methods to overcome the Five Hindrances. Only then would we be able to achieve success in our journey of spiritual cultivation.
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