Mindfulness of the five hindrances
117 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Volume 4 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps 
Oct 16, 2026 Part of an ongoing series of teachings based on the book Following in the Buddha's Footsteps, the fourth volume in The Library of Wisdom and Compassion series by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chodron.
- Importance of having resilience in our practice
- Four steps to develop mindfulness of phenomena
- Understand when it is present or when it is absent
- What are the causes for it to arise
- How to suppress it temporarily in its manifest form
- How to eliminate it completely
- Antidotes to sensual desire and attachment
- Antidotes to malice
- Importance of guarding our senses
117 Mindfulness of the Five Hindrances (download)
Contemplation points
- Why is it beneficial to cultivate resilience as we are practicing the spiritual path?
- What are the five hindrances to be mindful of? Take time to go through each of the four steps below as you contemplate the first two of these five hindrances, following the guidance in the teaching and applying the antidotes presented. Be sure to make examples from your own experience:
- Understand when it is present in you and when it is absent.
- Understand the causes for it to arise.
- Understand how to temporarily suppress it in its manifest form.
- Understand how to eliminate it completely.
- Take some time to write out the antidotes to sensual desire and malice so you have them handy. Consider: what is it about the antidotes that make them so effective? Describe in your own words the benefits of applying antidotes to these hindrances repeatedly over time.
- What are some situations in which you’d like to become more mindful about guarding your senses? How might you go about becoming more mindful in these situations?
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.
