Nīvaraṇas

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Nīvaraṇas (Pāli, ‘hindrances’). In Buddhism, mental and emotional factors which hinder the acquisition of knowledge and insight. There are five: (i) sensuous desire (kāmacchanda); (ii) anger (vyācada); (iii) sloth and torpor (thīna-middha); (iv) excitability and anxiety (uddhacca-kukkucca); (v) doubt (vicikicchā).