Nyanatiloka Buddhist Dictionary

nissaya: 'foundation'. The 2 wrong foundations of morality are craving (tanhá-nissaya) and views(ditthi-nissaya). Hence there are two wrong bases of morality: morality based on craving (tanhá-nissita-síla)and morality based on views (ditthi-nissita-síla). (App.)" 'Based on craving' is that kind of morality which has come about by the desire for a happy existence, e.g.:'O that by this morality I might become a godlike or heavenly being!' (A.IX, 172). 'Based on views' is thatmorality which has been induced by the view that through the observation of certain moral rules purificationmay be attained" (Vis.M. I).nissaya-paccaya: 'support', base, foundation, is one of the 24 conditions (s. paccaya, 8).nítattha-dhamma: A 'doctrine with evident meaning', contrasted with a 'doctrine with a meaning to beinferred' (neyyattha-dhamma, q.v.). See also paramattha.nívarana: 'hindrances', are 5 qualities which are obstacles to the mind and blind our mental vision. In thepresence of them we cannot reach neighbourhood-concentration (upacára-samádhi) and full concentration(appaná-samádhi), and are unable to discern clearly the truth. They are:1. sensuous desire (kámacchanda),2. ill-will (vyápáda),3. sloth and torpor (thína-middha),4. restlessness and scruples (uddhacca-kukkucca), and5. skeptical doubt (vicikicchá; q.v.).In the beautiful similes in A. V, 193, sensuous desire is compared with water mixed with manifold colours,ill-will with boiling water, sloth and torpor with water covered by moss, restlessness and scruples withagitated water whipped by the wind, skeptical doubt with turbid and muddy water. Just as in such water onecannot perceive one's own reflection, so in the presence of these 5 mental hindrances, one cannot clearlydiscern one's own benefit, nor that of others, nor that of both.Regarding the temporary suspension of the 5 hindrances on entering the first absorption, the stereotype suttatext (e g. A. IX, 40) runs as follows:"He has cast away sensuous desire; he dwells with a heart free from sensuous desire; from desire he cleanseshis heart."He has cast away ill-will; he dwells with a heart free from ill-will, cherishing love and compassion towardall living beings, he cleanses his heart from ill-will."He has cast away sloth and torpor; he dwells free from sloth and torpor; loving the light, with watchfulmind, with clear consciousness, he cleanses his mind from sloth and torpor."He has cast away restlessness and scruples; dwelling with mind undisturbed, with heart full of peace, hecleanses his mind from restlessness and scruples."He has cast away skeptical doubt; dwelling free from doubt, full of confidence in the good, he cleanses hisheart from doubt."He has put aside these 5 hindrances, and come to know these paralysing defilements of the mind. And farfrom sensual impressions, far from unwholesome things, he enters into the first absorption, etc."The overcoming of these 5 hindrances by the absorptions is, as already pointed out, a merely temporarysuspension, called 'overcoming through repression' (vikkhambhana-pahána). They disappear forever on