Why Is My Meditation Blocked?

May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!

It has been some time since we’ve been able to share these teachings with you. Today, we’re preparing an article titled “Why Is My Meditation Blocked?” Our recent pause came from a period of personal spiritual reflection, as well as an unexpected illness. Because of these two factors, I wasn’t able to connect with you or offer guidance as promptly as you deserved. I also know that many of you who reached out via WhatsApp may not have received a reply, and I wanted to acknowledge this directly.

If you find that we are silent, or if you do not receive a response from us, I encourage you not to abandon your spiritual journey. We have previously shared a teaching on the nature of fear, which is one of the ten forces of Mara (the tempter). The guidance in that article was designed to help you engage in your spiritual practice independently.

When we overcome the thought of fear, we gain the courage to face any spiritual challenge. This fearlessness allows us, after an initial period of guidance, to continue our practice independently, whether it is developing serenity (Samatha) or insight (vipassana).

By maintaining mindfulness and acting with wisdom, as the Buddha taught, you have the firm ability to walk this path on your own. I wanted to take a moment to clarify this for your benefit.

Understanding Silence and The Power of Loving-Kindness

Due to my deep engagement in personal practice and recurring health challenges, which are the natural way of this body, as you all know, there are times I must be silent. I have seen that some, not understanding this, have sent abusive messages to our WhatsApp number out of frustration. There are people who fall to such a low mental state.

To them, I would gently advise: ask for forgiveness from the universe, from nature, and from the Triple Gem, the Buddha, his teachings (the Dhamma), and the noble community (the Sangha), and then begin your meditation anew. Otherwise, you will never be able to develop a spiritual life. It’s important to understand that when someone doesn’t answer a call, there are reasons for it, just as there are in your own personal lives. You have the experience to understand this.

Conversely, many of you sent wishes for good health and blessings through messages and comments. There are these virtuous people as well, with many different mental states in the world. With a heart of loving-kindness, or Metta, I extend the thought ‘May you be well‘ to everyone, both those who blessed me and those who spoke harshly. I release this as a form of mental energy for all of you.

The Core Problem: Why Is My Meditation Blocked?

Today, I wish to address a question someone sent us some time ago. The question, which you see in the title, is about what happens when you start to meditate, and suddenly your practice is blocked. If you are facing such a challenge in developing your spiritual life and your meditation, this teaching is to help you overcome it and move forward.

Often, we begin meditation with great joy. Some people continue for a while and then, halfway through, they give up. You know this from your own practical experience. Others persevere for a long time, whether they see results or not. Meditation is truly about understanding, understanding the mind from various angles. As we proceed, some people find that no matter how much enthusiasm they have, their practice gets prevented.

For example, say you have a routine of meditating every day at 8 AM, or perhaps at 4 or 5 AM. You have the strong intention, but just as the time arrives, some other work comes up, and your session is blocked. This is one of the most common meditation obstacles.

The Habit of Practice and the Frustration of Interruption

You’ve surely had this experience. At the exact moment you plan to meditate, something gets in the way. It could be an urgent work task, a problem within the family, a family member falling ill, or even just a phone call. The session is missed. It feels as if you are trying to do something good, and an external force is actively preventing it. You have the enthusiasm, but it feels like the environment is stopping you.

Once that dedicated time passes, the mind often doesn’t feel like trying again. It’s like someone who is used to eating lunch at noon every day. If they miss that time, their appetite disappears.

They’ve become habituated to the routine. It’s the same with meditation, especially serenity practices like the Third Eye or Path to Brahma Realm meditations we teach. We often recommend practicing in the early morning. When that time is missed due to some barrier or block, the motivation to practice later can vanish. This is a significant type of one of the meditation obstacles we face.

Cause #1: Interference from Unseen Forces

We can understand these meditation obstacles in two primary ways. The first relates to beings and forces that are resistant to our spiritual development.

As you advance spiritually, there are unseen forces who dislike it. These can be non-human beings, or even deities with wrong views, what we can call mithyā-dṛṣṭika devas. For simplicity, let’s refer to them as ‘unseen forces.‘ This category can include spirits, naga (serpent beings), or yaksa (nature spirits or demons).

Many of these beings have no understanding of the Dhamma or meditation. They may feel their own power diminishing in the environment as your mental energy grows.

Imagine a yaksha living in your home. As your mind becomes stronger through meditation, its influence weakens. It thinks, ‘Because this person is meditating, my power is fading. I might have to leave my territory or submit to this person’s energy. I can no longer influence their thoughts.‘

So, this being will do everything it can to stop you from meditating at your scheduled time. It can create disruptions, make you busy with work, or cause issues in your home to prevent your practice. This is a real source of meditation obstacles.

Helpful and Obstructive Spiritual Energies

Not all unseen forces are obstructive. As I’ve mentioned in other teachings, there are many who help our spiritual progress. However, there is also a group that actively works to prevent it, including the forces of Māra (the Tempter) and beings with wrong views. This includes deities, nāgas, yakshas, pretas (hungry ghosts), and kumbhāṇḍas. These beings will try their best to stop you from meditating at your appointed time.

This is the first major reason for these kinds of meditation obstacles, and it’s something we need to understand.

Cause #2: The Echo of Past Actions (Karmic Obstacles)

The second primary cause is rooted in our past actions, which in Buddhism is known as kamma. This refers to the universal law of cause and effect tied to our intentional actions. If we have created unskillful karma in our past, we may face meditation obstacles as a result.

For example, imagine that in a past life, you saw a small child practicing loving-kindness meditation, repeating ‘May all beings be well.‘ Lacking understanding, you might have scolded the child, saying, ‘What nonsense are you doing? Open your eyes and do your homework!‘ By preventing that child from meditating, you created a specific karmic cause.

Throughout our long journey through samsara (the cycle of rebirth), we may have played many roles. We may have acted as Mara, trying to stop a Bodhisattva, an aspirant Buddha, from attaining enlightenment. We might have been a human or non-human being who obstructed the practice of a sage, a hermit, a monk, or anyone trying to attain spiritual fruits.

If you have ever, even with a single thought, tried to prevent someone from being mindful or developing wisdom (paññā), that karmic trace can ripen in this life. When it does, you may find your meditation practice is blocked, not by external beings, but by the echo of your own past actions. This is the second crucial point to understand.

The Path Forward: Forgiveness and Mindfulness

If you suspect that your meditation obstacles are due to past karma, the practice is to ask for forgiveness. This is why we ritually ask for forgiveness from the Triple Gem, the universe, great sages, and nature itself. If we have accumulated such karma, this practice is essential.

I have given a detailed teaching on this before, called ‘Let’s Ask for Forgiveness from the Triple Gem Before Meditating.‘ If you haven’t explored it, I encourage you to do so for a deeper understanding.

Through this practice of asking for forgiveness, we can gradually reduce the karmic weight that prevents our meditation. Furthermore, we must train our own minds.

In our teaching series on maintaining mindfulness (sati), we explain how to use awareness to identify and overcome the hindrances that arise from within your own mind. By recognizing your thoughts with mindfulness, you can prevent them from derailing you.

This is a powerful tool for self-reliance. These approaches will help you identify the source of your meditation obstacles and give you the ability to practice at your chosen time, whether it’s four or five in the morning.

Do Not Despair: Turning Obstacles into Wisdom

So now, with this information, you can begin to discern for yourself: ‘Is someone or something preventing me, or is my own past karma coming to fruition?‘

But here is the most important point. Whether you face one or both of these meditation obstacles, do not become mentally defeated. Do not become weak. Do not let these reasons stop you from meditating altogether. Instead, use this understanding to move forward with more wisdom and a positive mind.

Act in ways that do not create negative karma, help others in their practice, and bring balance to your environment and your mind. I am not telling you these things so you have an excuse to stop practicing. I am explaining them so you can understand and continue your meditation with even greater resolve.

Trust in this process. Understand these causes, and let that understanding guide your journey forward. That is all you need to do. When you start to meditate and feel it being blocked, remember these two points and act accordingly. As your mind expands and your wisdom (paññā) matures, you will gain a profound understanding and become strong enough to continue this journey on your own.

Use these teachings as a support to overcome your challenges and achieve victory in your spiritual life. May you be blessed with the excellent wisdom to do so.

With that, I will conclude today’s teaching.

We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.

Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.

May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!