We all hear of the great Tibetan masters who, locked in Chinese prisons, tortured, in forced labor, find compassion and depth of practice. These rare and exceptional beings may serve as lights in the darkest of our spiritual nights. Yet for most of us, a prison or other state of heightened, extended stress will only bring out the worst in us (See the Stanford Prison Experiment<\/a>). Part of spiritual practice is knowing our limits and being honest with ourselves and others about them.<\/p>\n Many people turn to meditation in times of great turmoil, only to find that they are hindered in some way. The Buddha knew that this would happen and taught methods for overcoming what he called the five hindrances<\/a>:<\/p>\n Chief among these practices for overcoming the hindrances are the cultivations of the Seven Factors of Enlightenment<\/a>:<\/p>\n and:<\/p>\n\n
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