Nivarana

Nivarana

निवारण, nivāraṇa

In Hinduism, this term refers to removing (distress) or prevention (of all suffering). “Śivapurāṇa” says(2.3.22): 

“55. In the Śāstras and the Vedas, lord Śiva is always sung in praise by the sages as the bestower of welfare, omniscient, all-pervading and all-seer.

56. The lord is the bestower of all riches, the molder of fine emotions, the bestower of the desires of devotees and the remover of their distress [i.e., sarvakleśa-nivāraṇa].

57. If I am devoted to the bull-bannered lord, discarding all desires, may He be pleased with me.”

In Buddhism, five hindrances, phenomena of mind, that keep mind the dark are called nivarana. These five are passion (kāmacchanda), resentment (vyāpāda), laziness and apathy (thīna-middha), restlessness (uddhacca-kukkucca), doubt (vicikicchā).

If an ascetic can reject the five sense objects (kāmaguṇa) and eliminate the five hindrances, he practices the five dharmas: aspiration (chanda), exertion (vīrya), mindfulness (smṛti), clear seeing (saṃprajñāna), concentration of mind (cittaikāgratā). By practicing these five dharmas, he acquires the first dhyāna.

In dhyana, nivarana is temporarily removed, therefore the mind is filled with happiness and delight. The arhat does not have these states (nivarana).