Three obstacles and four devils.
three obstacles and four devils [三障四魔] ( sanshō-shima): Various obstacles and hindrances to the practice of Buddhism. They are listed in the Nirvana Sutra and The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom.
The three obstacles are (1) the obstacle of earthly desires, or
obstacles arising from the three poisons of greed, anger, and
foolishness; (2) the obstacle of karma, obstacles due to bad karma
created by committing any of the five cardinal sins or ten evil acts;
and (3) the obstacle of retribution, obstacles caused by the negative
karmic effects of actions in the three evil paths. In a letter he
addressed to the Ikegami brothers in 1275, Nichiren states, “The
obstacle of earthly desires is the impediments to one’s practice that
arise from greed, anger, foolishness, and the like; the obstacle of
karma is the hindrances presented by one’s wife or children; and the
obstacle of retribution is the hindrances caused by one’s sovereign or
parents”
The four devils are (1) the hindrance of the five components,
obstructions caused by one’s physical and mental functions; (2) the
hindrance of earthly desires, obstructions arising from the three
poisons; (3) the hindrance of death, meaning one’s own untimely death
obstructing one’s practice of Buddhism, or the premature death of
another practitioner causing one to doubt; and (4) the hindrance of the
devil king, who is said to assume various forms or take possession of
others in order to cause one to discard one’s Buddhist practice. This
hindrance is regarded as the most difficult to overcome. T’ien-t’ai
(538–597) states in Great Concentration and Insight:
“As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles
and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to
interfere. . . . One should be neither influenced nor frightened by
them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths
of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from
practicing the correct teaching.”