Let's get a sense for the impact that the hindrances can have on our lives when left unchecked.

The Impact of the Hindrances

In a discourse, the Buddha compared the mind to a river and the hindrances to many side channels. It says...

Suppose a river were flowing down from a mountain, traveling a long distance with a swift current, carrying along much flotsam. Then, on both of its banks, a man would open irrigation channels. In such a case, the current in the middle of the river would be dispersed, spread out and divided, so that the river would no longer travel a long distance with a swift current, carrying along much flotsam.

Due to all the side channels, the river loses its power, its force. It gets diverted in all directions. In the same way—and I'm sure we all know this—the mind can get dispersed and distracted.