Higher Fetters
“Bhikkhus, there are these five higher fetters. What five? Lust for form, lust for the formless, conceit, restlessness, ignorance. These are the five higher fetters. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these five higher fetters, for the full understanding of them, for their utter destruction, for their abandoning.
“What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. This Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these five higher fetters, for the full understanding of them, for their utter destruction, for their abandoning.
“Bhikkhus, there are these five higher fetters. What five?… … The Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these five higher fetters, for the full understanding of them, for their utter destruction, for their abandoning.
“What Noble Eightfold Path? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops right view … right concentration, which has as its final goal the removal of lust, the removal of hatred, the removal of delusion … which has the Deathless as its ground, the Deathless as its destination, the Deathless as its final goal … which slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna. This Noble Eightfold Path is to be developed for direct knowledge of these five higher fetters, for the full understanding of them, for their utter destruction, for their abandoning.”
- Translator: Bhikkhu Bodhi
- Editor: Blake Walsh
Higher Fetters
“Mendicants, there are five higher fetters.
What five?
Desire for rebirth in the realm of luminous form, desire for rebirth in the formless realm, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance.
These are the five higher fetters.
The noble eightfold path should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these five higher fetters.
What is the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.
This is the noble eightfold path that should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these five higher fetters.”
“Mendicants, there are five higher fetters.
What five?
Desire for rebirth in the realm of luminous form, desire for rebirth in the formless realm, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance.
These are the five higher fetters.
The noble eightfold path should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these five higher fetters.
What is the noble eightfold path?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which culminate in the removal of greed, hate, and delusion …”
“… which culminate, finish, and end in the deathless …”
“… which have extinguishment as their culmination, destination, and end.
This is the noble eightfold path that should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these five higher fetters.”
The Linked Discourses on the Path is the first section.
