SN51:86 Higher Fetters
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
"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 four bases for spiritual power are 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 four?
Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to desire and volitional formations of striving
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- 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.
He develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to energy and volitional formations of striving
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- 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.
He develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to mind and volitional formations of striving
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- 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.
He develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to investigation and volitional formations of striving
- which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release;
- 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.
"These four bases for spiritual power are to be developed for direct knowledge of these five higher fetters, for the full understanding of them, for their utter destruction, for their abandoning." sn.v.293
Floods, bonds, kinds of clinging,
Knots, and underlying tendencies,
Cords of sensual pleasure, hindrances,
Aggregates, fetters lower and higher.