Shackles of the HeartCetasovinibandhasutta

“Mendicants, there are these five shackles of the heart.“Pañcime, bhikkhave, cetasovinibandhā. What five?Katame pañca? Firstly, a mendicant isn’t free of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu avītarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigatataṇho. This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving.Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu avītarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigatataṇho, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. This is the first shackle of the heart.Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, ayaṁ paṭhamo cetasovinibandho.

Furthermore, a mendicant isn’t free of greed for the body …Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye avītarāgo hoti …pe… They’re not free of greed for form …rūpe avītarāgo hoti … They eat as much as they like until their belly is full, then indulge in the pleasures of sleeping, lying down, and drowsing …yāvadatthaṁ udarāvadehakaṁ bhuñjitvā seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharati … They lead the spiritual life wishing to be reborn in one of the orders of gods: ‘By this precept or observance or fervent austerity or spiritual practice, may I become one of the gods!’aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti. This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving.Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vā vatena vā tapena vā brahmacariyena vā devo vā bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. This is the fifth shackle of the heart.Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, ayaṁ pañcamo cetasovinibandho. These are the five shackles of the heart.Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca cetasovinibandhā.

To give up these five shackles of the heart you should develop the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ cetasovinibandhānaṁ pahānāya cattāro satipaṭṭhānā bhāvetabbā. What four?Katame cattāro? It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …vedanāsu …pe… They meditate observing an aspect of the mind …citte … They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. To give up these five shackles of the heart you should develop these four kinds of mindfulness meditation.”Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ cetasovinibandhānaṁ pahānāya ime cattāro satipaṭṭhānā bhāvetabbā”ti.