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 four establishments of mindfulness 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 dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings … mind in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. These four establishments of mindfulness 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.”

Floods, bonds, kinds of clinging,
Knots, and underlying tendencies,
Cords of sensual pleasure, hindrances,
Aggregates, fetters lower and higher.

The Connected Discourses on the Establishments of Mindfulness is to be elaborated in the same way as the Connected Discourses on the Path.