“the fetters of becoming”
Mental Fetters
In Buddhism, a mental fetter, chain or bond shackles a sentient being to saṃsāra (the cycle of lives with dukkha). By cutting through all fetters, one attains nibbāna.
The Pali canon’s Sutta Pitaka identifies ten “fetters of becoming”:
1- belief in a self
2- doubt or uncertainty, about the teachings
3- attachment to rites and rituals
4- sensual desire
5- ill will
6- lust for material existence, lust for material rebirth
7- lust for immaterial existence, lust for rebirth in a formless realm
8- conceit
9- restlessness
10- ignorance
As indicated in the table to the right, throughout the Sutta Pitaka, the first five fetters are referred to as “lower fetters” and are eradicated upon becoming a non-returner; and, the last five fetters are referred to as “higher fetters”, eradicated by an arahant (one who understands life).