Numbered Discourses 9.72

7. Mindfulness Meditation

Emotional Shackles

“Bhikkhus, there are these five emotional shackles. What five? Firstly, a bhikkhu isn’t free of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures. This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the first emotional shackle.

Furthermore, a bhikkhu isn’t free of greed for the body … They’re not free of greed for form … They eat as much as they like until their belly is full, then indulge in the pleasures of sleeping, lying down, and drowsing … 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 life, may I become one of the gods!’ This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the fifth emotional shackle. These are the five emotional shackles.

To give up these five emotional shackles you should develop the four kinds of mindfulness meditation. What four? It’s when a bhikkhu meditates by watching, again and again, an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate watching, again and again, an aspect of feelings … They meditate watching, again and again, an aspect of the mind … They meditate watching, again and again, an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. To give up these five emotional shackles you should develop these four kinds of mindfulness meditation.”