Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
A mendicant who has given up the five kinds of hard-heartedness (doubt about the Teacher, the teaching, the Saṅgha, the training, and anger at companions) and severed the five shackles of the heart (unresolved greed for sensual pleasures, the body, form, comfort and sleep, and rebirth as a god through practice) can expect only growth in skillful qualities.
Ten by union, matching AN 10.13's method
As with the ten fetters at AN 10.13, this discourse combines two five-item lists this project has already met in full — the cetokhila from AN 9.71 and the cetaso vinibandha from AN 9.72, AN 9.82, and AN 9.92 — here joined into a single ten-item teaching for the first time.
Both directions, and a moon for each
Unlike AN 10.13's bare list, this discourse gives both directions in full: what remains when the ten items aren't given up, and what results when they are, each closed by its own half of a single extended simile — the waning moon losing beauty, roundness, and luminosity night after night, and the waxing moon gaining them in exactly the same way.
A vivid image for a familiar teaching
This is the first time this project has met a moon simile applied to the hard-heartedness and shackles teaching — the content itself unchanged from AN 9.71 and AN 9.72's separate treatments, but framed here with an image of gradual, night-by-night change that neither earlier discourse used.
Key terms
The text
Ten items, not given up: decline
§1“Mendicants, a monk or nun who has not given up five kinds of hard-heartedness and has not severed five shackles of the heart can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night. What are the five kinds of hard-heartedness they haven’t given up? Firstly, a mendicant has doubts about the Teacher. They’re uncertain, undecided, and lacking confidence. This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the first kind of hard-heartedness they haven’t given up. Furthermore, a mendicant has doubts about the teaching … the Saṅgha … the training … A mendicant is angry and upset with their spiritual companions, resentful and closed off. This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the fifth kind of hard-heartedness they haven’t given up. These are the five kinds of hard-heartedness they haven’t given up. What are the five shackles of the heart they haven’t severed? Firstly, a mendicant 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 shackle of the heart they haven’t severed. Furthermore, a mendicant 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 practice, 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 shackle of the heart they haven’t severed. These are the five shackles of the heart they haven’t severed. A monk or nun who has not given up these five kinds of hard-heartedness and has not severed these five shackles of the heart can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night. It’s like the moon in the waning fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, luminosity, and diameter and circumference only decline. In the same way, monk or nun who has not given up these five kinds of hard-heartedness and has not severed these five shackles of the heart can expect decline, not growth, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.
Ten items, given up: growth
§2A monk or nun who has given up five kinds of hard-heartedness and has severed five shackles of the heart can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night. What are the five kinds of hard-heartedness they’ve given up? Firstly, a mendicant has no doubts about the Teacher. They’re not uncertain, undecided, or lacking confidence. This being so, their mind inclines toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the first kind of hard-heartedness they’ve given up. Furthermore, a mendicant has no doubts about the teaching … the Saṅgha … the training … A mendicant is not angry and upset with their spiritual companions, not resentful or closed off. This being so, their mind inclines toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the fifth kind of hard-heartedness they’ve given up. These are the five kinds of hard-heartedness they’ve given up. What are the five shackles of the heart they’ve severed? Firstly, a mendicant is rid of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures. This being so, their mind inclines toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the first shackle of the heart they’ve severed. Furthermore, a mendicant is rid of greed for the body … They’re rid of greed for form … They don’t eat as much as they like until their belly is full, then indulge in the pleasures of sleeping, lying down, and drowsing … They don’t 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!’ This being so, their mind inclines toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving. This is the fifth shackle of the heart they’ve severed. These are the five shackles of the heart they’ve severed. A monk or nun who has given up these five kinds of hard-heartedness and has severed these five shackles of the heart can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night. It’s like the moon in the waxing fortnight. Whether by day or by night, its beauty, roundness, luminosity, and diameter and circumference only grow. In the same way, a monk or nun who has given up these five kinds of hard-heartedness and has severed these five shackles of the heart can expect growth, not decline, in skillful qualities, whether by day or by night.”
Self-check quiz
6 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.