Reading guide
The five higher fetters, spelled out in full
Confirmed by direct reading, unlike Vaggas 5 through 7's own bare cross-references, this discourse gives its own first worked example in full: the five higher fetters (uddhambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni) — desire for rebirth in the realm of luminous form, desire for rebirth in the formless realm, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance — with the four bases named as the means for their “direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up.”
A cross-reference for the remaining nine
Confirmed by direct reading, after this one full example the file instructs: “tell in full as in the Linked Discourses on the Path at SN 45.171–180” — this project's own already-completed final vagga of the Maggasaṃyutta, covering floods, yokes, grasping, ties, underlying tendencies, kinds of sensual stimulation, hindrances, aggregates, and the higher and lower fetters.
The saṃyutta's own end, confirmed directly
This project's own confirmation: the phrase “Iddhipādasaṁyuttaṁ sattamaṁ” closes not just this vagga but this entire saṃyutta, marking it as the seventh saṃyutta within its own book — completing this project's own translation of every discourse from SN 51.1 (“The Path,” opening with Chanda) through this discourse, SN 51.86, its own genuine final line.
A structure this project has now traced in full
This project's own summary: eight vaggas in total — Vagga 1 (10 discourses), Vagga 2 (10), Vagga 3 (12), Vagga 4 (12), Vagga 5 (10), Vagga 6 (12), Vagga 7 (10), and Vagga 8 (10) — confirmed discourse by discourse and colophon by colophon, not assumed from any external outline.
Key terms
The text
§1“Mendicants, there are five higher fetters. What five? Desire for rebirth in the realm of luminous form, desire for rebirth in the formless realm, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance. These are the five higher fetters. The four bases of psychic power should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these five higher fetters. What four? It’s when a mendicant develops the basis of psychic power that has immersion due to enthusiasm … energy … mental development … inquiry, and active effort. These four bases of psychic power should be developed for the direct knowledge, complete understanding, finishing, and giving up of these five higher fetters.” (Tell in full as in the Linked Discourses on the Path at SN 45.171–180.)
UddānaFloods, yokes, grasping, ties, and underlying tendencies, kinds of sensual stimulation, hindrances, aggregates, and fetters high and low.
ClosingThe Linked Discourses on the Bases of Psychic Power is the seventh section.
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