MN 64 Mahamalunkya Sutta: The Greater Discourse to Malunkyaputta
Thus have i heard.
On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus, do you remember the five lower fetters as taught by me?" When this was said, Venerable Malunkyaputta replied: "Venerable sir, I remember the five lower fetters as taught by the Blessed One."
Buddha: "But Malunkyaputta, in what way do you remember the five lower fetters as taught by me?" Malunkyaputta: "Venerable sir, I remember personality view, doubt, adherence to rules and observances, sensual desire and ill will as a lower fetters taught by the Blessed One. " Buddha: "Malunkyaputta, to whom do you remember my having taught these five lower fetters in that way? Would not the wanderers of other sects confute you with the simile of the infant? For a young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion 'personality,' so how could personality view arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to personality view lies within him. A young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion 'teachings,' so how could doubt about teachings arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to doubt lies within him. A young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion 'rules' so how could adherence to rules and observances arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to adhere to rules and observances lies within him. A young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion 'sensual pleasures' so how could sensual desire arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to sensual lust lies within him. A young tender infant lying prone does not even have the notion 'beings' so how could ill will towards beings arise in him? Yet the underlying tendency to ill will lies within him. Would not the wanderers of other sects confute you with this simile of the infant?"
Thereupon, Venerable Ananda said: "It is the time, Blessed One, it is the time, Sublime One, for the Blessed One to teach the five lower fetters. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the bhikkhus will remember it." Buddha replied: "Then listen, Ananda, and attend closely to what I shall say." "Yes, venerable sir," the venerable Ananda replied.
The Blessed One said this: "Here, Ananda, an untaught ordinary person who has no regard for noble ones/true men and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dhamma, abides with a mind obsessed and enslaved by personality view, and he does not understand as it actually is the escape from the arisen personality view; and when that personality view has become habitual and is un-eradicated in him, it is a lower fetter. He abides with a mind obsessed and enslaved by doubt..by adherence to rules and observances ...by sensual lust....by ill will, and he does not understand as it actually is the escape from arisen ill will; and when that ill will has become habitual and is un-eradicated in him, it is a lower fetter."
"A well-taught noble disciple who has regard for noble ones and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, who has regard for true men and is skilled and disciplined in their Dhamma, does not abide with a mind obsessed and enslaved by personality view; he understands as it actually is the escape from the arisen personality view, and personality view together with the underlying tendency to it is abandoned in him. He does not abide with a mind obsessed and enslaved by doubt.. .by adherence to rules and observances...by sensual lust...by ill will; he understands as it actually is the escape from the arisen ill will, and ill will together with the underlying tendency to it is abandoned in him."
"There is a path and a practice for giving up the five lower fetters. It’s not possible to know or see or give up the five lower fetters without relying on that path and that practice. Just as when there is a great tree standing possessed of heartwood, it is not possible that anyone shall cut out its heartwood without cutting through its bark and sapwood. In the same way, there is a path and a practice for giving up the five lower fetters. It’s not possible to know or see or give up the five lower fetters without relying on that path and that practice." "There is a path and a practice for giving up the five lower fetters. It is possible to know and see and give up the five lower fetters by relying on that path and that practice. Suppose, Ananda, the river Ganges were full of water right up to the brim so that crows could drink from it, and then a feeble man came thinking: 'By swimming across the stream with my arms, I shall get safely across to the further shore of this river Ganges'; yet he would not be able to get safely across. So too, when the Dhamma is being taught to someone for the cessation of personality, if his mind does not enter into it and acquire confidence, steadiness, and decision, then he can be regarded as like the feeble man."
"On the other hand, suppose the river Ganges were full of water right up to the brim so that crows could drink from it, and then a strong man came thinking: 'By swimming across the stream with my arms, I shall get safely across to the further shore of this river Ganges'; and he would be able to get safely across. So too, when the Dhamma is being taught to someone for the cessation of personality, if his mind enters into it and acquires confidence, steadiness, and decision, then he can be regarded as like the strong man. "
"And what, Ananda, is the path, the way to the abandoning of the five lower fetters? Here with seclusion from objects of attachment, with the abandoning of unwholesome states, with the complete tranquilization of bodily inertia, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion."
"Whatever exists therein of material form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, he sees those states as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease,as a calamity, as an affliction, as disintegrating, as void, as not self. He turns his mind away from those states and directs it towards the deathless element thus: "This is the peaceful, this is the sublime, that is, the stilling of all formations, the relinquishing of all attachments, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbana.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints, then because of that desire for the Dhamma, that delight in the Dhamma, with the destruction of the five lower fetters he becomes one due to reappear spontaneously in the Pure Abodes and there attain final Nibbana without ever returning from that world. This is the path, the way to the abandoning of the five lower fetters."
"Again, with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second jhana...Again, with the fading away as well of rapture, a bhikkhu...enters upon and abides in the third jhana...Again, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain...a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the fourth jhana, which has neither-pain nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. Whatever exists therein of material form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, he sees those states as impermanent, suffering. . .as not self. He turns his mind away from those states and directs it towards the deathless element...This is the path, the way to the abandoning of the five lower fetters."
"Again, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite,' a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite space. Whatever exists therein of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness,658 he sees those states as impermanent, suffering...as not self. He turns his mind away from those states and directs it towards the deathless element...This is the path, the way to the abandoning of the five lower fetters. "
"Again, by completely surmounting the base of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of infinite consciousness. Whatever exists therein of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, he sees those states as impermanent, suffering...as not self. He turns his mind away from those states and directs it towards the deathless element...This is the path, the way to the abandoning of the five lower fetters. "
"Again, by completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness. Whatever exists therein of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, he sees those states as impermanent, as suffering, as a disease, as a calamity, as an affliction, as disintegrating, as void, as not self. He turns his mind away from those states and directs it towards the deathless element thus: 'This is the peaceful, this is the sublime, that is, the stilling of all formations, the relinquishing of all attachments, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbana.' Standing upon that, he attains the destruction of the taints. But if he does not attain the destruction of the taints, then because of that desire for the Dhamma, that delight in the Dhamma, with the destruction of the five lower fetters he becomes one due to reappear spontaneously in the Pure Abodes and there attain final Nibbana without ever returning from that world. This is the path, the way to the abandoning of the five lower fetters."
"Venerable sir, if this is the path, the way to the abandoning of the five lower fetters, then how is it that some bhikkhus here are said to gain deliverance of mind and some are said to gain deliverance by wisdom?" Buddha: "The difference here, Ananda, is in their faculties, I say."
That is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ananda was satisfied and delighted in the Blessed One's words.
In summary, Venerable Mālunkyāputta answered the Buddha's question on the lower five fetters wrongly. Then Buddha pointed out his error and Venerable Ananda requested the Buddha to give the correct answer. Buddha then gave a detailed discussion of the five fetters (personality view, doubt, adherence to rites and rituals, sensual lust and ill will) that lead to lower rebirths and taught the path to the abandoning these five fetters so as to result in non-returning state.
Buddha mentioned:" After attaining to Jhana states, he reflects all things that matter, all feelings, all perceptive things, all intentions, all conscious signs are impermanent, unpleasant, destined for destruction, is void, and devoid of a self. Then he turns the mind to the deathless element: 'This is peaceful, this is exalted, such as the appeasement of all determinations, the giving up of all endearments, the destruction of craving, detachment, cessation and extinction.' With that mind he comes to the destruction of desires. If he does not destroy desires on account of greed and interest for those same things he arises spontaneously, with the destruction of the five lower bonds of the sensual world, not to proceed. Ananda, this too is a method for overcoming the five lower bonds for the sensual world."
References: 1. www.accesstoinsight.org 2. https://suttacentral.net/ 3. The middle length discourses of the Buddha (Bhikkhu Bodhi)