Overview
Directly related to the mental barrennesses, the “bondages” or “shackles” of the mind (cetasovinibandha) are deep-seated attachments that prevent a practitioner from putting forth full effort. While the barrennesses relate to doubt and anger, the bondages relate to subtle lust, comfort, and wrong spiritual ambition.
The List
- Lust for sensual pleasures: Not being free from desire and affection for the five strands of sensual pleasure.
- Lust for the body: Not being free from desire and affection for one’s own physical body.
- Lust for form: Not being free from desire and affection for external physical forms and objects.
- Indulgence in eating and sleeping: Eating as much as one wants until the belly is full, and then indulging in the pleasure of sleeping, lying down, and drowsiness.
- Practicing for heavenly rebirth: Living the holy life merely with the aspiration to be reborn in a specific realm of devas (gods), rather than for final liberation.
Textual References
- Canonical: Cetokhila Sutta (MN 16) – The Buddha pairs these five bondages with the five barrennesses as the primary reasons a monk’s effort fails.