The Buddha teaches on shackles of the heart, presenting a ninefold teaching for disciples on the path.

AN 9.72 Shackles of the Heart

“Pañcime, bhikkhave, cetasovinibandhā. Katame pañca? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu avītarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigatataṇho. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu avītarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigatataṇho, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, ayaṁ paṭhamo cetasovinibandho.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye avītarāgo hoti …pe… rūpe avītarāgo hotiyāvadatthaṁ udarāvadehakaṁ bhuñjitvā seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharatiaññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vatena tapena brahmacariyena devo bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti. Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vatena tapena brahmacariyena devo bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya. Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, ayaṁ pañcamo cetasovinibandho. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca cetasovinibandhā.

Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ cetasovinibandhānaṁ pahānāya cattāro satipaṭṭhānā bhāvetabbā. Katame cattāro? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu …pe… cittedhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ cetasovinibandhānaṁ pahānāya ime cattāro satipaṭṭhānā bhāvetabbā”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Satipaṭṭhānavaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Sikkhā nīvaraṇākāmā,
Khandhā ca orambhāgiyā gati;
Maccheraṁ uddhambhāgiyā aṭṭhamaṁ,
Cetokhilā vinibandhāti.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Pañcime, bhikkhave, cetasovinibandhā.

“Mendicants, there are these five shackles of the heart.

Katame pañca?

What five?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu avītarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigatataṇho.

Firstly, a mendicant isn’t free of greed, desire, fondness, thirst, passion, and craving for sensual pleasures.

Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāmesu avītarāgo hoti avigatacchando avigatapemo avigatapipāso avigatapariḷāho avigatataṇho, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya.

This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving.

Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, ayaṁ paṭhamo cetasovinibandho.

This is the first shackle of the heart.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye avītarāgo hoti …pe…

Furthermore, a mendicant isn’t free of greed for the body …

rūpe avītarāgo hoti

They’re not free of greed for form …

yāvadatthaṁ udarāvadehakaṁ bhuñjitvā seyyasukhaṁ passasukhaṁ middhasukhaṁ anuyutto viharati

They eat as much as they like until their belly is full, then indulge in the pleasures of sleeping, lying down, and drowsing …

aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vatena tapena brahmacariyena devo bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti.

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!’

Yo so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu aññataraṁ devanikāyaṁ paṇidhāya brahmacariyaṁ carati: ‘imināhaṁ sīlena vatena tapena brahmacariyena devo bhavissāmi devaññataro vā’ti, tassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya.

This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence, and striving.

Yassa cittaṁ na namati ātappāya anuyogāya sātaccāya padhānāya, ayaṁ pañcamo cetasovinibandho.

This is the fifth shackle of the heart.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca cetasovinibandhā.

These are the five shackles of the heart.

Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ cetasovinibandhānaṁ pahānāya cattāro satipaṭṭhānā bhāvetabbā.

To give up these five shackles of the heart you should develop the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;

It’s when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

vedanāsu …pe…

They meditate observing an aspect of feelings …

citte

They meditate observing an aspect of the mind …

dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

They meditate observing an aspect of principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

Imesaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pañcannaṁ cetasovinibandhānaṁ pahānāya ime cattāro satipaṭṭhānā bhāvetabbā”ti.

To give up these five shackles of the heart you should develop these four kinds of mindfulness meditation.”

Dasamaṁ.

Satipaṭṭhānavaggo dutiyo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Sikkhā nīvaraṇākāmā,

Khandhā ca orambhāgiyā gati;

Maccheraṁ uddhambhāgiyā aṭṭhamaṁ,

Cetokhilā vinibandhāti.

Topics & Qualities:

Cultivation

Cultivation

The active practice of 'bringing into being' wholesome states. It is the deliberate nurturing of the bright state of mind.

Also known as: development, improvement, meditation, nurturing, growth
Pāli: bhāvanā
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Displeasure

Displeasure

A feeling of mental pain or a disagreeable feeling or unease born of mental contact.

Also known as: mental pain, mental distress, melancholy, sadness
Pāli: domanassa
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Greed

Greed

A grasping mental quality of craving, possessiveness, or lustful wanting that clings to objects or experiences; it fuels attachment and obstructs renunciation and contentment

Also known as: acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, rapacity, money grabbing, grabbiness
Pāli: lobha, gedha
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Jealousy

Jealousy

A painful mental state that arises when seeing the good fortune or qualities of others. It begrudges what others have and resents their happiness, closing the heart to appreciative joy.

Also known as: covetousness, envy, possessiveness, protective of, unwilling to part with
Pāli: issā
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Jhana

Jhana

An abiding with a steady, collected awareness that is attained through seclusion from the five hindrances and unwholesome mental states. When supported by right view, a jhāna can be a basis for the wearing away of taints and directing the mind toward the vision of Nibbāna.

Also known as: meditation, undistracted awareness, absorption, mental absorption
Pāli: jhāna, samāhita, susamāhita, sammāsamādhi
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Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Active presence of mind and lucid retention; the faculty that remembers the Dhamma, anchors attention to the chosen object or present experience, and guards the mind against unwholesome states.

Also known as: recollecting, remembering, keeping in mind, presence, awareness
Pāli: sati, anussati
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Last updated on July 27, 2026