Why does the third noble truth not include the ten fetters?
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The Four Noble Truths are defined in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta as:
> "The Noble Truth of Suffering (dukkha), monks, is this: Birth is
> suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is
> suffering, association with the unpleasant is suffering, dissociation
> from the pleasant is suffering, not to receive what one desires is
> suffering — in brief the five aggregates subject to grasping are
> suffering.
>
> "The Noble Truth of the Origin (cause) of Suffering is this: It is
> this craving (thirst) which produces re-becoming (rebirth) accompanied
> by passionate greed, and finding fresh delight now here, and now
> there, namely craving for sense pleasure, craving for existence and
> craving for non-existence (self-annihilation).
>
> "The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering is this: It is the
> complete cessation of that very craving, giving it up, relinquishing
> it, liberating oneself from it, and detaching oneself from it.
>
> "The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering is
> this: It is the Noble Eightfold Path, and nothing else, namely: right
> understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right
> livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
From this, it is widely assumed that to end suffering, we must end craving and that's it.
However, according to SN45.179 and SN45.180 , it is not just craving that must be ended, but also the ten fetters, through the Noble Eightfold Path.
> “Bhikkhus, there are these five lower fetters. What five? Identity
> view, doubt, the distorted grasp of rules and vows, sensual desire,
> ill will. These are the five lower fetters. This Noble Eightfold Path
> is to be developed for direct knowledge of these five lower fetters,
> for the full understanding of them, for their utter destruction, for
> their abandoning.”
>
> “Bhikkhus, there are these five higher fetters. What five? Lust for
> form, lust for the formless, conceit, restlessness, ignorance. These
> are the five higher fetters. The Noble Eightfold Path is to be
> developed for direct knowledge of these five higher fetters, for the
> full understanding of them, for their utter destruction, for their
> abandoning.
So, why is craving singled out in the third noble truth, rather than including all of the ten fetters?
Asked by ruben2020
(41280 rep)
Feb 20, 2018, 03:25 PM
Last activity: Feb 21, 2018, 09:17 AM
Last activity: Feb 21, 2018, 09:17 AM