What does "becoming" mean in the phrase "the 10 fetters of becoming"?

Upvote:0

What does “becoming” mean in the phrase “the 10 fetters of becoming”?

The five aggregates is the model I have always used for the term 'becoming'. The example in that answer refers to eye consciousness, but it also applies to thought forms as objects that impede the mind. In any case, it has served me well, and is an impromptu, no-fuss model that can be applied to yourself and other people anywhere and at anytime. Just that alone is enough to gather deep insight into the ten fetters and pratītyasamutpāda, the latter of which has been garnished far too extensively with a myriad of theory and heavy academia, leaving only the stench of a murky haze for other dhamma farers to try and struggle through.

So what exactly are we choosing to ignore/avoid?

Nothing that is worth writing home about. It is just our true nature. We choose to ignore it because it means that certain issues that we hold about ourselves have to be made conscious of. Many people would not want to go that deep with themselves, many people would not want to look at their stuff, which is all centred around the deceptive belief that the body is a personal object that the mind can own. Basically, you discover how selfish you are. The problem with that is there are many attachment types concerning the body, which can be roughly summarized using the ten fetters model.

Upvote:3

I don't know why they're called or translated as "fetters of becoming" instead of just "fetters".

The Pali word for "fetters" seems to be saṁyojana -- I don't know whether that same word is also translated "fetters of becoming", or whether for example there's also another word (a compound word) that's used sometimes and that adds a Pali word for "becoming".

The definition of saṁyojana says,

bond, fetter SN.iv.163 etc.; especially the fetters that bind man to the wheel of transmigration Vin.i.183; SN.i.23; SN.v.241, SN.v.251; AN.i.264 AN.iii.443; AN.iv.7 sq. (diṭṭhi˚); MN.i.483; Dhp.370; Iti.8 (taṇhā) Snp.62, Snp.74, Snp.621; Ja.i.275; Ja.ii.22; Ne.49; Dhp-a.iii.298 Dhp-a.iv.49.

So I guess it's "becoming" in the sense of "bound to the wheel of transmigration".

  • One who has no fetters is "unbound", an arahant.
  • One with fetters remaining continues: a non-returner (rebirth in heaven), and once-returner, and so on.

(Edit to add)

The Wisdomlib definition includes these:

Saṃyojana (संयोजन).—nt., once (Gaṇḍavyūha 387.3) °nā (= Pali °na, or saññojana, Pugg. 22.11 ff.), fetter, as binding to existence, to misery: parikṣīṇa-bhava-°na ity ucyate (Buddha) Lalitavistara 425.21

... and ...

Saṃyojana (संयोजन) refers to “fetters” and forms part of a title given to the Bhikṣus that accompanied the Buddha when he went to Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata at Rājagṛha according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter VI). Accordingly, “the Arhats have broken the fetters (parikṣīṇabhava-saṃyojana) of this existence”.

These fetters (saṃyojana) are nine in number:

  1. attraction (anunaya),
  2. aversion (pratigha),
  3. pride (māna),
  4. ignorance (avidyā),
  5. doubt (vicikitsā),
  6. wrong view (dṛṣṭi),
  7. unjustified esteem (parāmarśa),
  8. avarice (mātsarya),
  9. envy (īrṣya).

These saṃyojanas encompass all of existence and this existence encompasses all the saṃyojanas. Hence the expression parikṣīṇabhava-saṃyojana.

This is in the Mahayana portion of the definition, but is a compound word including bhava ("becoming").

A search for parikṣīṇabhava on suttacentral returns nothing.

More post

Search Posts

Related post