uprooted for Sotapanna

The three fetters, which the Sotāpanna has uprooted, are as quoted from Wikipedia: *

“Identity view – The speculative view that a so-called self exists in the five aggregates (physical forms, feelings/sensations, perception, mental formations and consciousness) is eradicated because the Sotāpanna gains insight into the selfless nature of the aggregates.

Skeptical Doubt – Doubt about the Buddha and his teaching is eradicated because the Sotāpanna personally experiences the true nature of reality through insight, and this insight confirms the accuracy of the Buddha’s teaching.

Clinging to rites and rituals – Clinging to the view that one becomes pure simply through performing rituals or rigid moralism …..because the Sotāpanna realizes that rites and ritual are nothing more than an obstructive tradition, repetitious rites and dead dogmas; Deliverance can be won only through the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path.”

*Quoted from Wikipedia where this is noted as coming from Thanisarro Bhikkhu

It is widely written that there are 10 fetters of mind that are uprooted with the four great openings of Awakening as defined not only by the Theravada school of Buddhism but by the Buddha himself if the Suttas are to accurate. From the Free Online Dictionary: A fetter is “…anything that restricts or restrains…” Three fetters are largely uprooted with the first opening of Sotāpanna. The word “largely” is added because it is somewhat conditional that these three fetters are uprooted.

The first fetter is the most critical change that takes place with the first opening. More will be written later about this fetter of the view that there is a solid self. The next two fetters to be uprooted by the first opening are in a way an outgrowth of the meditation process itself. The fetter of the uprooting of skeptical doubt about the path taught by the Buddha is somewhat obvious. The path worked bringing the first opening; so future doubt about the path is unlikely to arise. This successful path and first opening usually brings a deeper level of faith and thus effort and enthusiasm for future practice.

This is not an absolute, however. There may be some circumstances when this kind of doubt arises. This can be especially the case if the first opening took place after the strong development of single object concentration as the foundation for mindfulness practice. In this case, the first opening can come with little deep purification and a minimum of insights along the way. This method can be a sort of short cut to awakening which is ill advised to pursue depending on one’s intentions giving rise to effort.

The third fetter of the uprooting of attachment to rites and rituals as a means to freedom of mind is also somewhat obvious. Once a practitioner has made the kind of right effort required to cultivate a penetrating level of mindfulness, then it stands to reason that the practitioner would understand the necessary conditions for insight to develop and awakening to occur. The color of clothes worn or the particular rituals of behavior were not a necessary part of the results of this kind of right effort. Right effort entails making the effort to be mindful in a close and continuous way through all activities of waking regardless of what those activities are.

This is not to deny that certain conditions are more conducive to the arising of right effort. Clearly they are and it would seem that many of the Buddha’s original rules of conduct were instituted to encourage Right Effort to arise. These rules were undoubtedly instituted in response to the conditions present at that time. This last fetter is all too easily forgotten by those who adhere fanatically to this same code of behavior set up over 2000 years ago today when conditions have now changed.

Common sense can loose out and a practitioner might set aside rational thinking in considering that a high bed makes sense in a bug-infested, wet or cold environment—- and does not necessary indicate luxury. Warm clothing that was not essential in the warm climate of the Buddha’s living conditions while it is essential for practice in cold climates. Refusing to eat solid foods after 12:00 noon no doubt made sense at the time of the Buddha given the conditions of that time; but in this age of sodas sweetened by corn syrup, no solid food after 12:00 noon as an on-going diet over years might naturally lead to diabetes for some.

If the path to Awakening is followed only by ordained monastics who follow the Vinaya closely in the relatively protected environments of temples or monasteries, then one can understand the development of believing that such an environment with ALL its conditions is required for awakening. These kinds of considerations are important to reexamine in the West where few monasteries for Westerners exist.

Still, in general, to know what the generally accepted knowledge is concerning which fetters of mind are uprooted with the first opening can be useful.