The Gross Fetters

The fetters are central to the alchemist’s understanding, as they mirror the stages of spiritual development and the unfolding of consciousness. There are ten fetters in total, divided into two groups: the gross fetters and the subtle fetters. The gross fetters are those that bind the individual to rebirth within the sensory world; the subtle fetters pertain to deeper clinging within the mental and immaterial realms.

Throughout the stages of enlightenment, these fetters are gradually cut. Their removal is not theoretical but experiential — once the mind directly perceives their illusory nature, they lose their grip entirely.

The Five Gross Fetters

The first five fetters are called the gross fetters because they bind beings to rebirth within the sensory sphere — including humans, animals, ghosts, and even celestial beings within form realms. These five fetters are:

1. Personality View (sakkāya-diṭṭhi): The delusion that there exists a constant, separate, and permanent self. In truth, what we call ‘self’ is simply a stream of varied experiences that we mentally assemble. Even addictive behaviours can sometimes reveal the fragility of this construct, as individuals observe conflicting aspects of themselves.

2. Attachment to Rites and Rituals (sīlabbata-parāmāsa): The mistaken belief that external behaviours, customs, or moral codes, in themselves, can lead to liberation. True spiritual worth arises through sacrifice, humility, and inner transformation, not through public recognition or ritual observance.

3. Doubt (vicikicchā): Skepticism regarding the path, the teachings, or one’s capacity for liberation. This is especially challenging for intellectual seekers who may rely on dry insight. While inquiry is encouraged, true faith arises as experience deepens beyond theoretical understanding.

4. Sensual Craving (kāmacchanda): The craving for pleasant sensory experiences, whether physical, emotional, or mental.

5. Ill-Will (vyāpāda): The presence of aversion, hatred, jealousy, or resentment — mental states that disturb equanimity and perpetuate suffering.

In the earliest stage of awakening (stream-entry or sotāpanna), the first three gross fetters are cut. The practitioner no longer believes in a fixed self, no longer clings to external rites as a path to freedom, and has established firm confidence in the path. However, sensual craving and ill-will remain but begin to weaken through further practice and ethical commitment.

With deeper realisation, at the stage of sakadāgāmi (once-returner), these remaining gross fetters are further weakened. Finally, at the stage of anāgāmi (non-returner), all five gross fetters are cut completely. This marks the end of attachment to the sensory realm; rebirth in the human or lower realms ceases entirely. The practitioner is now firmly established in the higher planes of existence or approaches full enlightenment.

The removal of the gross fetters is not merely theoretical. It alters how every subsequent moment of consciousness arises. When the final two gross fetters are cut, there is no longer any impulse toward craving or ill-will that can overpower wisdom. The mind remains serene, even in the face of provocation, and attachments to sense pleasures fade as the deeper realisation of impermanence stabilises.

Progress through these stages unfolds gradually but irrevocably. Once seen, these truths cannot be unseen. The practitioner enters a stream that inevitably leads to full liberation.