The Fetter of Craving

Iti 15 · Taṇhāsaṁyojanasutta

Broad pipal roots spread across dark earth in soft dawn light.

This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

“Mendicants, I do not see a single fetter, fettered by which people wander and transmigrate for a long time like the fetter of craving. Fettered by craving, people wander and transmigrate for a long time.”

The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

“Craving is a person’s partner as they transmigrate on this long journey. They go from this state to another, but don’t escape transmigration.
Knowing this danger, that craving is the cause of suffering—rid of craving, free of grasping, a mendicant would wander mindful.”

This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.

Connections

Collection & context

ItivuttakaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

Through the Doors to the Deathless: Awakening While Listening to the DhammaṬhānissaro Bhikkhu · Referenced in this book
Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.