Reflection on Every Step Can Be Liberation to Nibbāna (Enlightenment)

Certainly, Monks, I say fetter-destruction (taints) depends on:

The first Jhāna;

The second Jhāna;

The third Jhāna;

The fourth Jhāna:

The sphere of infinite space;

The sphere of infinite consciousness;

The sphere of nothingness;

The sphere of neither perception-nor-non-perception;

The ending of perception and feeling

Monks, it is said: I say so fetter-destruction depends on the first Jhāna, And, for what reason, is this said?

Consider the Monk who, distant from sense desires, distant from evil ideas, enters and resides in the first Jhāna, which is with thinking and pondering, based in seclusion, filled with excitement and joy: whatever occurs there of form, feeling, perception, volitional formation (choices/decisions) or consciousness, he sees wholly as impermanent objects, as discontentedness, as a disease, a boil, a sting, a hurt, an affliction, as something alien, inferior, empty, not the self. He turns his mind away from such objects and, having done so, brings the mind towards the deathless element (Enlightenment) with the thought: This is the peace, this the summit, just this: the stilling of the mind-activity, the renouncing of all rebirth, the destroying of craving, calm, ending, the cool.

And steadfast therein he wins to fetter-destruction; if not wins to fetter-destruction, just by reason of that Teaching energy, that Teaching sweetness he snaps the five lower fetters and, being not subject to return from that world (heavenly realm), becomes completely cool there.

Monks, suppose an archer or his Student were to practice on a strawman or heap of clay: presently he would become a long-shot, a rapid shot, a piercer of great thicknesses: even so, Monks, the Monk who, is distant from sense desires, is distant from evil ideas, enters and resides in the first Jhāna, wherein applied and sustained thought works, which is with thinking and pondering, based in seclusion, filled with excitement and joy.

Certainly, Monks, it is said: I say fetter-destruction depends on the first Jhāna; and it is for this reason that it is said.

(In the case of fetter-destruction depending on the second Jhāna, the third Jhāna, the fourth Jhāna, The Perfectly Enlightened One spoke similarly to that of the first Jhāna.)

Monks, it is said: I say so fetter-destruction depends on the sphere of infinite space, And, for what reason, is this said?

By passing wholly beyond perceptions of form, by the passing away of the perceptions of sense-reactions, unattentive to the perceptions of the many, he enters and resides in the sphere of infinite space, thinking: Space is infinite.

In the sphere of infinite space and sees form, feeling, perception, volitional formation (choices/decisions) or consciousness, he sees wholly as impermanent objects, as discontentedness, as a disease, a boil, a sting, a hurt, an affliction, as something alien, inferior, empty, not the self, turns his mind away from that and brings it towards the deathless element (Enlightenment) with the thought: This is the peace, this the summit, just this: the stilling of mind-activity, the renouncing of all rebirth basis, the destroying of craving, calm, ending, the cool, wins to fetter-destruction or snapping the five lower fetters is born spontaneously and becomes completely cool.

And steadfast therein he wins to fetter-destruction; if not wins to fetter-destruction, just by reason of that Teaching energy, that Teaching sweetness he snaps the five lower fetters and is born spontaneously and, being not subject to return from that world (heavenly realm), becomes completely cool there.

Monks, suppose an archer or his Student were to practice on a strawman or heap of clay; presently he would become a long-shot, a rapid shot, a piercer of great thicknesses: even so, Monks, the Monk who, by passing wholly beyond perceptions of form, by the passing away of the perceptions of sense-reactions, unattentive to the perceptions of the many, he enters and resides in the sphere of infinite space, thinking: Space is infinite.

Certainly, Monks, it is said: I say fetter-destruction depends on the sphere of infinite space; and it is for this reason that it is said.

(In the case of fetter-destruction depending on the sphere of infinite consciousness, the sphere of nothingness, The Perfectly Enlightened One also spoke similarly to that of the sphere of infinite space.)

Thus, Monks, as far as reflection prevails there is penetrative wisdom.

Moreover, Monks, those spheres - both the attainment of the sphere of neither perception-nor-non-perception and the ending of perception and feeling - are ones which, I say, ought to be properly made known by those who are in the Jhānas, skilled in the attainment, skilled in emerging from there, after they have attained and emerged from there.

(Reference: AN 9.36)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that to experience Enlightenment it is dependent on the attainment of the first, second, third, and fourth Jhānas. It is through a Practitioner’s gradual training and gradual practice of these Teachings that it will produce gradual progress.

A Practitioner needs to have a well developed practice of The Eight Fold Path to progress to the Jhānas and beyond. Every Practitioner who progresses towards the attainment of Enlightenment will need to eliminate The Ten Fetters to attain Enlightenment. The Practitioner will need to progress to the Jhānas first through a well developed practice of The Eight Fold Path.

From that point, a Practitioner can then start focusing on the elimination of The Ten Fetters to progress into the first, second, third, and fourth Stages of Enlightenment.

You can think of the attainment of the Jhānas as preliminary phases the mind experiences prior to the first Stage of Enlightenment. Without experiencing the Jhānas through a comprehensive and well developed practice of The Eight Fold Path, a Practitioner would be unable to progress to the ultimate goal of Enlightenment.

All the preliminary work a Practitioner is doing to progress to the Jhānas through learning, reflecting, and practicing The Eight Fold Path can be considered as preparing the mind to eliminate The Ten Fetters. A Practitioner would be unable to just eliminate The Ten Fetters but instead, would need to develop a foundation in the core and central Teachings to prepare the mind to release the fetters/taints/pollution of mind described in The Ten Fetters.