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AN 10.216 Saṁsappanīyasutta: Creeping

“Bhikkhus, I will teach you an exposition of the Dhamma on creeping. Listen and attend closely. I will speak.”

“Yes, Bhante,” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

“And what, bhikkhus, is that exposition of the Dhamma on creeping? Bhikkhus, beings are the owners of their kamma, the heirs of their kamma; they have kamma as their origin, kamma as their relative, kamma as their resort; whatever kamma they do, good or bad, they are its heirs.

(1) “Here, someone destroys life; he is murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to living beings. He creeps along by body, speech, and mind. His bodily kamma is crooked; his verbal kamma is crooked; his mental kamma is crooked. His destination is crooked; his rebirth is crooked. But for one with a crooked destination and rebirth, I say, there is one of two destinations: either the exclusively painful hells or a species of creeping animal. And what are the species of creeping animals? The snake, the scorpion, the centipede, the mongoose, the cat, the mouse, and the owl, or any other animals that creep away when they see people. Thus a being is reborn from a being; one is reborn through one’s deeds. When one has been reborn, contacts affect one. It is in this way, I say, that beings are the heirs of their kamma.

(2) “Someone takes what is not given … (3) … engages in sexual misconduct … (4) … speaks falsehood … (5) … speaks divisively … (6) … speaks harshly … (7) … indulges in idle chatter … (8) … is full of longing … (9) … has a mind of ill will and intentions of hate … (10) … holds wrong view and has an incorrect perspective thus: ‘There is nothing given … there are in the world no ascetics and brahmins of right conduct and right practice who, having realized this world and the other world for themselves by direct knowledge, make them known to others.’ He creeps along by body, speech, and mind. His bodily kamma is crooked … His destination is crooked; his rebirth is crooked…. Thus a being is reborn from a being; one is reborn through one’s deeds. When one has been reborn, contacts affect one. It is in this way, I say, that beings are the heirs of their kamma.

“Bhikkhus, beings are the owners of their kamma, the heirs of their kamma; they have kamma as their origin, kamma as their relative, kamma as their resort; whatever kamma they do, good or bad, they are its heirs.

(1) “Here, having abandoned the destruction of life, someone abstains from the destruction of life; with the rod and weapon laid aside, conscientious and kindly, he dwells compassionate toward all living beings. He does not creep along by body, speech, and mind. His bodily kamma is straight; his verbal kamma is straight; his mental kamma is straight. His destination is straight; his rebirth is straight. But for one with a straight destination and rebirth, I say, there is one of two destinations: either the exclusively pleasant heavens or eminent families, such as those of affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders, families that are rich, with great wealth and property, abundant gold and silver, abundant treasures and belongings, abundant wealth and grain. Thus a being is reborn from a being; one is reborn through one’s deeds. When one has been reborn, contacts affect one. It is in this way, I say, that beings are the heirs of their kamma.

(2) “Having abandoned the taking of what is not given, someone abstains from taking what is not given … (3) … abstains from sexual misconduct … (4) … abstains from false speech … (5) … abstains from divisive speech … (6) … abstains from harsh speech … (7) … abstains from idle chatter … (8) … is without longing … (9) … is of good will … (10) … holds right view and has a correct perspective thus: ‘There is what is given … there are in the world ascetics and brahmins of right conduct and right practice who, having realized this world and the other world for themselves by direct knowledge, make them known to others.’ He does not creep along by body, speech, and mind. His bodily kamma is straight … His destination is straight; his rebirth is straight…. Thus a being is reborn from a being; one is reborn through one’s deeds. When one has been reborn, contacts affect one. It is in this way, I say, that beings are the heirs of their kamma.

“Bhikkhus, beings are the owners of their kamma, the heirs of their kamma; they have kamma as their origin, kamma as their relative, kamma as their resort; whatever kamma they do, good or bad, they are its heirs.

“This, bhikkhus, is that exposition of the Dhamma on creeping.”


Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.216 Saṁsappanīyasutta: Creeping by Bhikkhu Bodhi on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on

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AN 10.211 Paṭhamanirayasaggasutta: Hell (1)

“Bhikkhus, possessing ten qualities, one is deposited in hell as if brought there. What ten?

(1) “Here, someone destroys life; he is murderous, bloody-handed, given to blows and violence, merciless to living beings.

(2) “He takes what is not given; he steals the wealth and property of others in the village or forest.

(3)“He engages in sexual misconduct; he has sexual relations with women who are protected by their mother, father, mother and father, brother, sister, or relatives; who are protected by their Dhamma; who have a husband; whose violation entails a penalty; or even with one already engaged.

(4) “He speaks falsehood. If he is summoned to a council, to an assembly, to his relatives’ presence, to his guild, or to the court, and questioned as a witness thus: ‘So, good man, tell what you know,’ then, not knowing, he says, ‘I know,’ or knowing, he says, ‘I do not know’; not seeing, he says, ‘I see,’ or seeing, he says, ‘I do not see.’ Thus he consciously speaks falsehood for his own ends, or for another’s ends, or for some trifling worldly end.

(5) “He speaks divisively. Having heard something here, he repeats it elsewhere in order to divide those people from these; or having heard something elsewhere, he repeats it to these people in order to divide them from those. Thus he is one who divides those who are united, a creator of divisions, one who enjoys factions, rejoices in factions, delights in factions, a speaker of words that create factions.

(6) “He speaks harshly. He utters such words as are rough, hard, hurtful to others, offensive to others, bordering on anger, unconducive to concentration.

(7) “He indulges in idle chatter. He speaks at an improper time, speaks falsely, speaks what is unbeneficial, speaks contrary to the Dhamma and the discipline; at an improper time he speaks such words as are worthless, unreasonable, rambling, and unbeneficial.

(8)“He is full of longing. He longs for the wealth and property of others thus: ‘Oh, may what belongs to another be mine!’

(9) “He has a mind of ill will and intentions of hate thus: ‘May these beings be slain, slaughtered, cut off, destroyed, or annihilated!’

(10) “He holds wrong view and has an incorrect perspective thus: ‘There is nothing given, nothing sacrificed, nothing offered; there is no fruit or result of good and bad actions; there is no this world, no other world; there is no mother, no father; there are no beings spontaneously reborn; there are in the world no ascetics and brahmins of right conduct and right practice who, having realized this world and the other world for themselves by direct knowledge, make them known to others.’

“One possessing these ten qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there.

“Bhikkhus, one possessing ten qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What ten?

(1)“Here, someone, having abandoned the destruction of life, abstains from the destruction of life. With the rod and weapon laid aside, conscientious and kindly, he dwells compassionate toward all living beings.

(2) “Having abandoned the taking of what is not given, he abstains from taking what is not given. He does not steal the wealth and property of others in the village or in the forest.

(3) “Having abandoned sexual misconduct, he abstains from sexual misconduct. He does not have sexual relations with women who are protected by their mother, father, mother and father, brother, sister, or relatives; who are protected by their Dhamma; who have a husband; whose violation entails a penalty; or even with one already engaged.

(4) “Having abandoned false speech, he abstains from false speech. If he is summoned to a council, to an assembly, to his relatives’ presence, to his guild, or to the court, and questioned as a witness thus: ‘So, good man, tell what you know,’ then, not knowing, he says, ‘I do not know,’ or knowing, he says, ‘I know’; not seeing, he says, ‘I do not see,’ or seeing, he says, ‘I see.’ Thus he does not consciously speak falsehood for his own ends, or for another’s ends, or for some trifling worldly end.

(5) “Having abandoned divisive speech, he abstains from divisive speech. Having heard something here, he does not repeat it elsewhere in order to divide those people from these; or having heard something elsewhere, he does not repeat it to these people in order to divide them from those. Thus he is one who reunites those who are divided, a promoter of unity, who enjoys concord, rejoices in concord, delights in concord, a speaker of words that promote concord.

(6) “Having abandoned harsh speech, he abstains from harsh speech. He speaks such words as are gentle, pleasing to the ear, and lovable, as go to the heart, are courteous, desired by many, and agreeable to many.

(7) “Having abandoned idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks at a proper time, speaks truth, speaks what is beneficial, speaks on the Dhamma and the discipline; at a proper time he speaks such words as are worth recording, reasonable, succinct, and beneficial.

(8) “He is without longing. He does not long for the wealth and property of others thus: ‘Oh, may what belongs to another be mine!’

(9) “He is of good will and his intentions are free of hate thus: ‘May these beings live happily, free from enmity, affliction, and anxiety!’

(10) “He holds right view and has a correct perspective thus: ‘There is what is given, sacrificed, and offered; there is fruit and result of good and bad actions; there is this world and the other world; there is mother and father; there are beings spontaneously reborn; there are in the world ascetics and brahmins of right conduct and right practice who, having realized this world and the other world for themselves by direct knowledge, make them known to others.’

“One possessing these ten qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there.”



Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.211 Paṭhamanirayasaggasutta: Hell (1) by Bhikkhu Bodhi on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on

Or read a translation in Deutsch, Bengali, Español, Indonesian, မြန်မာဘာသာ, ру́сский язы́к, සිංහල, ไทย, Tiếng Việt, or 汉语. Learn how to find your language.

Vv 2.7 Uposathā Sutta: Uposatha’s Mansion

Moggallana Bhante:

Devata, your beauty shines in all directions like the bright star named Osadhi.

What are the meritorious deeds that led to this happiness?

Tell me Devata, what kind of meritorious action did you do when you were in the human world to have gained this beauty that shines in all directions, and to have earned all these wonderful things?

That devata, delighted at being questioned by Arahant Moggallana, gladly explained what she had done that resulted in such great happiness.

Devata:

Bhante, in the human world there is a city called Saketa. There I was a female lay follower of the Supreme Buddha. My name was Uposatha. I had unshakable faith in the Triple Gem. I practiced the precepts and delighted in giving and sharing. Furthermore, I had confidence in noble monks who had pure minds. I offered them robes, food, shelter, and lamps.

I was eager to observe the Eight Precepts four times a month on each of the four moon phases. I led a restrained life and was very generous.

I abstained from killing, stealing, lying, and taking intoxicants. I did not cheat on my husband. I was delighted to keep these Five Precepts every day. I was wise enough to realize the Four Noble Truths. That is how I became a dedicated follower of Gautama Supreme Buddha.

Because of those meritorious deeds, I have been born as a very beautiful devata and enjoy all the wonderful things that delight my heart.

Great Bhante, those were the meritorious deeds I did to have such a beautiful body that shines in all directions.

When I was in the human world, I often heard stories about the heavenly Nandana Park. I had a desire to be born there. As a result of directing my mind to that park, I have been born here in this Tavatimsa Heaven.

My great teacher, the Supreme Buddha, who was born in the Clan of the Sun, frequently advised his disciples to achieve the highest stage of enlightenment they can. But I did not follow my great teacher’s advice. Since I directed my mind to this inferior sensual realm, I was born in this heaven. I could have developed my mind further. Now I am sad and regret my decision.

Moggallana Bhante:

Devata, how long will you live in this mansion? Can you tell me your lifespan?

Devata:

Bhante, My lifespan here is three hundred million and sixty thousand years. After I pass away from here I will be reborn in the human world.

Moggallana Bhante:

Why fear, Uposatha? The Supreme Buddha has already stated that you have attained the fruit of stream entry. You will never again be born in a bad world.


Read this translation of Vimānavatthu 2.7 Uposathā Sutta: Uposatha’s Mansion by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda Thero on SuttaFriends.org.

You can find the entire translation of the Vimanavatthu: Stories of Heavenly Mansions available on SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Dhp 174–176 From… Lokavagga: The World

Blind is the world,
few are those who clearly see.
Only a handful go to heaven,
like a bird freed from a net.

The miserly don’t ascend to heaven,
it takes a fool to not praise giving.
The wise celebrate giving,
and so find happiness in the hereafter.

The fruit of stream-entry is better
than being the one king of the earth,
than going to heaven,
than lordship over all the world.


Read the entire translation of Dhammapada 167–178 Lokavagga by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org, DhammaTalks.org, Ancient-Buddhist-Texts.net or AccessToInsight.org. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Vv 3.9 Visālakkhī Sutta: Mansion of the Beautiful-Eyed Goddess

God Sakka:

Devata, with large beautiful eyes you walk around surrounded by many other goddesses in the delightful Cittalata Forest. What is your name?

When the gods of the Tavatimsa Heaven enter this forest their bodies, horses, and chariots become more beautiful.

Even though you are not wearing any golden flower jewelry, you are still extremely beautiful. Tell us, what meritorious deed have you done to gain this beauty?

Devata:

Lord of Devas, I have received this heavenly birth, beautiful body, and divine psychic powers due to my meritorious deeds. I will tell you what I did.

In the human world, I lived in the beautiful city of Rajagaha. My name was Sunanda and I was a female lay disciple of the Supreme Buddha. I had faith, virtue and was very generous. I had great confidence in the noble monks with pure minds. I offered them robes, food, resting places, and lamps.

I was eager to observe the Eight Precepts four times a month on each of the four moon phases. I led a restrained life and delighted in sharing.

I abstained from killing, stealing, lying, and taking intoxicants. I did not cheat on my husband. I was delighted to keep these Five Precepts every day. I was a lay follower of Gautama Supreme Buddha who had the great wisdom to see the reality of the world. I was wise enough to realize the Four Noble Truths.

A servant girl, working for my relatives, used to bring me flower garlands every day. I offered all those flower garlands with a happy mind to the relic stupa of the Supreme Buddha. I also went to relic puja ceremonies every Eight Precepts-Observance day. With great faith, I personally offered garlands, perfumes, and lotions to the stupa. God Sakka, I received this heavenly birth, beautiful body, and divine psychic powers by offering flower garlands.

I also collected merit by keeping the precepts, but that merit has not yet ripened. Lord Sakka, in my mind I have the desire to be a once-returner.


Read this translation of Vimānavatthu 3.9 Visālakkhī Sutta: Mansion of the Beautiful-Eyed Goddess by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda Thero on SuttaFriends.org. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

You can find the entire translation of the Vimanavatthu: Stories of Heavenly Mansions available on SuttaFriends.org.

AN 5.214 Bahubhāṇisutta: Someone Who Talks a Lot

“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks for a person who talks a lot. What five? They use speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, and nonsensical. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These are the five drawbacks for a person who talks a lot.

There are these five benefits for a person who talks thoughtfully. What five? They don’t use speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, and nonsensical. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. These are the five benefits for a person who talks thoughtfully.”


Read this translation of Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.214 Bahubhāṇisutta: Someone Who Talks a Lot by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

MN 135 From… Cūḷakammavibhaṅgasutta: The Shorter Analysis of Deeds—Giving

…Take some woman or man who doesn’t give to ascetics or brahmins such things as food, drink, clothing, vehicles; garlands, perfumes, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting. Because of undertaking such deeds, after death they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. If they return to the human realm, they’re poor. For not giving to ascetics or brahmins such things as food, drink, clothing, vehicles; garlands, perfumes, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting is the path leading to poverty.

But take some woman or man who does give to ascetics or brahmins such things as food, drink, clothing, vehicles; garlands, perfumes, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting. Because of undertaking such deeds, after death they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. If they’re not reborn in a heavenly realm, but return to the human realm, then wherever they’re reborn they’re they’re rich. For giving to ascetics or brahmins such things as food, drink, clothing, vehicles; garlands, perfumes, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting is the path leading to a long lifespan.…


Read the entire translation of Majjhima Nikāya 135 Cūḷakammavibhaṅgasutta: The Shorter Analysis of Deeds Cūḷakammavibhaṅgasutta by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on PaliAudio.com or SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

Vv 5.8 Sūcī Sutta: Needle Mansion

Moggallana Bhante:

Dear Devata, your mansion is way up in the sky and spreads over one hundred and twenty kilometers. Pillars of beryl and other gemstones, and seven hundred pinnacled buildings are in your estate. It is very beautiful. Inside the mansion, you drink and eat and enjoy the sweetness of heavenly food. Guitars play sweet music. You have the five kinds of sensual pleasures. Devatas wearing gold jewelry dance for you.

What are the meritorious deeds that led to this happiness?

Tell me Devata, what kind of meritorious action did you do when you were in the human world to have gained this beauty that shines in all directions, and to have earned all these wonderful things?

That devata, delighted at being questioned by Arahant Moggallana, gladly explained what she had done that resulted in such great happiness.

Devata:

The size of the result is not equal to the size of the offering given. Giving is always great. I offered a needle to sew robes. That small offering of a needle became great.

Because of this meritorious deed, I have been born as a very beautiful devata and enjoy all the wonderful things that delight my heart.

Great Bhante, that was the meritorious action I did to have such a beautiful body which shines in all directions.


Read this translation of Vimānavatthu 5.8 Sūcī Sutta: Needle Mansion by Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnananda Thero on SuttaFriends.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net. Or explore the Pali on DigitalPaliReader.online.

You can find the entire translation of the Vimanavatthu: Stories of Heavenly Mansions available on SuttaFriends.org.

Iti 71 Sammādiṭṭhikasutta: Having Right View

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

“Mendicants, I’ve seen beings who engaged in good conduct of body, speech, and mind, who did not abuse the noble ones, who held right view and acted accordingly. At the breaking up of the body, after death, they were reborn in a good destination, a heaven world.

Now, I don’t say this because I’ve heard it from some other ascetic or brahmin. I only say it because I’ve known, seen, and realized it for myself.”

That is what the Buddha said. On this it is said:

“When the mind has been directed right,
and words rightly spoken,
and right bodily deeds have been done,
a person here

learned, doer of good deeds,
though their life may be short,
when their body breaks up,
that wise person is reborn in heaven.”

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


Read this translation of Itivuttaka 71 Sammādiṭṭhikasutta: Having Right View by Bhikkhu Sujato on SuttaCentral.net. Or read a different translation on SuttaCentral.net, SuttaFriends.org, or DhammaTalks.org. Or listen on SC-Voice.net.