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Mendicants, there are these eight rebirths by giving.
“Aṭṭhimā, bhikkhave, dānūpapattiyo.
What eight?
Katamā aṭṭha?
First, someone gives to ascetics or brahmins such things as food, drink, clothing, vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting.
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco dānaṁ deti samaṇassa vā brāhmaṇassa vā annaṁ pānaṁ vatthaṁ yānaṁ mālāgandhavilepanaṁ seyyāvasathapadīpeyyaṁ.
Whatever they give they expect back.
So yaṁ deti taṁ paccāsīsati.
They see a well-to-do aristocrat or Brahmin or householder amusing themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
So passati khattiyamahāsāle vā brāhmaṇamahāsāle vā gahapatimahāsāle vā pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappite samaṅgībhūte paricārayamāne.
It occurs to them:
Tassa evaṁ hoti:
‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of well-to-do aristocrats or brahmins or householders!’
‘aho vatāhaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā khattiyamahāsālānaṁ vā brāhmaṇamahāsālānaṁ vā gahapatimahāsālānaṁ vā sahabyataṁ upapajjeyyan’ti.
They settle on that idea, concentrate on it, and develop it.
So taṁ cittaṁ dahati, taṁ cittaṁ adhiṭṭhāti, taṁ cittaṁ bhāveti.
As they’ve settled for less and not developed further, their idea leads to rebirth there.
Tassa taṁ cittaṁ hīne vimuttaṁ, uttari abhāvitaṁ, tatrūpapattiyā saṁvattati.
When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of well-to-do aristocrats brahmins, or householders.
Kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā khattiyamahāsālānaṁ vā brāhmaṇamahāsālānaṁ vā gahapatimahāsālānaṁ vā sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
But I say that this is only for those of ethical conduct, not for the unethical.
Tañca kho sīlavato vadāmi, no dussīlassa.
The heart’s wish of an ethical person succeeds because of their purity.
Ijjhati, bhikkhave, sīlavato cetopaṇidhi visuddhattā.
- Lord Buddha explains that with very good moral conduct and a generous mind, one can see his wish fulfilled. This is the case for layman Dhammika.
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I will post another Sutta where the Lord Buddha explains this.
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MERITORIOUS DEEDS BRING JOY IN THIS LIFE AND FUTURE LIVES
The background story of verse 16
At one time the Buddha was staying at the Jetavana monastery in Sāvatti which was donated to the Buddha by the chief benefactor Anāthapindika.
At that time a lay disciple named Dhammika was living in Sāvatti. He was a lay disciple of the Buddha who was a virtuous person by observing the precepts of morality. He was also a very charitable person and engaged in the meritorious activity of generously offering food and other requisites to the order of monks. He made these offerings regularly as well as on special occasions. He was the leader of five hundred virtuous lay disciples of the Buddha who were living in Sāvatti at that time. The lay disciple Dhammika had seven sons and seven daughters and like him, all his children were also virtuous and charitable.
Dhammika felt seriously ill and was on his deathbed when he requested to invite the monks to come to his house and recite the sacred scripts so that he could listen to them from his deathbed. The Monks duly arrived at the house and began chanting the Mahā Satipatthāna sutta by Dhammika’s bedside. It is said that while the monks were reciting, six decorated chariots from the six sensual heavens arrived to invite Dhammika to their respective sensual heavens.
[According to Buddhist cosmology, there are six planes of heavenly beings (deva loka), in which rebirth takes place due to highly meritorious, skillful, and wholesome volitional actions performed during one’s previous existence. They are:
1.Cātummahārājika heaven
2. Tāvatimsa heaven
3. Yāma heaven
4. Tusita heaven
5. Nimmānarati heaven
6. Paranimmita Vasavatti heaven]
Dhammika asked them to wait until the reciting was over as he did not want the reciting by the monk disrupted. However, the monks who were reciting mistook his signal to stop as a signal to them to stop reciting the scriptures. They stopped reciting and left Dhammika’s house.
After the monks had left, Dhammika told his children about the six decorated chariots from the six sensual heavens who were waiting for him. He decided to choose the chariot from the Tusita heaven and asked one of his children to throw a garland to that particular chariot. Having chosen the Tusita heaven, he passed away and was reborn as a deity in the Tusita heaven. Thus, the person who engages in meritorious deeds experiences joy both in this world and future worlds.
Concerning the lay disciple Dhammika, the Buddha recited the following verse, which is recorded as the 16th verse of the Dhammapada.
“Idha modati pecca modati,
katapuñño ubhayattha modati,
so modati so pamodati,
disvā kamma visuddhimattano.”
“Here he rejoices, hereafter he rejoices,
the meritorious one rejoices in both places,
he rejoices, and he greatly rejoices,
seeing the purity of his deeds.”
- A pannavimutti arahant can cultivate all Jhanās and arupavacara samapatti if they choose to, and then attain Nirodha Samapatti. Venerable Sariputta is a great example of this. He became an arahant after listening to a single discourse of Lord Buddha. At one point, he wanted to cultivate Jhanas and Iddhis. He developed them rapidly and analyzed each one as he progressed. Eventually, he reached Nirodha Samapatti. It is in the Anupada Sutta.
And he emerged from that attainment with mindfulness.
So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahati.
Then he contemplated the phenomena in that attainment that had passed, ceased, and perished:
So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahitvā ye dhammā atītā niruddhā vipariṇatā te dhamme samanupassati:
‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’
‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti.
And he meditated without attraction or repulsion for those phenomena; independent, untied, liberated, detached, his mind free of limits.
So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati.
He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’
So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti.
And by repeated practice, he knew for sure that there was.
Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti.
Furthermore, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he entered and remained in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen with wisdom, his defilements came to an end.
Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati. Paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti.
- The English translation is incorrect. It says, “his defilements have ended.” Venerable Sariputta became an arahant long before he developed Nirodha Samapatti. He attained arahantship by listening to a discourse of Lord Buddha. He is a pannavimutti arahant. Dīghanakhasutta
Now, at that time, Venerable Sāriputta was standing behind the Buddha, fanning him.
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato piṭṭhito ṭhito hoti bhagavantaṁ bījayamāno.
Then he thought,
Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi:
“It seems the Buddha speaks of giving up and letting go of all these things through direct knowledge.”
“tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no bhagavā dhammānaṁ abhiññā pahānamāha, tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no sugato dhammānaṁ abhiññā paṭinissaggamāhā”ti.
Reflecting on this, Venerable Sāriputta’s mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping.
Iti hidaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa paṭisañcikkhato anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci.
I have been thinking about Jhānas.
- The motivation that drives many Buddhists to practice the 4 Jhānas and the 4 arupavacara samapatti is the attainment of Nirodha Samapatti.
- Jhānas are not ends in themselves. They are essential tools to attain Nirodha Samapatti, which is the Supreme Samapatti.
- Achieving Nirodha is impossible without developing the highest arupavacara Samapatti. To attain these arupavacara samapatti, one must have perfected the 4 or 5 Jhānas. However, it is necessary to be an arahant to achieve this. It seems that people aim to develop Jhānas first and then become arahant. Technically, an arahant no longer has much reason to stay in this world. If they choose to stay, it is for the benefit of an immeasurable number of sentient beings. Arahants, Paccekabuddhas, and Lord Buddhas can enter Nirodha Samapatti to provide opportunities for others to develop Kusalas. By protecting them a person accumulates an immeasurable amount of merits. Remember the serpent king (Naga) who protected Lord Gautama during his awakening. Lord Buddha was in Nirodha Samapatti and the snake king gained a lot of Kusulas. However, the Ariyas in Nirodha Samapatti are naturally protected from any danger during their absorption. Nothing can harm them during these times. Nirodha Samapatti is the ornament of holy life. Sometimes, when they are mentally tired of consciousness, they enter into Nirodha Samapatti. In Nirodha Samapatti, the 5 aggregates cease completely. This state lasts a maximum of 7 days, and it can be likened to a temporary experience of parinibbãna. Parinibbãna is the eternal version of Nirodha Samapatti.
- What I mean, sir is that some arahants brutally entered parinibbāna. A prime example is Venerable Arahant Bahiya. He was looking for robes for his ordination and did not intend to reach parinibbāna right away. He died after being gored by a Yakkini who possessed a cow. He had just reached the arahant stage before he died! This is why I say some died brutally. Others reach parinibbāna after a very long life, like Venerable Bakula (at 160 years) and Ananda (at 120 years). However, yes, nibbāna is complete from the moment they become arahants.
Even as he listened, Bāhiya became an arahant and the Buddha left him. Shortly after, Bāhiya was gored to death by a cow with a calf (cp. the story of Pukkusāti). The Buddha, seeing his body lying on the dung heap, asked the monks to remove it and to have it burnt, erecting a thūpa over the remains.
Although Bāhiya had kept the precepts in previous births, he had never given a bowl or a robe to a monk. For this reason, the Buddha did not, at the end of his sermon, ordain him by the “ehi bhikkhu pabbajā.” The Buddha knew that Bāhiya did not have sufficient merit to obtain divine robes. Some say that he was once a brigand and had shot a Pacceka Buddha with an arrow and had taken possession of the Pacceka Buddha’s begging bowl and robe.
- Bāhiya met his death while searching for a robe in which to be ordained (UdA.77ff.; AA.i.156ff.; DhA.ii.209ff.; Ap.ii.475ff)
- For those who don’t know. A Lord Buddha only ordains those who have offered robes and necessities to bhikkhus in their past lives. Those who receive ordination from Lord Buddha are those who have supported the Sangha in previous lives or have taken care of a Paccekabuddha. This is one of the reasons for offering robes and necessities to bhikkhus.
- The more virtuous the Bhikkhus is, the more powerful the Kusulas will be. This is why those who offer robes to Lord Buddha or Paccekabuddha accumulate immeasurable Kusulas. Offering robes to a Bhikkhu who has reached any stage of magga phala gives a lot of Kusulas. Nowadays there is no Lord Buddha or Paccekabuddha in the world. However, there is the Kathina ceremony which takes place at the end of Vassa (rainy season). The lay people offer a robe to the Sangha. The sangha will offer it to the Bhikkhu who made the most effort during the retreat to reach a stage of magga phala. The Bhikkhus are not allowed to travel during this period. They must stay in the same monastery and make the effort to get closer to the arahant stage if this has not already been done. This monk could have reached a stage of magga phala. I highly recommend participating in this ceremony in some way. It often happens around October-November. You will accumulate an incredible amount of Kusalas as it preserves the Sasana and pays homage to the Ariyas. The path to Nibbāna will be made easier if you also have a good understanding of Tilakkhana.
Thank you very much for this comment, my friend. You have exactly said the essential aspect of the practice of Jhānas. The ariyas that develop them want to live well here and now. Iddhis serve to generate faith in certain people.
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
Thank you for your comment, my friend.
- There are particular Kusulas that lead to this kind of results. These are not low-intensity Kusulas actions. Come to think of it, everyone who has achieved magga phala has developed Kusulas at different levels. High-intensity Kusulas like offering Kathina or normal robes to the Maha Sangha, teaching the Dhamma during past sasanas, and making offerings to an Arahant, Paccekabouddha, and Sammasambouddha are extremely powerful acts. It gives extraordinary results like those of Venerable Kondanna. Venerable Arahant Bakula is another example. He heard Lord Buddha preach for the first time when he was 80 years old. Eight days later he became an Arahant. He reached parinibbãna at 160 years old!! He, therefore spent 80 years as an arahant and teacher. Lord Buddha declared him as the longest-lived among his disciples. He never got sick and I believe in one verse he says he never took medicine in his life. He is one of the 4 disciples with the most powerful abhinna powers (mahābhiññappattā). All this happened because he offered medicine to Lord Buddha Anomadassi, thousands of Maha Kappa ago.
- Some people reach Nibbāna in suffering or shortly before death. Some arahants have attained parinibbãna violently. Others attain Nibbāna in bliss, live a very long time as an arahant, and attain parinibbãna peacefully. In both cases they developed Kusulas to achieve Nibbāna however one has a higher intensity. This is why despite our time devoted to the Dhamma, we must not forget to take care of the Bhikkhus, participate in the monastery ceremonies, and help the poor and people in need. Some people have a good understanding of the Dhamma but they neglect these aspects. The result will be that they will attain Nibbāna but it will be difficult and painful.
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Triple gem student :
“For myself, this was a good example that showed the difficulty of attaining Stream-“entry even no matter how intelligent or gifted one is. With Queen Mallika, she even had Venerable Ananda visit the palace regularly to teach the dhamma and she still didn’t attain stream-entry within her life time. But still learning and practicing the dhamma would benefit the life stream (Queen Mallika) bhava, jati’s to come.”
- Yes, exactly our efforts towards the Dhamma are not in vain. Sometimes our abilities do not guarantee our success. She will probably end up becoming sotāpanna. I invite everyone to read Theragatha and Therigatha. These are verses from male and female Arahant disciples. They tell how they struggled for Nibbāna for lifetimes and the Kusalas they developed. Venerable Arahant Kondanna (First disciple of Lord Buddha) avoided apayas for 100,000 Kappas!!! He learned the Dhamma from Lord Buddha Padumutarra and vowed to become a great arahant. Thanks to the Kusulas he acquired while serving the Sasana of Lord Padumutarra he never again took rebirth in the apayas. As a reminder, an arupa Brahma lives a maximum of 84,000 Kappas. The Venerable’s lifestream has passed 100,000 Kappas without seeing these worlds of pain ! It’s still incredible he reached Nibbāna at the end of this period. This is what should motivate us even if we don’t see visible results.
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- Small clarification: Even a worldly person can see the inevitability of many things. Anatta can also say the inevitability which makes us suffer is not to our taste. While listening to a Desana of Venerable Waharaka Thero, I was able to grasp this subtlety. For example, we can see that growing up and getting old are inevitable but as long as we enjoy maximum pleasure it doesn’t bother us. As long as the inevitable things are to our liking there is no problem. If we do not try to make efforts to attain Nibbāna we will inevitably face dreadful suffering.
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Sīvaka Sutta: Discourse to wanderer Sīvaka
At one time, the Buddha was staying at Rajagaha, in the Bamboo Grove near the Squirrels’ Feeding Place.
[Rajagaha was the capital city of the old kingdom of Magadha in India at the time of the Buddha. Soon after the enlightenment, the Buddha, accompanied by one thousand monks, visited the city of Rajagaha as per the request of King Bimbisāra. The king became a disciple of the Buddha after listening to the Buddha’s teachings and donated the Bamboo Grove (Veluvana Park) to be used as a monastery. It was the very first monastery that was donated to the Buddha where the Buddha is believed to have stayed during the three rainy retreats following the donation when several discourses were preached to various audiences.]
Then the wanderer named Moliya Sīvaka went to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with the Buddha. Having exchanged friendly greetings and courtesies, he sat to one side. While sitting to one side, he said to the Buddha:
“Master Gotama, there are some ascetics and brahmins who hold this doctrine, this view: ‘Whatever a person feels, whether it is pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done in the past.’ Now, what does Master Gotama say about this?”
“There are some feelings, Sīvaka, that arise due to bile disorders. That some feelings arise due to bile disorders, one should know for oneself, and it is considered to be true in the world that, some feelings arise due to bile disorders.”
“So, Sīvaka, any ascetics and brahmins who hold the doctrine, the view: ‘Whatever a person feels, whether it is pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done in the past,’ they deviate from what one should know for oneself, and what is considered to be true in the world. Therefore, I say that those ascetics and brahmins are wrong.”
“There are some feelings, Sīvaka, that arise due to phlegm disorders. That some feelings arise due to phlegm disorders, one should know for oneself, and it is considered to be true in the world that, some feelings arise due to phlegm disorders.”
“So, Sīvaka, any ascetics and brahmins who hold the doctrine, the view: ‘Whatever a person feels, whether it is pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done in the past,’ they deviate from what one should know for oneself, and what is considered to be true in the world. Therefore, I say that those ascetics and brahmins are wrong.”
“There are some feelings, Sīvaka, that arise due to wind disorders. That some feelings arise due to wind disorders, one should know for oneself, and it is considered to be true in the world that, some feelings arise due to wind disorders.”
“So, Sīvaka, any ascetics and brahmins who hold the doctrine, the view: ‘Whatever a person feels, whether it is pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done in the past,’ they deviate from what one should know for oneself, and what is considered to be true in the world. Therefore, I say that those ascetics and brahmins are wrong.”
“There are some feelings, Sīvaka, that arise due to an imbalance of those three. That some feelings arise due to an imbalance of those three, one should know for oneself, and it is considered to be true in the world that, some feelings arise due to an imbalance of those three.”
“So, Sīvaka, any ascetics and brahmins who hold the doctrine, the view: ‘Whatever a person feels, whether it is pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done in the past,’ they deviate from what one should know for oneself, and what is considered to be true in the world. Therefore, I say that those ascetics and brahmins are wrong.”
“There are some feelings, Sīvaka, that arise due to the change of climate. That some feelings arise due to change of climate, one should know for oneself, and it is considered to be true in the world that, some feelings arise due to change of climate.”
“So, Sīvaka, any ascetics and brahmins who hold the doctrine, the view: ‘Whatever a person feels, whether it is pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done in the past,’ they deviate from what one should know for oneself, and what is considered to be true in the world. Therefore, I say that those ascetics and brahmins are wrong.”
“There are some feelings, Sīvaka, that arise due to improper care. That some feelings arise due to improper care, one should know for oneself, and it is considered to be true in the world that, some feelings arise due to improper care.”
“So, Sīvaka, any ascetics and brahmins who hold the doctrine, the view: ‘Whatever a person feels, whether it is pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done in the past,’ they deviate from what one should know for oneself, and what is considered to be true in the world. Therefore, I say that those ascetics and brahmins are wrong.”
“There are some feelings, Sīvaka, that arise due to external trauma. That some feelings arise due to external trauma, one should know for oneself, and it is considered to be true in the world that, some feelings arise due to external trauma.”
“So, Sīvaka, any ascetics and brahmins who hold the doctrine, the view: ‘Whatever a person feels, whether it is pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done in the past,’ they deviate from what one should know for oneself, and what is considered to be true in the world. Therefore, I say that those ascetics and brahmins are wrong.”
“There are some feelings, Sīvaka, that arise due to the result of kamma. That some feelings arise due to the result of kamma, one should know for oneself, and it is considered to be true in the world that, some feelings arise due to the result of kamma.”
“So, Sīvaka, any ascetics and brahmins who hold the doctrine, the view: ‘Whatever a person feels, whether it is pleasant, painful or neutral, all that is caused by what was done in the past,’ they deviate from what one should know for oneself, and what is considered to be true in the world. Therefore, I say that those ascetics and brahmins are wrong.”
“Bile, phlegm, and also wind, imbalance, and climate too, improper care and external trauma, with the result of Kamma as the eighth.”
- Excellent speech which leads us not to blame everything on Kamma Vipāka even if it can often be the cause of our problems. However, we must not forget the powerless nature (Anatta) which regulates our lives. Suppose a boat is heading straight into an iceberg and only a few meters separate it from the point of impact. It is inevitable (Anatta) that he will hit the iceberg but an experienced captain can, with good maneuvering, save as many people as possible and reduce the damage to the boat. Not everything happens because of Kamma Vipāka and the vast majority of unpleasant events in life are inevitable such as illness, old age, and death. It’s up to us to do as much as possible to reduce the negative impact this has on our minds. The best way to do this is to continue moving in the direction of pure mind (Pabhassara Citta). Remember that even an arahant can have painful indigestion!!
Oh yes, I remember reading about this Jataka!! Many Jatakas depict the Bodhisatta being caught in the grip of Kāma ragā. However, he always manages to overcome it with the help of the Jhānas and gets reborn in a Brahma world. Thank you for sharing this story, Gopinadh🙏🏿. We understand that it is only by becoming a Lord Buddha that he will ultimately succeed.
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- I’m not entirely convinced by everything that has been said, but yes, you are right, sir. It is a subject that only a Lord Buddha can answer perfectly. The only power we must seek is the destruction of all defilements (āsavakkhaya). It is the only supernormal power that all arahants have in common. It comes automatically when a person reaches the arahant stage.
- I forgot to specify a detail in my answer to #5. It is possible to obtain Iddhis, jhanas, and magga phala simultaneously even if one has not practiced jhanas in this life. Arahant Santati was an example. He never practiced the jhanas and by listening to a single verse he became an arahant with all the jhanas and Iddhis. These are extremely rare cases. Most of the time, this is obtained after having first mastered the 4 jhanas. Arahant Santati came back from a war and was celebrating!! See THE MINISTER WHO BECAME AN ARAHANT AS A LAY PERSON
