SN 55.18

Paṭhamadevacārikasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—jetavane antarahito devesu tāvatiṁsesu pāturahosi. Atha kho sambahulā tāvatiṁsakāyikā devatāyo yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho tā devatāyo āyasmā mahāmoggallāno etadavoca:

A Visit to the Gods (1st)

At Sāvatthī. And then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared among the gods of the thirty-three. Then several deities of the company of the thirty-three went up to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, bowed, and stood to one side. Moggallāna said to them:

“Sādhu kho, āvuso, buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgamanaṁ hoti— itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgamanahetu kho, āvuso, evam’idhekacce sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti. Sādhu kho, āvuso, dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe… sādhu kho, āvuso, ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgamanaṁ hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi. Ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgamanahetu kho, āvuso, evam’idhekacce sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjantī”ti.

“Reverends, it’s good to have experiential confidence in the Buddha. … It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. It’s good to have experiential confidence in the teaching. … the Saṅgha … and to have the ethical conduct that’s loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”

“Sādhu kho, mārisa moggallāna, buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgamanaṁ hoti— itipi so bhagavā …pe… satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavāti. Buddhe aveccappasādena samannāgamanahetu kho, mārisa moggallāna, evam’idhekacce sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjanti. Sādhu kho, mārisa moggallāna, dhamme …pe… saṅghe …pe… ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgamanaṁ hoti akhaṇḍehi …pe… samādhisaṁvattanikehi. Ariyakantehi sīlehi samannāgamanahetu kho, mārisa moggallāna, evam’idhekacce sattā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjantī”ti.

“My good fellow Moggallāna, it’s good to have experiential confidence in the Buddha … It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. It’s good to have experiential confidence in the teaching. … the Saṅgha … and to have the ethical conduct that’s loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”