10.
The Discourse on Rebirth by Choice
160.
Thus have I heard -
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park.
There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus:
"Monks."
"Venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
"I will teach you, monks, rebirth through activities. Listen to that, pay close attention;
I will speak."
"Yes, venerable sir," those monks assented to the Blessed One.
The Blessed One said this:
161.
"Here, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality, is endowed with learning, is endowed with generosity, is endowed with wisdom.
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of wealthy warriors!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
162.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality, is endowed with learning, is endowed with generosity, is endowed with wisdom.
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of wealthy brahmins... etc.
in the company of wealthy householders!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
163.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality, is endowed with learning, is endowed with generosity, is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The gods ruled by the four great kings are long-lived, beautiful, and abounding in happiness.'
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the gods ruled by the four great kings!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
164.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality, is endowed with learning, is endowed with generosity, is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
the Thirty-three gods... etc.
the Yāma gods...
the Tusita gods...
the Nimmānaratī gods...
the Paranimmitavasavattī gods are long-lived, beautiful, and abounding in happiness.'
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the Paranimmitavasavattī gods!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
165.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality, is endowed with learning, is endowed with generosity, is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The Thousandfold Brahmā is long-lived, beautiful, and abundant in happiness.'
The Thousandfold Brahmā, monks, dwells having pervaded and resolved upon the thousandfold world system.
And those beings who have been reborn there, he also dwells having pervaded and resolved upon them.
Just as, monks, a man with good eyesight, having placed a single gallnut in his hand, might review it;
so too, monks, the Thousandfold Brahmā dwells having pervaded and resolved upon the thousandfold world system.
And those beings who have been reborn there, he also dwells having pervaded and resolved upon them.
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the Thousandfold Brahmā!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
166.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality, is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The Twofold-thousandfold Brahmā... etc...
The Threefold-thousandfold Brahmā...
The Fourfold-thousandfold Brahmā...
The Fivefold-thousandfold Brahmā is long-lived, beautiful, and abundant in happiness.'
The Fivefold-thousandfold Brahmā, monks, dwells having pervaded and resolved upon the fivefold-thousandfold world system.
And those beings who have been reborn there, he also dwells having pervaded and resolved upon them.
Just as, monks, a man with good eyesight, having placed five gallnuts in his hand, might review them;
so too, monks, the Fivefold-thousandfold Brahmā dwells having pervaded and resolved upon the fivefold-thousandfold world system.
And those beings who have been reborn there, he also dwells having pervaded and resolved upon them.
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the Fivefold-thousandfold Brahmā!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
167.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality, is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The Ten-thousandfold Brahmā is long-lived, beautiful, and abundant in happiness.'
The Ten-thousandfold Brahmā, monks, dwells having pervaded and resolved upon the ten-thousandfold world system.
And those beings who have been reborn there, he also dwells having pervaded and resolved upon them.
Just as, monks, a lapis lazuli gem, beautiful, of pure origin, octagonal, well polished, placed on a pale-yellow blanket, shines and burns and is brilliant;
so too, monks, the Ten-thousandfold Brahmā dwells having pervaded and resolved upon the ten-thousandfold world system.
And those beings who have been reborn there, he also dwells having pervaded and resolved upon them.
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the Ten-thousandfold Brahmā!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
168.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality...
is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The Hundred-thousandfold Brahmā is long-lived, beautiful, and abundant in happiness.'
The Hundred-thousandfold Brahmā, monks, dwells having pervaded and resolved upon the hundred-thousandfold world system.
And those beings who have been reborn there, he also dwells having pervaded and resolved upon them.
Just as, monks, a gold coin of Jambu river gold, skilfully refined in the furnace by a skilled goldsmith's son, placed on a pale-yellow blanket, shines and burns and is brilliant;
so too, monks, the Hundred-thousandfold Brahmā dwells having pervaded and resolved upon the hundred-thousandfold world system.
And those beings who have been reborn there, he also dwells having pervaded and resolved upon them.
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the Hundred-thousandfold Brahmā!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
169.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality...
is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The Radiant gods... etc.
the gods of Limited Radiance...
the gods of Immeasurable Radiance...
the Streaming Radiant gods are long-lived, beautiful, and abounding in happiness.'
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the Streaming Radiant gods!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
170.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality...
is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The gods of Limited Beauty... etc.
the gods of Immeasurable Beauty...
the gods of Streaming Radiance are long-lived, beautiful, and abounding in happiness.'
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the gods of Streaming Radiance!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
171.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality...
is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The Vehapphala gods... etc.
the Aviha gods...
the Atappa gods...
the Sudassā gods...
the Sudassī gods...
the Akaniṭṭha gods are long-lived, beautiful, and abounding in happiness.'
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the Akaniṭṭha gods!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
172.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality...
is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The gods who have reached the plane of infinite space are long-lived, long-lasting, and abounding in happiness.'
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the gods who have reached the plane of infinite space!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
173.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality...
is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The gods who have reached the plane of infinite consciousness are long-lived, long-lasting, and abounding in happiness.'
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the gods who have reached the plane of infinite consciousness!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
174.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality...
is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He has heard:
'The gods who have reached the plane of nothingness... etc.
the gods who have reached the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception are long-lived, long-lasting, and abounding in happiness.'
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in the company of the gods who have reached the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception!'
He fixes that mind, determines that mind, develops that mind.
Those activities and abidings of his, thus developed, thus cultivated, lead to rebirth there.
This, monks, is the path, this is the practice that leads to rebirth there.
175.
"Furthermore, monks, a monk is endowed with faith, is endowed with morality...
is endowed with learning...
is endowed with generosity...
is endowed with wisdom.
He thinks thus:
'Oh, may I, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge myself, having attained, dwell in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions.'
He, with the elimination of the mental corruptions, in this very life, having realised by direct knowledge himself, having attained, dwells in the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are without mental corruptions.
This, monks, is a monk who is not reborn anywhere."
This is what the Blessed One said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Blessed One had said.
The Discourse on Rebirth through Activities is concluded as tenth.