8.
The First Discourse on a Journey in Heaven
1014.
At Sāvatthī.
Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna -
just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, even so -
having vanished from Jeta's Grove, appeared among the gods of the Thirty-three.
Then several deities of the host of the Thirty-three gods approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna;
having approached, they paid respect to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna and stood to one side.
To those deities standing to one side, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this -
"Good indeed, friends, is being endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha: 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' Because of being endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha, friends, some beings here, upon the body's collapse at death, are reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world. Good indeed, friends, is being endowed with unwavering confidence in the Teaching, etc. towards the Community, etc. Good indeed, friends, is being endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones, unbroken, etc. conducive to concentration. Because of being endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones, friends, some beings here, upon the body's collapse at death, are reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world."
"Good indeed, dear Moggallāna, is being endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha: 'Thus indeed is the Blessed One, etc. Teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.' Because of being endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha, dear Moggallāna, some beings here, upon the body's collapse at death, are reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world. Good indeed, dear Moggallāna, is being endowed with unwavering confidence in the Teaching, etc. towards the Community, etc. is being endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones, unbroken, etc. conducive to concentration. Because of being endowed with morality pleasing to the noble ones, dear Moggallāna, some beings here, upon the body's collapse at death, are reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world." The eighth.