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SN 29.21-50

Thirty Discourses On How Giving Helps to Become Womb-Born, Etc.

Jalābujādidānūpakārasuttattiṁsaka

from: 1. Dragons

Thirty Discourses On How Giving Helps to Become Womb-Born, Etc.

At Sāvatthī.

Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha:

“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the womb-born dragons … moisture-born dragons … spontaneously-born dragons?”

“Mendicant, it’s when someone does both kinds of deeds by body, speech, and mind. And they’ve heard: ‘The spontaneously-born dragons are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’ They think: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons!’ They give food … drink … a lamp. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons. This is the cause, this is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons.”

(Each set of ten discourses of this series should be told in full the same way.)

The Linked Discourses on dragons are complete.

Translation: German (Ayyā Sabbamittā), English (Bhikkhu Sujato). Source: SuttaCentral / Bilara (public domain, CC0).

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