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SN 55.18

A Visit to the Gods (1st)

Paṭhamadevacārikasutta

from: 2. The Royal Monastery

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:

“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.”

“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.”

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

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