Majjhima Nikaya - Sankharuppatti Sutta

120. Sankharuppatti Sutta - English MAJJHIMA NIKAYA III
2. 10. Sankhàruppattisuttaü
(120) Arising of Intentions [1]

I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One lived in the monastery offered by
Anathapindika in Jeta's grove in Savatthi. The Blessed One addressed the bhikkus
from there. `Bhikkhus, I will tell the arising of intentions, listen carefully
with attention. Those bhikkhus agreed and the Blessed One said: `Bhikkhus, the
bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning, benevolence and wisdom. It
occurs to the bhikkhu, O! I should be born with the high warriors at the breakup
of the body, after death. He bears it in the mind, directs thoughts to it,
develops that thought. Those intentions and that abiding, developed and made
much, conduces to be born there. This is the path and method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. It occurs to the bhikkhu, O! I should be born with the
high brahmins, ... re ... high middle class, at the breakup of the body, after
death. He bears it in the mind, directs thoughts to it, develops that thought,
and those intentions. That abiding, developed and made much, conduces to be born
there. This is the path and method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. It occurs to the bhikkhu, O! I should be born with the
four guardian gods with long life, beauty and much pleasantness, at the breakup
of the body, after death. He bears it in the mind, directs his thoughts to it,
develops that thought, and those intentions. That abiding, developed and made
much, conduces to be born with the guardian gods with long life, beauty and much
pleasantness. This is the path and method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. It occurs to the bhikkhu, O! I should be born with the
company of gods of the thirty-three. ... re ... with the Yàma gods, ... re ...
with the happy gods, ... re ... withthe gods attached to creating, ... re ...
with the gods attached to creating others, with long life, beauty and much
pleasantness, at the breakup of the body, after death. He bears it in the mind,
directs thoughts to it, develops that thought, and those intentions. That
abiding, developed and made much, conduces to be born with the gods attached to
creatig others, with long life, beauty and much pleasantness. This is the path
and method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. The bhikkhu learns, Sahasa Brahmà wields power over the
thousandfold world systems, with long life, beauty and much pleasantness. He
wields power over those born there. Like a wise man drawing a circle on his palm
woud reflect, in the same manner Sahasa Brahmà wields power over the
thousandfold world systems and wields power over those born there. It occurs to
him. O! I should be born with Sahasà Brahma at the breakup of the body, after
death. He bearsthat mind, directs thoughts to it, develops that thought, and
those intentions. That abiding, developed and made much, conduces to be born
with Sahasà Brahmà, who wields power over the thousandfold world syetems, with
long life, beauty and much pleasantness. This is the path and method to be born
there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. The bhikkhu learns, Dvi Sahasa Brahmà, re ... Ti Sahasà
Brahmà ... re ... Catu Sahasà Brahmà, ... re ... Panca Sahasà Brahmà wields
power over the five thousandfold world systems, with long life, beauty and much
pleasantness. He wields power over those born there. Like a wise man drawing
five circles on his palm woud reflect, in the same manner Panca Sahasa Brahmà
wields power over the thousandfold world systems and wields power over those
born there. It occurs to him. O! I should be born with Panca Sahasà Brahma at
the breakup of the body, after death. He bearsthat mind, directs thoughts to it
and develops that thought. Those intentions and that abiding, developed and made
much, conduces to be born with Panca Sahasà Brahmà, who wields power over the
five thousandfold world syetems, with long life, beauty and much pleasantness.
This is the path and method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. The bhikkhu learns, Dasa Sahasa Brahmà, wields power
over the ten thousandfold world systems, with long life, beauty and much
pleasantness. He wields power over those born there. like the welcome lepis gem
with eight facets well completed placed on the yellow blanket would shne and
emanate radiance in the same manner Dasa Sahasa Brahmà wields power over theten
thousandfold world systems and wields power over those born there. It occurs to
him. O! I should be born with Dasa Sahasà Brahma at the breakup of the body,
after death. He bearsthat mind, directs thoughts to it, develops that thought.
Those intentions and that abiding, developed and made much, conduces to be born
with Dasa Sahasà Brahmà, who wields power over the ten thousandfold world
syetems, with long life, beauty and much pleasantness. This is the path and
method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. The bhikkhu learns, Sata Sahasa Brahmà, wields power
over the hundred thousandfold world systems, with long life, beauty and much
pleasantness. He wields power over those born there. Like a clever goldsmith who
would purify born gold putting it in the furnace and it would radiate light and
heat placed on the orange blanket in the same manner Sata Sahasa Brahmà wields
power over theten thousandfold world systems and wields power over those born
there. It occurs to him. O! I should be born with Sata Sahasà Brahma at the
breakup of the body, after death. He bearsthat mind, directs thoughts to it and
develops that thought. Those intentions and that abiding, developed and made
much, conduces to be born with Sata Sahasà Brahmà, who wields power over the
hundred thousandfold world syetems, with long life, beauty and much
pleasantness. This is the path and method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. The bhikkhu learns, that the gods with radiance, ... re
... withlimited radiance, ... re ... limitless radiance, have long life, beauty
and much pleasantness. It occurs to him. O! I should be born with gods of
limitless radiance with long life, beauty and much pleasantness. This is the
path and method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. The bhikkhu learns, that gods with happiness, ... re ...
withlimited happiness, ... re ... limitless happiness, have long life, beauty
and much pleasantness. It occurs to him. O! I should be born with gods of
limitless happiness with long life, beauty and much pleasantness. This is the
path and method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. The bhikkhu learns, that gods with power to go through
the air, ... re ... gods who are not cruel, ... re ... zealous gods, ... re ...
gods that are easily seen ... re ... . gods of the highest order. have long
life, beauty and much pleasantness. It occurs to him. O! I should be born with
gods of the highest order with long life, beauty and much pleasantness. This is
the path and method to be born there.
Again, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning,
benevolence and wisdom. The bhikkhu learns, that gods born in space have a long
life span
and enjoy much pleasantness. It occurs to him. O! I should be born with gods of
space with long life, much pleasantness. This is the path and method to be born
there.
Again the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning, benevolence and
wisdom. The bhikkhu learns, that gods born in the sphere of consciousness ... re
... in the sphere of nothingness, re ... in the sphere of neither perception nor
non perception have a long life span and enjoy much pleasantness. It occurs to
him. O! I should be born with gods of the sphere of neither perception nor non
perception with long life, much pleasantness. This is the path and method to be
born there.
Again the bhikkhu is endowed with faith, virtues, learning, benevolence and
widom. It occurs to the bhikkhu O! I should destroy desires, without desires,
the mind released and released through wisdom, here and now by myself realizing
I should abide. He destroying desires, without desires, the mind released and
released through wisdom here and now by himself realizing abides. Bhikkhus, this
bhikkhu is not born any where for any reason.
The Blessed One said thus and those bhikkhus delighted in the words of the
Blessed One.
[1] Sankharuppattisutta shows how living with intentions, directing thoughts to
them, and developing those thoughts leads to the flowering of those intentions,
desires, and thoughts. When desires are destroyed, the mind is released and
there is no more birth.