1At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

2“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a poor person, impoverished and pitiful. They took up faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One. After undertaking these things, when their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm, in the company of the gods of the Thirty-Three. There they outshone the other gods in beauty and glory.

But the gods of the Thirty-Three complained, grumbled, and objected, ‘It’s incredible, it’s amazing! For when this god was a human being in their past life they were poor, impoverished, and pitiful. And when their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm, in the company of the gods of the Thirty-Three. Here they outshine the other gods in beauty and glory.’

Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the Thirty-Three, ‘Good sirs, don’t complain about this god. When this god was a human being in their past life they took up faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One. After undertaking these things, when their body broke up, after death, they’ve been reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm, in the company of the gods of the Thirty-Three. Here they outshine the other gods in beauty and glory.’

Then Sakka, lord of gods, guiding the gods of the Thirty-Three, recited this verse:

4‘Whoever has faith in the Realized One,
unwavering and well grounded;
whose ethical conduct is good,
praised and loved by the noble ones;

5who has confidence in the Saṅgha,
and correct view:
they’re said to be prosperous,
their life is not in vain.

6So let the wise devote themselves
to faith, ethical behaviour,
confidence, and insight into the teaching,
remembering the instructions of the Buddhas.’”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti.

"Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: 

2"Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, aññataro puriso imasmiṁyeva rājagahe manussadaliddo ahosi manussakapaṇo manussavarāko. So tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye saddhāṁ samādiyi, sīlaṁ samādiyi, sutaṁ samādiyi, cāgaṁ samādiyi, paññaṁ samādiyi. So tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye saddhāṁ samādiyitvā sīlaṁ samādiyitvā sutaṁ samādiyitvā cāgaṁ samādiyitvā paññaṁ samādiyitvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajji devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sahabyataṁ. So aññe deve atirocati vaṇṇena ceva yasasā ca.

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: ‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Ayañhi devaputto pubbe manussabhūto samāno manussadaliddo ahosi manussakapaṇo manussavarāko; so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapanno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sahabyataṁ. So aññe deve atirocati vaṇṇena ceva yasasā cā’ti.

3Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse āmantesi: ‘mā kho tumhe, mārisā, etassa devaputtassa ujjhāyittha. Eso kho, mārisā, devaputto pubbe manussabhūto samāno tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye saddhāṁ samādiyi, sīlaṁ samādiyi, sutaṁ samādiyi, cāgaṁ samādiyi, paññaṁ samādiyi. So tathāgatappavedite dhammavinaye saddhāṁ samādiyitvā sīlaṁ samādiyitvā sutaṁ samādiyitvā cāgaṁ samādiyitvā paññaṁ samādiyitvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapanno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sahabyataṁ. So aññe deve atirocati vaṇṇena ceva yasasā cā’ti.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 

4‘Yassa saddhā tathāgate,
acalā suppatiṭṭhitā;
Sīlañca yassa kalyāṇaṁ,
ariyakantaṁ pasaṁsitaṁ.

5Saṅghe pasādo yassatthi,
ujubhūtañca dassanaṁ;
Adaliddoti taṁ āhu,
amoghaṁ tassa jīvitaṁ.

6Tasmā saddhāñca sīlañca,
pasādaṁ dhammadassanaṁ;
Anuyuñjetha medhāvī,
saraṁ buddhāna sāsanan’"ti.