mn.120 Majjhima Nikāya (Middle Discourses)

Rebirth by Choice

Now the Brahmā of five thousand meditates determined on pervading a galaxy of five thousand solar systems,
So I have heard.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
“Mendicants!”
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“I shall teach you rebirth by choice.
Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”
“Yes, sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“Take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.
They think:
‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of well-to-do aristocrats!’
They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it.
Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there.
This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.
Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.
They think:
‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of well-to-do brahmins …
well-to-do householders.’
They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it.
Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there.
This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.
Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.
And they’ve heard:
‘The Gods of the Four Great Kings 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 Gods of the Four Great Kings!’
They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it.
Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there.
This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.
Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.
And they’ve heard:
‘The Gods of the Thirty-Three …
the Gods of Yama …
the Joyful Gods …
the Gods Who Love to Create …
the Gods Who Control the Creations of Others 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 Gods Who Control the Creations of Others!’
They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it.
Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there.
This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.
Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.
And they’ve heard:
‘The Brahmā of a thousand is long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’
Now the Brahmā of a thousand meditates determined on pervading a galaxy of a thousand solar systems,
as well as the sentient beings reborn there.
As a person might pick up a gallnut in their hand and examine it,
so too the Brahmā of a thousand meditates determined on pervading a galaxy of a thousand solar systems,
as well as the sentient beings reborn there.
They think:
‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the Brahmā of a thousand!’
They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it.
Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there.
This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.
Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.


And they’ve heard:
‘The Brahmā of two thousand …
the Brahmā of three thousand …
the Brahmā of four thousand …
the Brahmā of five thousand is long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’

as well as the sentient beings reborn there.
As a person might pick up five gallnuts in their hand and examine them,
so too the Brahmā of five thousand meditates determined on pervading a galaxy of five thousand solar systems,
as well as the sentient beings reborn there.
They think:
‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the Brahmā of five thousand!’
They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it.
Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there.
This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.
Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.


And they’ve heard:
‘The Brahmā of ten thousand is long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’
Now the Brahmā of ten thousand meditates determined on pervading a galaxy of ten thousand solar systems,
as well as the sentient beings reborn there.
Suppose there was a beryl gem that was naturally beautiful, eight-faceted, well-worked. When placed on a cream rug it would shine and glow and radiate.
In the same way the Brahmā of ten thousand meditates determined on pervading a galaxy of ten thousand solar systems,
as well as the sentient beings reborn there.
They think:
‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the Brahmā of ten thousand!’
They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it.
Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there.
This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.
Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.



And they’ve heard:
‘The Brahmā of a hundred thousand is long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’
Now the Brahmā of a hundred thousand meditates determined on pervading a galaxy of a hundred thousand solar systems,
as well as the sentient beings reborn there.
Suppose there was a pendant of river gold, fashioned by an expert smith, well wrought in the forge. When placed on a cream rug it would shine and glow and radiate.
In the same way the Brahmā of a hundred thousand meditates determined on pervading a galaxy of a hundred thousand solar systems,
as well as the sentient beings reborn there.
They think:
‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the Brahmā of a hundred thousand!’
They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it.
Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there.
This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.
Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.



And they’ve heard:
‘The Radiant Gods …
the Gods of Limited Radiance …
the Gods of Limitless Radiance …
the Gods of Streaming Radiance …










the Gods of Limited Glory …
the Gods of Limitless Glory …
the Gods Replete with Glory …










the Gods of Abundant Fruit …
the Gods of Aviha …
the Gods of Atappa …
the Gods Fair to See …
the Fair Seeing Gods …
the Gods of Akaniṭṭha …










the gods of the dimension of infinite space …










the gods of the dimension of infinite consciousness …








the gods of the dimension of nothingness …
the gods of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception 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 gods of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception!’
They settle on that thought, stabilize it and develop it.
Those choices and meditations of theirs, developed and cultivated like this, lead to rebirth there.
This is the path and the practice that leads to rebirth there.
Furthermore, take a mendicant who has faith, ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom.



They think:
‘If only I might realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of defilements.’
They realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements.
And, mendicants, that mendicant is not reborn anywhere.”
That is what the Buddha said.
Satisfied, the mendicants were happy with what the Buddha said.