Majjhima Nikāya
III. Upari Paṇṇāsa
2. Anupada Vagga
Sutta 120
Sankhār'Uppatti Suttaɱ[1]
Arising of Intentions
Translated from the Pali by Sister Upalavanna
At one time the Blessed One lived in the monastery offered by Anāthapiṇḍika in Jeta's grove in Sāvatthi. 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 Yāma gods, ... re ... with the happy gods, ... re ... with the 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 Brahmā, 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 would reflect, in the same manner Sahasa Brahmā, wields power over the thousandfold world systems and wields power over those born there. It occurs to him. O! I should be born with Sahasā 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 Sahasā Brahmā, 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 Brahmā, re ... Ti Sahasā Brahmā, ... re ... Catu Sahasā Brahmā, ... re ... Panca Sahasā Brahmā, 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 would reflect, in the same manner Panca Sahasa Brahmā, 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 Sahasā 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 Sahasā Brahmā, 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 Brahmā, 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 Brahmā, 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 Sahasā 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 Sahasā Brahmā, 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 Brahmā, 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 Brahmā, 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 Sahasā 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 Sahasā Brahmā, 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 ... with limited 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 ... with limited 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] Sankhāruppattisutta 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.
