sutta » sn » sn56 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.131

Pettidevapettivisayasutta

Dying as Ghosts and Reborn as Ghosts

… “Evameva kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye pettivisayā cutā devesu paccājāyanti; atha kho eteva bahutarā sattā ye pettivisayā cutā pettivisaye paccājāyanti.
“… the sentient beings who die as ghosts and are reborn as gods are few, while those who die as ghosts and are reborn in the ghost realm are many.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Adiṭṭhattā, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ.
It’s because they haven’t seen the four noble truths.

Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ?
What four?

Dukkhassa ariyasaccassa, dukkhasamudayassa ariyasaccassa, dukkhanirodhassa ariyasaccassa, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ariyasaccassa.
The noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.

Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.
That’s why you should practice meditation to understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.
That is what the Buddha said.

Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.
Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

Tiṁsatimaṁ.

Pañcagatipeyyālavaggo ekādasamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Manussato cutā chāpi,

devā cutā nirayato;

Tiracchānapettivisayā,

tiṁsamatto gativaggoti.

Saccasaṁyuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ.
The Linked Discourses on the Truths, the twelfth section.

Mahāvaggo pañcamo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Maggabojjhaṅgaṁ satiyā,

indriyaṁ sammappadhānaṁ;

Baliddhipādānuruddhā,

jhānānāpānasaṁyutaṁ;

Sotāpatti saccañcāti,

mahāvaggoti vuccatīti.

Mahāvaggasaṁyuttapāḷi niṭṭhitā.
The Great Book is finished.

Saṁyuttanikāyo samatto.
The Linked Discourses are completed.