In this teaching, the Buddha is sharing that when giving, if you expect a certain result in the next life, you can get it, if the conditions are right.
“Mendicants, there are these eight rebirths by giving.
What eight?
(1) First, someone gives to ascetics or brahmins such things as food, drink, clothing, vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting.
Whatever they give they expect back.
They see a well-to-do aristocrat or brahmin or householder amusing themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation.
It occurs to them: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of well-to-do aristocrats or brahmins or householders!’
They settle on that idea, concentrate on it and develop it. As they’ve settled for less and not developed further, their idea leads to rebirth there. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of well-to-do aristocrats or brahmins or householders.
But I say that this is only for those of ethical conduct, not for the unethical.
The heart’s wish of an ethical person succeeds because of their purity.
(2) Next, someone gives to ascetics or brahmins …Whatever they give they expect back.
And they’ve heard: ‘The Gods of the Four Great Kings are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’ It occurs to them: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the Gods of the Four Great Kings!’ …
When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the Gods of the Four Great Kings. But I say that this is only for those of ethical conduct, not for the unethical. The heart’s wish of an ethical person succeeds because of their purity.
(3) Next, someone gives to ascetics or brahmins … Whatever they give they expect back. And they’ve heard: ‘The Gods of the Thirty-Three …’
(4) ‘The Gods of Yama …’
(5) ‘The Joyful Gods …’
(6) ‘The Gods Who Love to Create …’
(7) ‘The Gods Who Control the Creations of Others are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’ It occurs to them: ‘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 idea, concentrate on it and develop it. As they’ve settled for less and not developed further, their idea leads to rebirth there. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the Gods Who Control the Creations of Others.
But I say that this is only for those of ethical conduct, not for the unethical. The heart’s wish of an ethical person succeeds because of their purity.
(8) Next, someone gives to ascetics or brahmins such things as food, drink, clothing, vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting. Whatever they give they expect back.
And they’ve heard: ‘The Gods of Brahmā’s Host are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’ It occurs to them: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the Gods of Brahmā’s Host!’
They settle on that idea, concentrate on it and develop it. As they’ve settled for less and not developed further, their idea leads to rebirth there. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the Gods of Brahmā’s Host.
But I say that this is only for those of ethical conduct, not for the unethical. And for those free of desire, not those with desire. The heart’s wish of an ethical person succeeds because of their freedom from desire.
These are the eight rebirths by giving.”
In this teaching, the Buddha is sharing eight possible happy rebirth destinations when two conditions are met:
- Someone is of ethical conduct, and
- They're practicing skillful giving to ascetics or brahmins.
In another teaching, the Buddha shares the qualities of ascetics or brahmins that produce fruitful giving. The eight qualities the Buddha lists are the maturity of the eight factors of the noble eightfold path. Someone who has cultivated right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion (right concentration). This is someone who is close to enlightenment or is enlightened. You can read about this teaching over here: https://suttacentral.net/an8.34.
The eighth rebirth in the Brahmā realm has an additional condition, that someone is also free of desire in addition.
The Buddha likely shared this particular teaching for lay practitioners that were interested in a good rebirth destination and had not cultivated their practice to experience jhānas.
The Buddha's teachings shouldn't be blindly believed or disbelieved, rather investigated to verify them independently and then applied to build a life practice from.
The independent verification is to see that when following a teaching for a period of time:
- One's condition of mind is improving, and
- One's personal and professional relationships are improving
So while the truth of these rebirth destinations may not be knowable right away, one can still apply the practices suggested here to see if both of the above are happening.
The way to directly verify this particular teaching is by practicing to cultivate jhānas to maturity by understanding the five aggregates and the grasping at the five aggregates. The experience of a jhāna is as different as a day and night, it is an interior experience, an immersion. The Brahmā realms are described in similar terms in the other teachings. It is the gradual training, gradual practice, gradual progress ↗️ that leads one to verify this.
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