[166] Then the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi approached the Blessed One; having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and when the cordial and memorable talk was concluded, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi said this to the Blessed One: "Master Gotama, we who are called brahmins give gifts and perform the memorial offerings (saddhāni), thinking: 'May this gift accrue to our departed kinsmen and relatives; may our departed kinsmen and relatives partake of this gift.' Does that gift, Master Gotama, accrue to the departed kinsmen and relatives? Do those departed kinsmen and relatives partake of that gift?"
"In a fitting place (ṭhāna), brahmin, it accrues; not in an unfitting place (aṭṭhāna)."
"What, Master Gotama, is the fitting place, and what the unfitting place?"
"Here, brahmin, someone destroys life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsely, speaks maliciously, speaks harshly, indulges in frivolous talk, is covetous, has a mind of ill will, and holds wrong view. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in hell (niraya). Whatever is the food of hell-beings, by that he subsists there, by that he stands there. This, brahmin, is an unfitting place, where the gift does not accrue to one standing there.
"But here, brahmin, someone destroys life … holds wrong view. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the animal realm (tiracchānayoni). Whatever is the food of beings of the animal realm, by that he subsists there, by that he stands there. This too, brahmin, is an unfitting place, where the gift does not accrue to one standing there.
"Here, brahmin, someone abstains from destroying life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from false speech, abstains from malicious speech, abstains from harsh speech, abstains from frivolous talk, is without covetousness, has a mind without ill will, and holds right view. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with human beings. Whatever is the food of human beings, by that he subsists there, by that he stands there. This too, brahmin, is an unfitting place, where the gift does not accrue to one standing there.
"But here, brahmin, someone abstains from destroying life … holds right view. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with the devas. Whatever is the food of devas, by that he subsists there, by that he stands there. This too, brahmin, is an unfitting place, where the gift does not accrue to one standing there.
"Here, brahmin, someone destroys life … holds wrong view. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts (pittivisaya). Whatever is the food of beings of the realm of hungry ghosts, by that he subsists there, by that he stands there; or else whatever his friends and companions or kinsmen and relatives supply to him from here, by that he subsists there, by that he stands there. This, brahmin, is the fitting place, where the gift accrues to one standing there."
"But, Master Gotama, if that departed kinsman or relative has not been reborn in that place, who partakes of that gift?"
"Other departed kinsmen and relatives of his, brahmin, have been reborn in that place; they partake of that gift."
"But, Master Gotama, if that very departed kinsman or relative has not been reborn in that place, and other departed kinsmen and relatives of his also have not been reborn in that place, who partakes of that gift?"
"That is impossible, brahmin; there is no chance that, over this long stretch of time, that place should be empty of his departed kinsmen and relatives. And moreover, brahmin, the giver too is not without fruit."
"Does Master Gotama declare a provision (parikappa) even for the unfitting place?"
"Even for the unfitting place, brahmin, I declare a provision. Here, brahmin, someone destroys life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsely, speaks maliciously, speaks harshly, indulges in frivolous talk, is covetous, has a mind of ill will, and holds wrong view; yet he is a giver to an ascetic or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands and scents, unguents, bedding and lodging, and lamps. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with elephants. There he gains food, drink, garlands, and various ornaments. Because, brahmin, he here destroyed life, took what was not given, engaged in sexual misconduct, spoke falsely, spoke maliciously, spoke harshly, indulged in frivolous talk, was covetous, had a mind of ill will, and held wrong view — by that, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with elephants; and because he was a giver to an ascetic or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands and scents, unguents, bedding and lodging, and lamps — by that he gains there food, drink, garlands, and various ornaments.
"But here, brahmin, someone destroys life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsely, speaks maliciously, speaks harshly, indulges in frivolous talk, is covetous, has a mind of ill will, and holds wrong view; yet he is a giver to an ascetic or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands and scents, unguents, bedding and lodging, and lamps. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with horses … he is reborn in companionship with cattle … he is reborn in companionship with dogs. There he gains food, drink, garlands, and various ornaments. Because, brahmin, he here destroyed life, took what was not given, engaged in sexual misconduct, spoke falsely, spoke maliciously, spoke harshly, indulged in frivolous talk, was covetous, had a mind of ill will, and held wrong view — by that, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with dogs; and because he was a giver to an ascetic or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands and scents, unguents, bedding and lodging, and lamps — by that he gains there food, drink, garlands, and various ornaments.
"Here, brahmin, someone abstains from destroying life, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from false speech, abstains from malicious speech, abstains from harsh speech, abstains from frivolous talk, is without covetousness, has a mind without ill will, and holds right view; and he is a giver to an ascetic or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands and scents, unguents, bedding and lodging, and lamps. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with human beings. There he gains the five cords of human sensual pleasure (kāmaguṇa). Because, brahmin, he here abstained from destroying life, abstained from taking what is not given, abstained from sexual misconduct, abstained from false speech, abstained from malicious speech, abstained from harsh speech, abstained from frivolous talk, was without covetousness, had a mind without ill will, and held right view — by that, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with human beings; and because he was a giver to an ascetic or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands and scents, unguents, bedding and lodging, and lamps — by that he gains there the five cords of human sensual pleasure.
"But here, brahmin, someone abstains from destroying life … holds right view; and he is a giver to an ascetic or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands and scents, unguents, bedding and lodging, and lamps. With the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with the devas. There he gains the five cords of divine sensual pleasure. Because, brahmin, he here abstained from destroying life … held right view — by that, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in companionship with the devas; and because he was a giver to an ascetic or a brahmin of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands and scents, unguents, bedding and lodging, and lamps — by that he gains there the five cords of divine sensual pleasure. And moreover, brahmin, the giver too is not without fruit."
"It is wonderful, Master Gotama! It is marvelous, Master Gotama! This alone, Master Gotama, is reason enough to give gifts, reason enough to perform the memorial offerings — in that the giver too is not without fruit."
"So it is, brahmin! So it is, brahmin! The giver too, brahmin, is not without fruit."
"Excellent, Master Gotama! … Let Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who from this day forth has gone for refuge for life."
The Jāṇussoṇi Vagga, the second.
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The Sundara Vagga, the third
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.