Reading guide
A journey by psychic power, not by argument
The opening simile — vanishing and reappearing as easily as extending an arm — frames this discourse's own setting as a demonstration of Moggallāna's own attainments, distinct from SN 40.1–9's own account of struggling toward those same attainments.
Four teachings, each scaled up five times
The source itself structures this discourse as four distinct teachings — the three refuges alone; the three refuges plus a note that those who take them surpass other gods in ten respects; the four factors of stream-entry alone; and the four factors plus the same ten-respects note — each one taught across five separate visits from Sakka, whose own retinue grows from 500 to 600, 700, 800, and finally a striking 80,000 deities. Only the first (500-deity) visit of each teaching is spelled out; the remaining four are elided with a bare “...” in Sujato's own English, confirmed by reading the translation file directly.
Confidence in the three refuges, and the four factors of stream-entry
The three refuges (Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha) are stated plainly as good to go for; the four factors add “experiential confidence” in each of the three, spelled out with the standard recollection formulas, plus a fourth factor — ethical conduct loved by the noble ones — not present in the bare-refuge teaching at all.
Surpassing other gods, in ten respects
Added only in the third and fourth teachings, this clause states that those reborn as gods through this confidence surpass other gods in ten respects: heavenly lifespan, beauty, happiness, glory, sovereignty, and the five kinds of heavenly sense objects (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches) — a claim about hierarchy even within heavenly rebirth itself, tied directly to the strength of the confidence or refuge that produced it.
Key terms
The text
The frame: a journey to Tāvatiṃsa
§1And then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared among the gods of the thirty-three. Then Sakka, lord of gods, with five hundred deities came up to Mahāmoggallāna, bowed, and stood to one side. Mahāmoggallāna said to him:
First teaching: the three refuges
§2“Lord of gods, it’s good to go for refuge to the Buddha. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. It’s good to go for refuge to the teaching. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. It’s good to go for refuge to the Saṅgha. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”
Sakka's own reply (elided by Sujato's own English)
§3“My good Moggallāna, it’s good to go for refuge to the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”
The assembly grows: 600, 700, 800, 80,000
§4Then Sakka, lord of gods, with six hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with seven hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with eight hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with eighty thousand deities …
Second teaching: the four factors of stream-entry
§5Then Sakka, lord of gods, with five hundred deities came up to Mahāmoggallāna, bowed, and stood to one side. Mahāmoggallāna said to him: “Lord of gods, it’s good to have experiential confidence in the Buddha: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. It’s good to have experiential confidence in the teaching: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’ It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. It’s good to have experiential confidence in the Saṅgha: ‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, direct, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individual persons. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’ It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. It’s good to have the ethical conduct that’s loved by the noble ones, unbroken, impeccable, spotless, and unmarred, liberating, praised by sensible people, not mistaken, and leading to immersion. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”
Sakka's own reply
§6“My good Moggallāna, it’s good to have experiential confidence in the Buddha … the teaching … the Saṅgha … and to have the ethical conduct that’s loved by the noble ones … It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”
The assembly grows again
§7Then Sakka, lord of gods, with six hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with seven hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with eight hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with eighty thousand deities …
Third teaching: the three refuges, with the ten-respects addition
§8Then Sakka, lord of gods, with five hundred deities came up to Mahāmoggallāna, bowed, and stood to one side. Mahāmoggallāna said to him: “Lord of gods, it’s good to go for refuge to the Buddha. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. They surpass other gods in ten respects: heavenly lifespan, beauty, happiness, glory, sovereignty, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. It’s good to go for refuge to the teaching … It’s good to go for refuge to the Saṅgha. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. They surpass other gods in ten respects: heavenly lifespan, beauty, happiness, glory, sovereignty, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches.”
Sakka's own reply
§9“My good Moggallāna, it’s good to go for refuge to the Buddha …”
The assembly grows a third time
§10Then Sakka, lord of gods, with six hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with seven hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with eight hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with eighty thousand deities …
Fourth teaching: the four factors, with the ten-respects addition
§11Then Sakka, lord of gods, with five hundred deities came up to Mahāmoggallāna, bowed, and stood to one side. Mahāmoggallāna said to him: “Lord of gods, it’s good to have experiential confidence in the Buddha: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha … teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. They surpass other gods in ten respects: heavenly lifespan, beauty, happiness, glory, sovereignty, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. It’s good to have experiential confidence in the teaching … It’s good to have experiential confidence in the Saṅgha … It’s good to have the ethical conduct that’s loved by the noble ones …”
Sakka's own reply
§12“My good Moggallāna, it’s good to have experiential confidence in the Buddha …”
The assembly grows a final time
§13Then Sakka, lord of gods, with six hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with seven hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with eight hundred deities … Then Sakka, lord of gods, with eighty thousand deities …
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