Then Janussonin the brahman went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, "Master Gotama, you know that we brahmans give gifts, make offerings, [saying,] 'May this gift accrue to our dead relatives. May our dead relatives partake of this gift.' Now, Master Gotama, does that gift accrue to our dead relatives? Do our dead relatives partake of that gift?"

"In possible places, brahman, it accrues to them, but not in impossible places."

"And which, Master Gotama, are the possible places? Which are the impossible places?"

"There is the case, brahman, where a certain person takes life, takes what is not given, engages in sensual misconduct, engages in false speech, engages in divisive speech, engages in abusive speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, bears ill will, and has wrong views. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in hell. He lives there, he remains there, by means of whatever is the food of hell-beings. This is an impossible place for that gift to accrue to one staying there.

"Then there is the case where a certain person takes life, takes what is not given, engages in sensual misconduct, engages in false speech, engages in divisive speech, engages in abusive speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, bears ill will, and has wrong views. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the animal womb. He lives there, he remains there, by means of whatever is the food of common animals. This, too, is an impossible place for that gift to accrue to one staying there.

"Then there is the case where a certain person refrains from taking life, refrains from taking what is not given, refrains from sensual misconduct, refrains from false speech, refrains from divisive speech, refrains from abusive speech, refrains from idle chatter, is not covetous, bears no ill will, and has right views. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of human beings. He lives there, he remains there, by means of whatever is the food of human beings. This, too, is an impossible place for that gift to accrue to one staying there.

"Then there is the case where a certain person refrains from taking life, refrains from taking what is not given, refrains from sensual misconduct, refrains from false speech, refrains from divisive speech, refrains from abusive speech, refrains from idle chatter, is not covetous, bears no ill will, and has right views. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of the devas. He lives there, he remains there, by means of whatever is the food of devas. This, too, is an impossible place for that gift to accrue to one staying there.

"Then there is the case where a certain person takes life, takes what is not given, engages in sensual misconduct, engages in false speech, engages in divisive speech, engages in abusive speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, bears ill will, and has wrong views. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the realms of the hungry shades. He lives there, he remains there, by means of whatever is the food of hungry shades. He lives there, he remains that, by means of whatever his friends or relatives give in dedication to him. This is the possible place for that gift to accrue to one staying there.

"But, Master Gotama, if that dead relative does not reappear in that possible place, who partakes of that gift?"

"Other dead relatives, brahman, who have reappeared in that possible place."

"But, Master Gotama, if that dead relative does not reappear in that possible place, and other dead relatives have not reappeared in that possible place, then who partakes of that gift?"

"It's impossible, brahman, it cannot be, that over this long time that possible place is devoid of one's dead relatives. [1] But at any rate, the donor does not go without reward.

"Does Master Gotama describe any preparation for the impossible places?"

"Brahman, I do describe a preparation for the impossible places. There is the case where a certain person takes life, takes what is not given, engages in sensual misconduct, engages in false speech, engages in divisive speech, engages in abusive speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, bears ill will, and has wrong views. But he gives food, drink, cloth, vehicles, garlands, scents, creams, bed, lodging, & lamps to brahmans & contemplatives. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of elephants. There he receives food, drink, flowers, & various ornaments. It's because he took life, took what is not given, engaged in sensual misconduct, engaged in false speech, engaged in divisive speech, engaged in abusive speech, engaged in idle chatter, was covetous, bore ill will, and had wrong views that he reappears in the company of elephants. But it's because he gave food, drink, cloth, vehicles, garlands, scents, creams, bed, lodging, & lamps to brahmans & contemplatives that he receives food, drink, flowers, & various ornaments.

"Then there is the case where a certain person takes life... has wrong views. But he gives food... lamps to brahmans & contemplatives. With the break-up of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of horses... in the company of cattle... in the company of poultry. There he receives food, drink, flowers, & various ornaments. [2] It's because he took life... and had wrong views that he reappears in the company of poultry. But it's because he gave food, drink... & lamps to brahmans & contemplatives that he receives food, drink, flowers, & various ornaments.

"Dann ist da der Fall in dem eine bestimmte Person absteht Leben zu nehmen, absteht zu nehmen was nicht gegeben ist, absteht vom Sinnlichen Fehlverhalten, von falscher Rede absteht, von entzweiender Rede absteht, von ausfälliger Rede absteht, von Geschwätz absteht, nicht habgierig ist, kein Übelwollen hegt und Rechte Ansicht hat. Und er gibt Speise, Getränk, Stoff, Fahrzeuge, Schmuck, Duftstoffe, Sablen, Bett, Unterkunft und Leuchten an Brahmanen und Besinnliche. Mit dem Zerfall seines Körper, nach dem Tod, wiedererscheint er in der Gesellschaft der menschlichen Wesen. Dort erfahrt er die fünf Stränge der menschlichen Sinnlichkeiten [erfreuliche Formen, Klänge, Gerüche, Geschmäcker, Tastempfindung]. Es ist weil er vom Nehmen was nicht gegeben ist ab stand, von Sinnlichen Fehlverhalten ab stand, von falscher Rede ab stand, von entzweiender Rede ab stand, von ausfälliger Rede ab stand, von Geschwätz ab abstand, nicht habgierig war, kein Übelwollen hegte und Rechte Ansicht hatte, daß er in der Gesellschaft der menschlichen Wesen wiedererschien. Und es ist weil er Speise, Getränk, Stoff, Fahrzeuge, Schmuck, Duftstoffe, Sablen, Bett, Unterkunft und Leuchten an Brahmanen und Besinnliche gab, daß er die fünf Stränge der menschlichen Sinnlichkeiten war nimmt. [3]

"Dann ist da der Fall in dem eine bestimmte Person absteht Leben zu nehmen... und Rechte Ansicht hat. Und er gibt Speise, Getränk, Stoff, Fahrzeuge, Schmuck, Duftstoffe, Sablen, Bett, Unterkunft und Leuchten an Brahmanen und Besinnliche. Mit dem Zerfall seines Körper, nach dem Tod, wiedererscheint er in der Gesellschaft der menschlichen Wesen. Dort erfahrt er die fünf Stränge der himmlische Sinnlichkeiten [erfreuliche Formen, Klänge, Gerüche, Geschmäcker, Tastempfindung]. Es ist weil er vom Nehmen was nicht gegeben ist ab stand... und Rechte Ansicht hatte, daß er in der Gesellschaft der menschlichen Wesen wiedererschien. Und es ist weil er Speise, Getränk, Stoff, Fahrzeuge, Schmuck, Duftstoffe, Sablen, Bett, Unterkunft und Leuchten an Brahmanen und Besinnliche gab, daß er die fünf Stränge der himmlischen Sinnlichkeiten war nimmt. Doch in jedem Fall, Brahmane, geht der Spender nicht ohne Belohnung aus."

"Es ist verblüffend, Meister Gotama, es ist erstaunlich, wie dieses ausreichend ist, jemanden anzuregen ein Geschenk zu geben, ausreichend jemanden anzuregen eine Gabe darzubieten, wobei der Spender nicht ohne Belohnung aus geht."

"So ist es, Brahmane. So ist es. Der Spender geht nicht ohne Belohnung aus."

"Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent! Just as if he were to place upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way has Master Gotama — through many lines of reasoning — made the Dhamma clear. I go to Master Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma, & to the community of monks. May Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge, from this day forward, for life."