Friends:
Breakthrough to the Truths safeguards against Downfall Rebirth!
The Blessed
Gotama
Buddha once explained:
Bhikkhus & friends, see this little dust, I have taken up upon the nail of
my little-finger, what do you think is most: This tiny dust or this great
planet Earth? The Bhikkhus then responded:
Venerable Sir, this great planet Earth is much more, incomparable more...
The minute speck of dust is trifling, microscopic, negligible in comparison.
The Blessed
Gotama
Buddha then succinctly pointed out:
Similarly and exactly so too, Bhikkhus & friends, those beings are few &
quite rare, who are reborn among humans or devas! Beings who are reborn
elsewhere, lower, as non-humans, in the screaming hell, as scared animals,
as hungry ghosts or as mad demons are much more numerous & common...
Why is it so? Because, Bhikkhus, they have not seen the
4 Noble Truths!
What four?
This
is Suffering;
Craving is the
Cause of Suffering;
No
Craving is the
End of Suffering;
The Noble 8-fold Way Ends all Suffering,
Therefore, Bhikkhus & friends, exertion should be made Now to understand:
All This
is Suffering;
This Greedy Craving
is the
sole Cause of all Suffering;
No
Craving is the
End of Suffering;
The Noble 8-fold Way Ends all Suffering,
Therefore should effort to fathom these
4 Noble Truths be made NOW!
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya.
[V:474-5]
section 56: Saccasamyutta. Thread 102-5: Elsewhere & etc...
Comments:
The actions that result in rebirth in the five destinations are described in
detail in the work: Pańcagatidīpanī. Translated by Ann Appleby
Hazlewood.
in Journal of the Pāli Text Society. Vol. XI 1987:
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=132714
For relation between cause & effect = action & result = kamma & fruit see:
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Buddha_on_Kamma.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Kamma_is_intention.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Beauty_&_Ugliness.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Health_&_Sickness.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Low_or_High_Birth.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Power_or_Disrespect.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Stupidity_or_Intelligence.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Wealth_or_Poverty.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_short_&_long_life.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Good_Action_dilutes_Evil_Kamma.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Good_Action_enhances_other_Good_Kamma.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Evil_Kamma_enhances_other_Evil_Kamma.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Kamma_and_Fruit.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Kamma_is_improvable.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Effect_of_Action_(kamma)_is_Delayed.htm
