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Samyutta Nikaya
Sacca Saṁyutta

SN 56.117–119 Nirayadevanirayādisutta
Dying in Hell and Reborn as Gods

When hell beings pass away, the amount of beings reborn as gods in their next life is extremely few.

… “So too, monks, when hell beings pass away, the amount of beings reborn as gods in their next life is extremely few. However, when hell beings pass away, the amount of beings reborn as hell beings in their next life is extremely large. What is the reason for this? It is because, monks, they have not understood the Four Noble Truths. What are those Four Noble Truths? The Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of the cause of suffering, the Noble Truth of the end of suffering, and the Noble Truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.

“Therefore, monks, you should put an effort to understand: ‘This is suffering.’ You should put an effort to understand: ‘This is the cause of suffering.’ You should put an effort to understand: ‘This is the end of suffering.’ You should put an effort to understand: ‘This is the path that leads to the end of suffering.’”

… “So too, monks, when hell beings pass away, the amount of beings reborn as gods in their next life is extremely few. However, when hell beings pass away, the amount of beings reborn as animals in their next life is extremely large. What is the reason for this? It is because, monks, they have not understood the Four Noble Truths. What are those Four Noble Truths? The Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of the cause of suffering, the Noble Truth of the end of suffering, and the Noble Truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.

“Therefore, monks, you should put an effort to understand: ‘This is suffering.’ You should put an effort to understand: ‘This is the cause of suffering.’ You should put an effort to understand: ‘This is the end of suffering.’ You should put an effort to understand: ‘This is the path that leads to the end of suffering.’”

… “So too, monks, when hell beings pass away, the amount of beings reborn as gods in their next life is extremely few. However, when hell beings pass away, the amount of beings reborn as ghosts in their next life is extremely large. What is the reason for this? It is because, monks, they have not understood the Four Noble Truths. What are those Four Noble Truths? The Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of the cause of suffering, the Noble Truth of the end of suffering, and the Noble Truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering.

“Therefore, monks, you should put an effort to understand: ‘This is suffering.’ You should put an effort to understand: ‘This is the cause of suffering.’ You should put an effort to understand: ‘This is the end of suffering.’ You should put an effort to understand: ‘This is the path that leads to the end of suffering.’”

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Saṁyutta Nikāya 56.117–119 Nirayadevanirayādisutta: Dying in Hell and Reborn as Gods

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