SN 29.21-50 - Thirty Discourses On How Giving Helps to Become Womb-Born, Etc.
Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato
Source: https://suttacentral.net/sn29.21-50/en/sujato
License: CC0-1.0

Linked Discourses 29.21–50
1. Dragons
Thirty Discourses On How Giving Helps to Become Womb-Born, Etc.
At Sāvatthī.
Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha:
“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the womb-born dragons … moisture-born dragons … spontaneously-born dragons?”
“Mendicant, it’s when someone does both kinds of deeds by body, speech, and mind. And they’ve heard: ‘The spontaneously-born dragons are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’ They think: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons!’ They give food … drink … a lamp. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons. This is the cause, this is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons.”
(Each set of ten discourses of this series should be told in full the same way.)
The Linked Discourses on dragons are complete.