A comprehensive list of suttas on rebirth ?

[morning mist]

Does anyone have a complete list of suttas on rebirth ? If not, then what are some suttas about the effects of an activity ripening in this very life and what are some suttas about the effects of an activity ripening in the next life as well ?

[santa100]

There'll be a lot. Just go to http://www.accesstoinsight.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and type in 'rebirth' in the Search box on the upper right hand corner..

[cooran]

Hello mm,

These links on aspects of rebirth can be accessed at the link below:

Rebirth. See also Hell; Jati (birth); Kamma; Sagga (heaven).
The skillfulness of one's actions in life determine one's destination after death: Dhp 17, Dhp 18, Dhp 240
Causes of favorable or unfavorable ~: MN 135, AN 3.65, Dhp 310, Dhp 316
How to gain rebirth as an elephant or a horse: AN 10.177
The laws of kamma and ~ are as inviolable as the law of gravity: SN 42.6
What's so bad about being reborn?: SN 5.6
Why not just settle for rebirth among the devas?: SN 5.7
The preciousness of our human birth: SN 20.2, SN 56.48
~ witnessed by Buddha on the night of his Awakening: See Buddha's Awakening.
"Kamma & Rebirth" (Nyanatiloka)
"Dhamma Without Rebirth?" (Bodhi)
"Does Rebirth Make Sense?" (Bodhi)
"The Thirty-one Planes of Existence" in the Path to Freedom pages
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/index-subject.html#r" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris

[tiltbillings]

Two on reborth and the Buddha's awakening:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... .than.html

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... .than.html

[morning mist]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for sharing. I will go back and read or reread them. If you come across some suttas on rebirth that are not listed here yet, feel free to add them or link to them. It would be nice to have a comprehensive compilation of all the suttas on rebirth.

[Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta]

suttacentral search (27 May 2021)

1261 results for rebirth

• https://suttacentral.net/search?query=rebirth

844 results for reborn

• https://suttacentral.net/search?query=reborn

Even though I still don't have enough personal prerequisites to know & accept literal rebirth, I believe I have enough knowledge these days to really accept that Buddha explicitly taught also about literal rebirth, imo. And, I feel glad about my acceptance.

[mjaviem]

... Buddha explicitly taught also about literal rebirth, imo...

I don't think the Buddha taught that some bones that lie on a graveyard can be linked to some animal roaming in the wilderness. I think the teachings are more about as long as you keep thinking you were born you are inevitably bound to age and die so it's time to wake up now.

[Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta]

... Buddha explicitly taught also about literal rebirth, imo...

I don't think the Buddha taught that some bones that lie on a graveyard can be linked to some animal roaming in the wilderness. I think the teachings are more about as long as you keep thinking you were born you are inevitably bound to age and die so it's time to wake up now.

Interesting; however, that point may not be for "Theravada for beginners forum." Anyway, What I am quite sure is that ... for some people, 'their next-life' is as real & literal as next minute for me.

[buddyjski]

... for some people, 'their next-life' is as real & literal as next minute for me.

They are called Buddhists.

[Dhammavamsa]

Rebirth (I prefer the Pali word "Punabbhavo" usage, because there is no English word that can possibly deliver its meaning correctly) is a natural phenomenon that can be seen in Paticca Samuppada. Many suttas like Pukkusati Sutta, Karaniyametta sutta, Cula Kammavibhanga sutta, Brahmanimantanika sutta, Maratajjaniya sutta, Devaduta sutta, Dhananjani Sutta, Balapandita sutta,Anathapindikovada sutta, Acchariya abbhuta sutta, Sankharupapatti Sutta, showed clearly that Buddha did taught Punabbhavo in the real sense.

But Lord Buddha dispelled our delusion that these two ideas are incorrect:
1) The being undergo Punabbhavo is the same personality, unchanged, fixed identity. Namely: Eternalism

2) Whatever being here and now in this life time, after the exhaustion of lifespan, died and no more. Only one life, there will be no more for it. Namely: Annihilism

Most people nowadays often get caught in one of these views. In Suttanta, in commentaries, both stated that same thing that there is a literal rebirth for all beings (if they achieved Arahantahood, then the cycle is broken, then no more Punabbhavo for the being).

Please pardon me, but some modern monks did actually misinterpreted the teachings. For example, Luang Phor Dhammavuddho said there is an astral body (which he identified it as Gandhabba) that can descend literally into the mother's womb during sexual union. And he also said that the Manomaya Iddhi of Buddha (a supernormal power that capable to produce copies of Himself) also stated in the Suttas. To quote his lines:

"ASTRAL BODY (mano,maya,kāya)
Dhammavuḍḍho finally quotes D 2 (87-88, Sāmañña,phala Sutta), how the Buddha describes, in his deep meditation, he is able to creat another “mind-made body” (mano,maya,kāya) that looks just like his body, what in popular lingo is called the “astral body.” This can be called a “soul.”
[Dhammavuḍḍho says that the “mind-made body” emerges from the crown, which is not mentioned in D 2.]
[SD 8.10]"
https://www.dhammavuddho.com/dhammavuddho-and-the-soul/

This idea is closely associated with Tibetan Buddhism's "Bardo". But this concept is nowhere to be found in Sutta as in the Tathagata's own word. In many ways, Buddha cross questioning his disciples in term of dependent origination, where this is, then that is; when this is not, then that is not. All things dependent arising and so is the Punabbhavo process, there is no need of a immaterial being, floating from body to body, or choosing our parents to born with. One might argue that the Bodhisatta Setaketu Deva choosing Queen Maha Maya as his mother to bear his final body. But this is not correct. When He was asked to take final body by the Devas, Bodhisatta Setaketu did not hastily to do so, instead he did the Great 5 Surveys, checking if the conditions are there. Once every conditions fulfilled, there He take his final body as Siddattha Gotama. Plus, if such Bardo or Soul exists in real sense, Buddha would mention it clearly and this idea is sided with Eternalism, due to its transmigration idea. Furthermore, the Soul idea was refuted in Kathavathu.

The second part is Annihilism and it is quite easy to understand why it is faulty. Some teacher like to rebranding Buddhism to make it refreshing for their audience, using ideas like: "Do not care about previous or future lives, life is here and now. Devas, Petas, Brahmas, Hell, animal literal rebirth etc don't play a role here in practice, for they are just symbol for mentality. Mere metaphor." But in Suttas, this is clearly not the case. Many times Buddha did proclaim the future destination of His disciples, for example:
1) Anathapindika died and reborn as Devaputta in Tusita Deva world,
2) Pukkusati attacked by a cow, died and reborn in Pure Abode Suddhavasa Deva world, having achieved Anagami state and will attain Nibbana there too.
3) Manduka the frog, when it concentrating to Buddha's voice, was crushed to death by a stick and subsequently reborn as Manduka Devaputta with great glory.
4) The young man named Magha, through his diligence and morality, after he died, reborn as Sakka Devaraja of current age.
5) Devadatta, having attacked Buddha in many ways, reborn into Avici Niraya after his death.


Perhaps those monks came to this idea due to the misinterpretation of "Bhaddekaratta Sutta" . But Bhaddekaratta Sutta did not taught in such extreme way, the Sutta taught don't clinging to the past, don't building (wordly) hope for future. For the past is gone, and the future yet to come." Here the Sutta recognised both past and future, yet taught us the remove our clinging or longing for past and future. Bhaddekaratta Sutta taught a Middle Path.

Imho, Buddha avoided the two extreme points and taught the middle path. Buddha showed us that there is a Way out of the vicious cycle of Punabbhavo: The Noble Eightfold Path.

[mjaviem]

...
1) Anathapindika died and reborn as Devaputta in Tusita Deva world,
2) Pukkusati attacked by a cow, died and reborn in Pure Abode Suddhavasa Deva world, having achieved Anagami state and will attain Nibbana there too.
3) Manduka the frog, when it concentrating to Buddha's voice, was crushed to death by a stick and subsequently reborn as Manduka Devaputta with great glory.
4) The young man named Magha, through his diligence and morality, after he died, reborn as Sakka Devaraja of current age.
5) Devadatta, having attacked Buddha in many ways, reborn into Avici Niraya after his death.
...

Does it mean
1) Devaputta in Tusita Deva world was Anathapindika the disciple?
2) Someone (whose name I don't know yet) in Pure Abode Suddhavasa Deva world was Pukkusati the disciple?
3) Manduka Devaputta was Manduka the frog?
4) Sakka Devaraja was Magha the disciple?
5) Someone (whose name I don't know yet) in Avici Niraya was Devadatta?

These are examples of devas and hell beings and their former lifes. I wonder if there are examples of someone in human realm and they previous life. This is so I can complete the picture and think about it.

[Dhammavamsa]

...
1) Anathapindika died and reborn as Devaputta in Tusita Deva world,
2) Pukkusati attacked by a cow, died and reborn in Pure Abode Suddhavasa Deva world, having achieved Anagami state and will attain Nibbana there too.
3) Manduka the frog, when it concentrating to Buddha's voice, was crushed to death by a stick and subsequently reborn as Manduka Devaputta with great glory.
4) The young man named Magha, through his diligence and morality, after he died, reborn as Sakka Devaraja of current age.
5) Devadatta, having attacked Buddha in many ways, reborn into Avici Niraya after his death.
...

Does it mean
1) Devaputta in Tusita Deva world was Anathapindika the disciple?
2) Someone (whose name I don't know yet) in Pure Abode Suddhavasa Deva world was Pukkusati the disciple?
3) Manduka Devaputta was Manduka the frog?
4) Sakka Devaraja was Magha the disciple?
5) Someone (whose name I don't know yet) in Avici Niraya was Devadatta?

These are examples of devas and hell beings and their former lifes. I wonder if there are examples of someone in human realm and they previous life. This is so I can complete the picture and think about it.

Hi , imho the being that undergo Punabbhavo is neither the same person nor different person.
If it is the same person, that would be Eternalism. If it is entirely different person, that would be subscribing to Annihilism.
Can refer to Suttanta, Milindapanha and Visuddhimagga too.

The so-called being is just a term, referring to Namarupa, that is affected by Kamma vipaka together with craving & clinging. It was the Namarupa that undergo Punabbhavo. As long as the 10 fetters are not abandoned, the so-called being is wandering in the Samsara again and again. That is why the Buddha used the simile of blood and the ocean, the simile of tears and the ocean etc to describe how it is unfathomably long we have wandered in the Samsara without definite beginning at all. Yet these Namarupa was a combination of dependent originated factors, are Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta.

In the Suttas, there are laymen and laywomen were born as human in subsequent lives. But is quite rare, for when those disciples meet the Buddha, they received the Dhamma teachings directly from Buddha, and able to gain Maggaphala. So it is not really suprise that they reborn in higher realms so long as they didn't attain Arahant stage. In modern days, you can read about Ian Stevenson's work.

[mjaviem]

Hi , imho the being that undergo Punabbhavo is neither the same person nor different person.
If it is the same person, that would be Eternalism. If it is entirely different person, that would be subscribing to Annihilism.
Can refer to Suttanta, Milindapanha and Visuddhimagga too.

The so-called being is just a term, referring to Namarupa, that is affected by Kamma vipaka together with craving & clinging. It was the Namarupa that undergo Punabbhavo. As long as the 10 fetters are not abandoned, the so-called being is wandering in the Samsara again and again. That is why the Buddha used the simile of blood and the ocean, the simile of tears and the ocean etc to describe how it is unfathomably long we have wandered in the Samsara without definite beginning at all. Yet these Namarupa was a combination of dependent originated factors, are Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta.

In the Suttas, there are laymen and laywomen were born as human in subsequent lives. But is quite rare, for when those disciples meet the Buddha, they received the Dhamma teachings directly from Buddha, and able to gain Maggaphala. So it is not really suprise that they reborn in higher realms so long as they didn't attain Arahant stage. In modern days, you can read about Ian Stevenson's work.

I am interested about a Sutta where the Buddha says that somebody (e.g., a specific layperson, ascetic, Noble disciple) was a specific being on whatever realm in a former life. So far the examples I've read about are as I mentioned before about heaven or hell beings who formerly were some being in a previous life but I don't remember a reference of the past life of a human.

Yes I read I. Stevenson book though I haven't finished it yet. He investigated people claiming about memories (or even body marks) corresponding to the life of somebody defunct.

[cappuccino]

I am interested about a Sutta where the Buddha says that somebody … was a specific being on whatever realm in a former life.

Araka's Teaching

Once, monks, there was a teacher named Araka, a sectarian leader who was free of passion for sensual pleasures.

Now at that time, monks, the human life span was 60,000 years …

[mjaviem]

I am interested about a Sutta where the Buddha says that somebody … was a specific being on whatever realm in a former life.

Araka's Teaching

Once, monks, there was a teacher named Araka, a sectarian leader who was free of passion for sensual pleasures.

Now at that time, monks, the human life span was 60,000 years …

Thanks but I mean a Sutta related to rebirth saying who somebody was in the past. Your example in AN 7.70 doesn't mention what happened to Araka after he died, it's not a Sutta related to rebirth.